School is a very inconvenient form of 'childcare'

[naty1]

The hours just dont match for 9-5 working. Then the holidays are much longer, and everyone at work wants those same days.

I can see that nursery 8-6 is much easier for work, everyday except xmas week.
Or more jobs that fit school hours.
Compress the hours into fewer says of the week

There is a disconnect between the hours people work and the availability of childcare. We spent 5 years juggling a mixture of breakfast club/afterschool club/au pairs/childminders/afterschool activities whilst we both worked full time. It was incredibly stressful - especially when the unexpected happened (school closed due to snow, activity cancelled at the last minute, strike announced with less than 24h notice). Plus finding childcare for onset days is neigh on impossible. I now send both DC to private schools, which has made life as a working parent so much easier (I do appreciate that we are very lucky to be able to afford this).

CurlyhairedAssassin My point was though that these hours are not unknown. People know them when they choose to start a family. It shouldn't come as a shock to them.

They are supposed to offer wrap round care 8-6 or signpost you to somewhere that does. Ours has a lovely breakfast and after school club from 7.30am-6.30pm

Bloody autocorrect nigh not neigh!

Nope, parenting is an inconvenient form of childcare.

Your expected to look after them ALL THE TIME! The pays shit, the trainings non existent and hours are dreadful. AND most people have to take on a second job to make ends meet.

You'd think something would have been done by now.

Frankly it's an outrage.

Hulababy - I think people can be forgiven for not projecting forwards to when their child turns 5 and how they are going to cover childcare for non-school hours when they start with the old ttc.

PinkWeasel I really wish I could 'like' your post!

School hours don't come as the shock, but the difficulty in getting wrap around childcare, the inflexibility of employers and the shortage of school hours jobs (where the pay is usually just minimum wage) might cause some disappointment, and understandably so!

Yes...People choose to have children. They don't choose to suffer redundancy/serious illness or death of their DP/other stressful circumstances which dramatically change their lives. There are some exceptionally snarky responses on this thread, when it's clear the OP is really disheartened by trying to find or juggle employment which is logistically possible with school age DC.

The uk works the longest hours in Europe apparently. And you would like uk children to attend school to match these hours, so in school 8-6? Or longer?

That's a hell of a long day. I think the solution is to chop working hours down to 9-4. That would be nice. Maybe a couple of hours off for lunch.

Schools here often finish at 11:30am to 1pm, now that is a pita if you work full time!

I run a wrap around service - I don't charge extortionate fees ( even though I could!) £3.20 per hour. 7.45 - 5.45. Holiday club 8.00 - 6.00 £18 per day. We break even after all expenses are paid. Just what we are aiming for. If I can do it so can others.

I wouldn't want school hours to be as long as working hours.
But I'm very grateful for the school's afternoon club which covers the rest of the day. If all schools had decent after school care it would be so much easier for parents - and my children enjoy being there with their friends, much better than using a childminder.

If you don't see school as childcare, then are you allowed to just put your child in childcare instead of school?

I assume, no. Therefore school (or education) is a forced form of childcare for working parents.

morethan - school is trying to teach a lot more than just the 3 Rs in the 6 hours. Social skills, team sports, group music, drama are all things off the top of my head are things that particularly lend themselves to group teaching.

It's not very time efficient, true!

HotPinkWeasle

TheDetective yes! Wot you said.

Have to admit, the phrase "but it's not supposed to be childcare" frustrates me. I know that, I think education is the most important thing behind love, food and a safe place to live. But if the kids have to go to school, and we have to go to work (financially/morally/socially/whatever) and we can't afford to pay twice for the hours the kids are at school (nanny) and the "wraparound care" doesn't wrap around or doesn't exist, and your family's not conveniently located/able to help... well, it's frustrating. It's not "childcare" but it is government-mandated time when my DC are cared for by someone else - and it's NOT convenient to me, regardless of how important it is.

The problem isn't school hours, it's the difficulty in obtaining wrap around care. I must admit, I never knew it was so complex especially for older children who are not quite old enough to be home alone yet.

"It's not childcare, it's education" is a pat response from people who just want to look smart and belittle the op.

Look at that - 4 faces within the first couple of minutes. Gotta love Mn.

Morethanpotatoprints

2 hours!
Today my class practised for their assembly, had half an hour handwriting practise, an hour of maths, half an hour small group guided reading, an hour of descriptive writing,a game of rounders and began to build a time capsule.
All this alongside playtime with their friends and lunch.
Even 1-1, I can't believe all that could have been fitted into 2 hours.

Children's time is not 'wasted' at school at those times where the teacher is otherwise engaged. They learn to work independently, use initiative, develop patience and teamwork skills.
To disregard all the time they spend without 1-1 support is missing the point.

Exactly why I was an SAHM for ten years. I was the wraparound childcare. Far less stressful than worrying about after school clubs, or wrapping round anything.

TheDetective- no one if forced to send heir child to school. Parents are allowed to find alternative education including home schooling.

Actually, if it's not childcare and cannot be treated as such, why does the government expect single parents to have gainful employment of at least 20 hours per week once their youngest child is five

I said working parents are forced to send their child to an educational setting.

Well, unless you work nights, and are happy to never sleep. I suppose you could actually home educate then.

But I doubt that.

If you are able to not work, you have a choice. For working parents school is a forced childcare setting.

Morecrack

My child's time was wasted at school, but that's why we H.ed and cover what she needs from a school in 2 hours.
I'm sure the time isn't wasted for those who are happy taking part in your suggestions.
Anyway, my original point was that school is part education and part childcare and more recently from what I hear the boundaries between the two are getting close to each other.

No school isn't child care and since there was fuck all child care round here I'm stuck forever as a SAHM.

What CurlyHairedAssassin said at 19.53.