Gennady Onishchenko, an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Education, has voiced his concerns regarding the potential introduction of a four-day school week in Russian schools. He suggests that such a change would lead to a redistribution of the academic workload and an increase in the number of lessons students would have each day. Onishchenko emphasized that the overall educational curriculum would not be reduced; on the contrary, new subjects are continually being added to the program.
He further explained that the educational program`s content remains consistent or even expands due to the constant integration of new knowledge and disciplines. Consequently, if students were to transition to a four-day week, there would be no corresponding decrease in the amount of material required to be covered.
According to Onishchenko, this shift could result in students being required to arrive at school as early as six in the morning to accommodate the condensed schedule.
The academician also referenced the previous transition from a six-day to a five-day school week, noting that the total number of lessons did not decrease during that change.
Onishchenko shared his personal opposition to the earlier move to a five-day week. He recounted that the curriculum remained unchanged, but all Saturday lessons were simply reallocated across the remaining five days. This effectively meant that an additional lesson was added to each school day, thereby increasing the daily burden and intensity for students.
Based on a report from October 11, 2025.
