To think that overcrowding should = part time schools?

[SenseofEntitlement]

Having just read this I am at a loss as to why each area doesn't have a part time school, where half the kids come, say, Mon-Wed dinnertime, then the other half do wed dinnertime- Fri. They could do longer days, or maybe do a kind of flexischool arrangement where they are home educated for the other days.

We would still need the same amount of teachers, for all the planning and marking etc, but it would give them a bit more flexibility too, for things like cover, and the school would have double the funding for it's size, so could get better facilities - there would be, say, 420 children registered (and funded for) but only 210 of them would actually be using the school at any one time.

I know that longer, but fewer, days would work better for a lot of parents too, jobs and travel wise - my DD goes to the only school that had a place that we could get to, and it takes me up to an hour to do the school run on the bus. Luckily my FIL helps out, but that would be ten hours a week travelling, worse if DD2 was at the school nursery that only does half days - it would practically be a part time job.

Obviously it couldn't be every school, or parents who need to work or who don't want to change at all wouldn't have a choice, but if we are so overcrowded, I'm sure that there is at least two classes worth of kids in each area that would like to be half and half HE and school. I know there are at least two classes worth of reception children crowbarred in around our town - there are only 18 classes worth of children in the whole town, but they are somehow squished into the space for 16. I'm sure it is much worse in places like London.

Or am I missing something?

Why don't we go the whole hog and just go back to half-time schooling and instead of HE, get the little blighters out to work
rls.org.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-001-268-L
I'm being facetious, but that's what springs to mind with what you're suggesting

Sorry it's a crap idea

Even literate parents struggle to understand their kid's homework at times

I can't imagine how the hell they'd manage to HE them

Come to think of it some kids take little notice of their parents anyway.

I assumed that you'd have 2 teams of teachers working different hours. the issue is physical space.

Displays would be interesting...

also all the non-work hours that teachers do - they'd have to find some sort of space to do those, but still have access to all their pupils' books etc. Maybe trolleys instead of bookshelves...but where would you park the trolleys you were working on while the other shift were in school???

Maybe you would be able to home educate to an acceptable standard, but many parents aren't capable of home education.

To be a teacher you need a degree and a post graduate qualification. I think its pretty insulting to suggest that any non teacher can do a better job.

If everyone was doing their own planning it would be chaos for the poor teacher planning the taught lessons. Every child would have covered different topics.

Imagine if Tomy has been taught multiplication by the grid method, Jamie has been half taught long multiplication, Sadie's dad has decided that arthemetic is unnecessary as she has calculator and sadie is learning to be a car mechanic. Joe is learning how to roll up rizas and play 18 rated games.

How would a teacher plan a maths lesson?

Heswall, I think you have no idea what goes on in a school or the skill of teacher.

the birth rate is still below the rate of replacement at 1.9 per adult couple...

in the long run schools are going to close in most areas except those with new housing built.

the area plan for our LEA involves closing one school due to lack of demand in the next five years...

I don't think a half-day system would work, it would get way too complicated especially for childcare but I know many areas in the States had a track system in place when the baby boomers went through to get the most of spaces in areas where building could not be done particularly for just a temporary increase. So a child would assigned to a "tracks", there would 3 tracks going, say, 6 weeks on, 3 weeks off, with only two tracks being in school at once. It made the most of facilities and space and these were quite popular with secondary schools where childcare wouldn't have been such an issue.

The models for double shift school have been analysed by UNESCO - just google - it's a long report but very lucidly expressed.

Countries such as Russia, Singapore, Botswana, India, and Zambia use it. Often it suits cultures where the children are economically active before or after their shift. Out of shift indiscipline is an issue.

As far as teachers are concerned, it recognises that single shifts are preferred, though higher pay for doing two shifts is attractive when base pay for teachers is low. Preparation and marking suffer, of course, but when schooling is for the proles, and it has significant child minding function (the report states the latter explicitly), who gives a shit?

I've been reading some american blogs where children flexi school (sometimes called university model)

So 2 or 3 days in school then homeschooling. Sounds very appealing.

I used to love when DD was 3 full days at nursery (and I worked 3 days). Meant we had 2 full days a week off today - for day trips, music class, swimming lessons etc.

I do the same hours now 5 days to fit in with school. Yes I collect her afterschool but it isn't the same as having a day off together.

Childcare provision would have to be in place to provide wrap around care.

But it would mean childrens activities could run in the week and should boost visitor numbers to museums, zoos etc.

Also helpful if your child has medical appointments - they could be scheduled so child doesn't miss school.

I don't have any idea what goes on in a state school, I know what doesn't go on and the teachers qualifications and strengths aren't always available to the children to benefit from.
I'm not suggesting for a moment it's a walk in the park but how much attention and actual teaching do you think your child would get as one of 40 in a class ?

As a parent I like your idea, as a teacher I hate it.

I hate the thought that my child will be away from me all day everyday at such a young age, especially as I know I could address her learning needs and interests comfortably at home. However, I am also aware that most people need to work full-time, so it can not be a practical arrangement for many people, but you have said it wouldn't be a project for the masses, just the class or two worth of families who would be interested in each authority.

From a teacher perspective, how would I know what has been taught and consolidated at home to prepare adequately for the school time sessions? Liaising with 64 parents about their child's progress on a weekly level would be somewhat draining. I suppose there could be two different curricula running parallel to each other in each setting, a formal one in a school setting and something much more flexible and suited to individual interest at home maybe. Still, it sounds like a lot of joined up thinking/planning would be needed from all parties and that would add extra work for me (who will planning, assessing and target setting for 64 children, not to mention writing and reviewing any IEPs etc.)

There should be an educational facility available to HE families, however. The funding that would be given to a school if they were on roll should be given to the facility to provide the resources that would be available to them in a school setting (ie text books, IT equipment, science equipment and specialist maths equipment.) Yes, I know people will say 'well they have chosen to HE, they should fund it', but I think that is too simple an argument. HE may be the only option for families with a child who is school phobic or has other ill health or mental health problems. Even if it is for no other reason than the parents think they can give their children a better start, the children still deserve access to the same resources and equipment as their maintained school peers. It is in our interest to help educate every child, however that is achieved.

An ok idea OP in principle but very unworkable.

We would still need the same amount of teachers, for all the planning and marking etc,

We would need double the teachers. They would be planning and marking for double the DCs and it would be far more complex.
The work load is high at the moment-this would make it unworkable-might as well have a bed at school and not have a home life!

Heswall, my son is in class of 27. Actually I think quite a lot teaching and learning goes on.

My son also gains good social skills from going to school.

There used to be part time education in this country. The children worked in the dark satanic mills Monday to Saturday and went to school on Sunday afternoon.

www.christianitytoday.com/ch/asktheexpert/whendidsundayschoolstart.html

As you can imagine one afternoon of education on a Sunday wasn't really enough.

Why go backwards in history?

Prehaps using school buildings on Saturdays and Sundays isn't too far from the OP suggestion. I can't see teachers wanting to work at the weekend though

In my opinion this was always going to happen and its not really to do with a 'baby boom' but more to do with so many schools being closed down for little good reason (3 in our area were closed down and sold off due to them not being FULL, they weren't quiet, just not full to capacity) yet suddenly its people's fault for having babies.

This is bonkers.

In terms of teaching, class teachers would have twice the amount of marking to do as they would have double the number of pupils and less time to do the marking and planning in as the teaching day would be longer.

Small children can barely cope with a school day as it is, extending it means that they may have the same number of hours, but the quality of their learning wouldn't be the same.

Then get onto childcare. I work full time and at the moment pay for nursery for my pre-school child and before and after school clubs for my school age child. Your idea would have me having to find minding fees for an extra two days a week - ridiculous.

yabu - it might fit your life but not everyone else's and sounds like a logistical nightmare

Claptrap we have what you describe in Bedfordshire for HE families. Our children can attend or not the scheme/centre as and when it supplements what they are doing at home. It is funded by the provision that schools would have received for our children if they attended and is overseen by a secondary school (so they are officially registered there - despite being primary age). That money goes a very, very long way because we aren't all in the building at once and the parents do a lot for free. We are extremely fortunate to be able to take part, but we moved here to do so.

Toddlerama - sounds great, it is a shame other authorities are not as forward thinking.