School will be closed at lunchtime one day a week from Sept

[Ilovecranberries]

The school (primary) had just informed the parents that they will be closing at lunchtime on one day a week from September to facilitate "planning".
I don't even know what to say. AIBU to think it is ridiculous? I am a single working parent, not sure how I am supposed to work around this. Extra childcare for these 3.5 hours at the local childminders rates will be £56 a week (two children here). Or two grand a year post tax. I probably will be told I am BU (I probably am), just very anxious right now.

as a working parent, I didn't plan my career relying on free "school childcare", it's ludicrous to pretend anyone would!

It’s ludicrous that your saying you havnt! Who is waiting at home incase you the school was closed? Do you pay some one to be on standby incase catastrophic events happen? Give over. You assume that your children will be in school regularly and that helps you work full time.

Unless you work evenings 🥴

This is a direct result of funding cuts and excess costs on schools.

Schools have stretched themselves for years and spread so thin that there is nothing left to give. They have campaigned for better funding and many people have largely ignored this. Teachers have self funded children out of their own wages and continue to do so to ensure the children get the opportunities to learn. You need to ask what you did to support schools to secure extra funding. If you didn't try, then don't complain now that they can't afford supply staff.

Children have been suffering for years and this has had a detrimental impact on their learning. Now it is hitting some pockets, people are starting to wake up to it.

Point out that by law children have to be in full time education.

I think in England it is 380 'sessions' a year for LEA maintained schools. The rules are different for academies and independent schools. The schools can determine the hours for the school day and their term time dates, though the academic year must begin after July.

From the age of four your children are expected by the state to attend school. Even if you are on benefits there comes a time when your children are school aged that you start to apply for work.

So this school isn’t free child care is absolutely bull shit.

@JaniceWebster - of course I expected my DC’s to be in full time school from ages 4-18. That is what society plans on.

Janice your talking out of your arse. Many many women put their careers on hold till the kids reach school age. Otherwise women would be dragged back to the dark ages when they stay at home in the kitchen.

So I’ll ask again. Who is on stand by for when your your kids school closes? Who would permanently look after your kids when schools, nurseries, play camps shut down?

I think in England it is 380 'sessions' a year for LEA maintained schools.

If this school is one then they have been doing more sessions than needed so far. And if they have every school has. Is that likely?

You’re lucky! Our schools ( not in the UK) are looking like they’ll be moving to an every other week or 2-3 days a week alternating model come September. No guarantees that siblings will be on the same schedule either! It’s impossible

Children are required to receive an education. If parents don’t want to home school (to a govt set standard) and can’t afford private school, society will pay for your children to receive a basic education. Society will fund this basic education until 16.

As families’ abilities to support their lifestyles (not suggesting any level of extravagance, literally mean a style of living: home ownership ideally, some form of private transport ideally, one or more children ideally, a certain level of consumption ideally, a certain amount and time of leisure time ideally) on a single salary decreased, the “problem” of what to do with children increased. Couple this with a long overdue push for equality for women without a counter-balancing responsibility on men to fulfil their duties, and conditions are ripe for financial and social disaster.

Over the years schools and teachers have taken on increasing roles for things that used to be covered by the nuclear family, extended family, local communities, local government and state agencies.

With just one extraneous happening - a pandemic, not even a natural disaster or a war - a system pushed to its limits cracks. Responsibilities fall back onto families.

Which, in my opinion, is where responsibility for children belongs.

I fully admit that I use my sisters and friends heavily for childcare and would be a hell of an hypocrite if I was dismissing SAHM that I rely on

Ah Janice I didn’t spot this. Well bully for you aren’t you lucky. Will they be so compliant to do it full time till your kids finish school if need be?

Maybe you should have some empathy for people that are not so lucky.

@ARoseInHarlem

Children are required to receive an education. If parents don’t want to home school (to a govt set standard) and can’t afford private school, society will pay for your children to receive a basic education. Society will fund this basic education until 16.

As families’ abilities to support their lifestyles (not suggesting any level of extravagance, literally mean a style of living: home ownership ideally, some form of private transport ideally, one or more children ideally, a certain level of consumption ideally, a certain amount and time of leisure time ideally) on a single salary decreased, the “problem” of what to do with children increased. Couple this with a long overdue push for equality for women without a counter-balancing responsibility on men to fulfil their duties, and conditions are ripe for financial and social disaster.

Over the years schools and teachers have taken on increasing roles for things that used to be covered by the nuclear family, extended family, local communities, local government and state agencies.

With just one extraneous happening - a pandemic, not even a natural disaster or a war - a system pushed to its limits cracks. Responsibilities fall back onto families.

Which, in my opinion, is where responsibility for children belongs.

Right ok. So does that mean all single parents should not work?

Wow

Jesus who is going to pay for all the single parents if they gave work up. Will they be called benefit scrounges then too?

Jesus who is going to pay for all the single parents if they gave work up. Will they be called benefit scrounges then too?

I presume arose is an advocate of the male breadwinner model. Women back in their box. Single parenthood a failure.

If parents don’t want to home school (to a govt set standard) and can’t afford private school, society will pay for your children to receive a basic education. Society will fund this basic education until 16.
To be honest, I pay enough taxes to cover school costs for both of mine. I know it is not a customer - service provider relationship, but it is also not like the society is piggybacking my children "for free".

Children are required to receive an education. If parents don’t want to home school (to a govt set standard) and can’t afford private school, society will pay for your children to receive a basic education. Society will fund this basic education until 16.

What a weird post. All of it.
Yes it’s called a full time education which the government has said will start in September.

Op I’d be interested in seeing if they are fulfilling the number of sessions since they are clearly not making up lost time.

Op, it's ridiculous and you've every right to be annoyed. The official guidance says that teachers are allowed to move between bubbles so they should be covering ppa sessions in the same way they always have. I teach a Reception class and my ppa is going to be covered by the same member of staff who has always done it.

Evelefteden
not lucky me, when I decided to have children, I had to take into account holidays, sick days, election day, school closure (our local school closed for 3 days due to D&V last year...)

And I also don't think I am too grand to speak with other parents and arrange things with them.

Suddenly moaning that you have to look after your own children is ridiculous and blaming everybody from teachers to "the government" a bit childish.

I sincerely hope this is finally a wake-up call and we actively ask for change in school funding and rescue our entire education system.

It won't be a fast process, but simply admitting it's not working and we need to do something would be a huge step - instead of merely laughing at the silly PTA trying to raise money that benefit you.

@LaurieMarlow

On the contrary. It’s my belief that almost all of this is down to men not assuming their responsibilities. Women, biologically and societally, have no choice BUT to be responsible. I mean, the fucking PRIME MINISTER has an unknown number of children by various women. Perhaps he’s providing for them fully financially, but I can guarantee that he wasn’t the one stressing about sorting out childcare and sick leave. Just left that to the mums.

I’m not saying no men take responsibility. Most do. But a significant proportion evidently think it’s okay to leave the burden of providing food, shelter, a home, protection, security and love to the mother of their children and, failing that, society.

Save the statistically smaller proportion of widowed mothers of small children - which all of our taxes should go to support - where are all these fathers of children being raised by single moms? What the fuck are they doing to solve these childcare issues? To ensure that a single mom doesn’t have to choose between a roof that doesn’t fucking leak - literally the roof over his children’s head - and childcare for his children?

(Apols OP for using your situation as an example, I obviously don’t know your specific circumstances. Casting no aspersions on your DC’s dad, or your situation)

@JaniceWebster

Evelefteden not lucky me, when I decided to have children, I had to take into account holidays, sick days, election day, school closure (our local school closed for 3 days due to D&V last year...)

And I also don't think I am too grand to speak with other parents and arrange things with them.

Suddenly moaning that you have to look after your own children is ridiculous and blaming everybody from teachers to "the government" a bit childish.

Yeah and so did we 🥴

But having to take up to 6 months off work and then be told that when they do go back to school your going to have to go in work again and negotiate different hours when your already on the seat of of your pants keeping it - is a bit much. Have some some empathy for people who are not as fortunate as you.

My child care for sick days is a family member who is shielding. The amount of threads on here that call mothers CF for daring to ask another mother for help during this time is laughable.

You can call me childish but I think your ignorant, naive and with a splash of ‘I’m alright jack’

But hey you’ve got family that you rely on heavily, you just hope they all don’t pull that support and you end up like the rest of us.

I'm a bit confused as to how knowing your boss will say no to permanently dropping half a day at short notice equates to not wanting to look after your children.

Evelefteden
Have some some empathy for people who are not as fortunate as you.

you are funny. I have worked ridiculous hours for months to have time to homeschool and do my job, and I have survived on very little sleep. Is that being "fortunate"?
I just don't feel the need to moan and feel superior, it was my choice to have my kids and I have to make it work, because money doesn't come out of thin air and I can't afford to take 6 months unpaid.

Looking down at other parents and refusing to be involved with them is a choice though. Refusing to admit your children are YOUR responsibility is a bit silly.

@JaniceWebster

Evelefteden Have some some empathy for people who are not as fortunate as you.

you are funny. I have worked ridiculous hours for months to have time to homeschool and do my job, and I have survived on very little sleep. Is that being "fortunate"?
I just don't feel the need to moan and feel superior, it was my choice to have my kids and I have to make it work, because money doesn't come out of thin air and I can't afford to take 6 months unpaid.

Looking down at other parents and refusing to be involved with them is a choice though. Refusing to admit your children are YOUR responsibility is a bit silly.

Janice your absolutely no one special. Parents up and down the country are just as tired as you - but your in the fortunate position to have child care support. If that support was taken away from you you’d have to leave work. I don’t know why your really not getting it tbh 🥴

Do you want me to link you to a thread on here where some one was asked to watch a child so her mother could go to work? Hundreds of posters telling the op to tell her to fuck off. So actually it’s not that easy to expect other parents to take on long term child care.

The only person on this thread that is acting superior is you with your repeated ‘kids are parents responsibility’ - you watch you don’t fall off your pedestal as things might not always be so easy love.

The point about cooperating other parents isn’t a particularly strong one.

Five/Six kids in your house as a regular arrangement is childminding. There are regulations around that.