10 hour day

[stupidgirl]

Not sure if this should go here or under 'in the news'.

I read in the paper (read today, but paper was about 2 weeks old!) about a proposal to increase the school day to hours. So school would start at 8am, with the school providing breakfasts, and not finish until 6pm - in order to make life easier for working parents.

What does anyone think of this idea?

[Hulababy]

This has been discussed on the Homeworl Madness thread today. Not the actual article, just the idea. TBH I am not sure it'd work.

Who'd look after the children? What would they do? Where would the children be kept? Lots of questions...

[spacemonkey]

I read about this too - I read it to mean that they will not be extending compulsory hours, rather they will be providing before/after school care. Might be wrong there though!

[yingers74]

am not sure how i stand on this. i think it would be strange to never see your parents/kids during the week, but then again if you are a working parent, it would be a lot less stressful and hence when you are with them, you would have more quality time.

And then again, why not just send your kids to boarding school!!!!! See, what I mean about not being sure????

I guess if they are older kids 11 plus, it is not so bad as they would no doubt be doing evening activities anyway, but primary kids I think need more input from their parents. The gov should work on making work more flexible rather than school longer.

[coppertop]

I hope they're not expecting teachers to run all of this! If so, what happens to the children of those teachers who teach at one school but send their children elsewhere? Are teachers expected to become full-time babysitters?

Whoever runs it this seems like an incredibly long day for a child.

[stupidgirl]

I'm not sure spacemonkey, you might be right, I can't find the article right now, I can't see it
on the website either.

Coppertop, I think they were suggesting that additional non-teaching staff would do the out of hours caring.

[mummytosteven]

is it just me that finds the government's agenda towards families slightly sinister in a social control sort of way - propel all parents to work, now keep all kids in school until 6 p.m.

[SueW]

I've mentioned this before on mumsnet but I think it's all to do with 'universal childcare' - providing good childcare for all children over 12mo for those who need it.

Though Google you can find lots of information on this.

[stupidgirl]

Hmmm, I think we're heading towards a nanny-state. Big brother and all that...

[mummytosteven]

oh good, another paranoid soul, stupidgirl, not just me

[coppertop]

Fellow paranoid person here too!

[Angeliz]

I always took it to mean as and when working parents MAY need it. Not every child being in school every day for that amount of time!!!

[yingers74]

stupidgirl - agreed. Eventually we will all work until we are buried by our desks! Children will be grown in tubes so that women do not take uneccessary time away from work.

[kkgirl]

I haven't read much about it tbh.
But can't help thinking the kids will be exhausted, even if it is after school clubs etc, they aren't going to have much freedom, and definitely won't want to do much homework.
I have spent the last 3 1/2 years going back to work in the day, making sure I only do school hours, and trying to balance leave between me and dh to cover school holidays, and it is hard when you don't have anyone else to offer help, and the effort of trying to farm all three out to friends seems harder than just taking the leave. Government policy seemed to be to encourage workplaces to be family friendly and now it seems to be swinging the other way.

I don't think it is a good idea.

[stupidgirl]

Me? Paranoid? Who have you been talking to???

[stupidgirl]

[Slinky]

Angeliz

Is that not the case then?? I assumed it would be a "child-care" facility for working parents, and therefore it would be optional!!

Over my dead body will my kids be attending school for 10 hours a day! My nearly 5yo started in Reception last Monday and she is absolutely knackered at the end of the day. She wouldn't last another 1/2 hour let alone another 3!!!

And MummytoSteven - another cynical one here!

[Angeliz]

I think it's the case but was getting worried with this thread. .......

(I'm sure it's the case, they couldn't possibly do that!!!).
My dd is knackered after 2 and a half hours too!!!

[MeanBean]

Mummytosteven, you're not the only one. I hate them all. With good reason - they're all out to get me. [twitch smiley!]

[WideWebWitch]

Shite idea. Haven't read other posts but not much time.

[roisin]

I'm stunned that any kids can survive such a long day. My ds2 is 5 and in yr1; last night he had over 13 hours sleep, and this is not unusual, but he was STILL shattered when I picked him up at 3.15, and ready to chill out. DS1 is not much better and he's two years older. I would love to pick them up and take them home two hours earlier, not two hours later

[Cam]

Yes Beetroot, I would say every private school offers this (at extra cost, usually!) however hardly any people avail themselves of the facility at primary level.

[Hulababy]

The prep school we have DD's name for offers morning and after school care, including in it's normal fees: from 8am until 4:30pm. They don't have them any later though as feel it is too long a day for primary children. The morning session is breakfast and playing. The afernoon session are a range of activities - homework, clubs, sports, dancing, music, etc.