To think a 3:20 finish is absurd?

[Itsr]

It’s mostly mums at the school gates. Because the 3:20 finish worked well at a time when most women stayed at home.

now most women work, which means two parents working, why does school finish ar 3:20?! Yes I know there are after school classes etc but some don’t go on for too long and they also cost.

what actually is the reason why the school day isn’t aligned with a work day (like it is with most private schools!)

Schools always finished at about that time - even for working parents, 🤷‍♀️. Years ago, many women worked full time, 🙄

Yeah, but back in the day it was acceptable for your 8 year old to make their own way home and let themselves into an empty house. Not so much nowadays.

Fair point.....I'm a golden oldie and when I was a child, I understood it was because they did not want kids walking to and from school in the dark. Its important to note that most kids walked or used the bus then

Also 8- 3pm is a long time for kids to absorb all that info. Finishing at 3ish, allows them to get home, do their homework and maybe have a play.

Private schools generally (not saying all) have smaller class sizes so less marking/prep work for teachers and most private school kids get lifts.

I worked in a several private secondary schools (as well as the state system) and none of them worked until 5pm (except for after school sports etc); 4pm to 4.30pm was the norm (compared to about 3.30-3.45 in state schools). Private schools have longer holidays too - one I worked in finished for the summer holiday before the end of June (and restarted second week of September).

As for working longer hours, you'd need to employ more teachers to allow staff more time off during the day to plan courses, prepare lessons, mark & assess work, write reports, hold department & staff meetings etc. I reckon that would lead to a significant increase in taxes to pay for it.

Otherwise teachers would simply work 09.00-17.00 and do only what bits of the planning, marking etc they could fit into their so-called 'free' periods (usually one or none per school day). I suspect many teachers would prefer that, to be honest. I wonder what parents would think...🤔

By the way there is a shortage of teachers (especially of good teachers) in many subjects. Do you think longer days would encourage recruitment? 😉

Because it's education not free childcare for your convenience?!

Perhaps the world of work should evolve past 9-5? For a lot of businesses there could be a variety of ways to make work a lot more flexible.

When are you referring to? I was in primary school in the 90s and all of my friends and I had a parent waiting for us. No one I knew went home alone until secondary school. My parents both worked but managed their hours around pick up times. My Dad dropped me off, my Mum collected.

When I was at grammar school (1970s) it was 4.15 finish. Ridiculous that the school day is so short nowadays, no wonder children finish school without a really good grounding and education.

And what time did you start at? My dc finish at 3.30 but start at 8.30. They also have shorter breaks than I had at school, usually 45 mins for lunch.

Did all these mums work full time? How do you think single parents managed? Or did they not exist in your world? 🙄

Definitely! One of the firms I work for, they have a four day working week and flexible hours, which allows for a parent starting early (whilst the other parent does the drop off to school) and being there to collect their child after work. They have a very happy balanced staff because of this.

Children concentration levels are very poor. They switch off after a certain point. They need a shorter day. They also need free time to play and relax. They can't be locked up at school all day.

We had to be in school for 8.45 a.m. (and it was an hour's bus ride away from where I lived, with a 10 min walk after getting off the bus).

This.

I think flexible working would be the only way extended hours would work for school staff and many proposals of long days.

Staff could opt to work the early shift and therefore be free to have afternoon PPA and pick up their own children from
school or the late shift, dropping off their children at school, having morning PPA and being in class for the afternoon/early evening.

Would require a lot of extra funding and extra staff...

School finishing time at private schools is not aligned with work times at all. It’s 3:30 for Reception and slightly later as they get older. Ie. 3.40 for KS2.

Used to be a lot of dads picking up at my dc school- shift workers. The 6-2 lot. My dh had a kind of rolling shift pattern at one point- 4 on 3 off, but days and nights. My job was not flexible in the slightest. And my half terms and Easter were often out of sync.

And what about teachers who are parents? There are ways around it!!

Huh?

I was at senior school in the 70s. We had exactly the same amount of lesson time but longer breaks. Breaks have become shorter as they are flash points for bad behaviour. And anyway they do get a good grounding and education (if they bother to engage).

Because education isn't childcare and teachers need time to mark the books and do paperwork necessary for tomorrow s lessons, have meetings, plan schemes of work in their work day. Teachers don't finish their work day when the children do. If you want wrap around care you'll need to find a school that provides it and ay for it. Schools are only funded for education not childcare.
Childminders do school drop of and pick up is another option.

In some private schools they provide childcare before or after school but parents pay for that. When state schools are only funded £7k per pupil by the government and private school fees between £15-£55k you can see there is no money in the state sector to offer it for free.

Because schools aren’t childcare and shouldn’t cater to parents working hours

School timings don't affect me but I agree they are outdated.

Saying that it also appears that the secondary curriculum has changed very little since I was at school!