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!)

FWIW, school finishes at 12:20 here. 07:45 start. None of it is ideal for parents, but with an hours homework, mine has learnt enough for one day. He‘s primary, now 8, but it’s the same for the 6 year olds, too.

Exactly.

No private schools where I live do 8-6 - they start at 9 and finish at 3.30. They also get much longer holidays so you'd be screwed in that respect.

Agree with others saying school isn't childcare.

School isn't a childcare facility

They don’t… teachers teach a normal school day and extra curricular activities run afterwards. You pay for them through fees. Plus remember private schools have longer holidays so you’ll have to pay more for holiday childcare - it maybe you think schools should open52 weeks a year as well.

I work in a school, where the children finish at 3:15. I get out of work at 5pm most evenings. I dread to think what hat time I would get out if schools finished later for children.

@Seashor I went to school 8-6 Monday to Friday and 9-1 on Saturdays from age 9. I managed to stay awake!

There are after school clubs until 6pm. The kids look shattered and they’re only playing! I walk past to go home at 4 and I’m done in. God know how they feel.

There's your answer. Go private.

they should work for all working parents rather than making life harder for women

Maybe if fathers took more responsibility for providing equal care for their school-age children this wouldn't make life harder for women.

If children are in private schools until 6 pm they won't be with the same educators who taught them all day. My daughter's friends who went to private schools did have slightly longer days but their terms were much shorter which then raised issues with childcare for parents over the longer summer, Easter and Christmas holidays as well as half terms.

Presumably you knew by the time you had children that state schools don't work like that though?

@CheekyHobson agree

Cos teachers need 2 hours at the end of the day to prattle on about how bad their day was and how hard they have it.

Don’t be a twat. It’s Christmas.

TBF at least 2/3 of school children aren't young ones in primary school - maybe secondary should be 9am-6pm (no formal lessons starting before 10am to let all the teenagers wake up) on four days a week instead of 8.45-3.30 on five days?

1. The majority of private schools run co-curricular clubs (music, drama etc) during that working day. There will also be Games/sports timetabled to break up the academic lessons. There is also usually longer break and lunch times. Private school teachers usually teach fewer kids and have a reduced timetable compared to state schools. So no, not by magic but you aren't comparing like for like with your simplified comparison.

1. If you think young kids should be in academic lessons for more than 6 hours a day, you need to research more on cognitive load theory and how young people learn. Also, most schools offer wraparound care if possible to accommodate working parents. As has been pointed out, childcare is not actually the focus of a school.

Because teachers work crazy hours already, half of which isn't teaching
Because a 9-3 "working day" is plenty for children.
Because school is education not childcare, even if it performs that secondary function (I'm a FT working mum and I get it. )
Because wraparound care needs to be sourced and funded by parents if they need longer hours.

It's difficult if you're working but that isn't schools fault. Nursery is easy really as it's open 7.30-6, no school holidays, no inset days ... so it's a shock. But even with breakfast/ after school/ holiday club, school years should still be cheaper. What annoys me is the head teacher at our kids school moaning about low take up of the specialist after school clubs which run for 45 minutes and get cancelled willy nilly. My daughter goes to an off site after school club which collects from school gives them a cooked dinner and us open until 6pm. So which is a working parent going to choose ...?

@AllProperTeaIsTheft yes but I assumed they would have prep sessions that were optional. Obviously I knew before dd started this September but having juggled work around it for this term it just seems ridiculous that it’s such a short day (only two days offer wraparound and that’s not actually learning)

This.
The school day, week, term and year are designed around the needs of children and not parents, as annoying as this may be.

So is that your next request state funded boarding?

I am a millennial - my mother worked. I wouldn't to stay at school until 5pm. I remember needing to have naps after school. I certainly wouldn't want to impose this on my child. Childcare, extra-curricular, homework and down time are fine.

I'm guessing, @SchoolTimeInsanity the teachers are planning and marking and generally doing paperwork? I suspect it's to support them a bit, which sounds fine to me.
There's a massive recruitment and retention crisis in state schools. Every little helps.

There is your answer then @Itsr send your kids to boarding school as soon as it’s possible .