School as child care

[Differentforgirls]

From another thread.

A poster said that state schools are there for helping parents to work. Therefore teachers are childminders. Teachers!

I think schools are there to educate our children and, though the staff go above and beyond these days, that is their primary function.

AIBU?

You do realise not everyone who works in a school is a teacher don't you? Secondary school definitely has things like pastoral care, safeguarding, school nurse, playground supervisors etc..... I pretty much aure our primary school did too.

Which has nothing to to with my OP.

Well it's not really clear what your OP is about tbf. Schools are there own ecosystems that not only educate children but should support their needs too. Your just talking about one role in the system and making the same point over and over again.

It's exactly this.

You can be as shitty as you like about parents who have to work, but this only reflects badly on you.

Yes!

It always pissed me off when schools took the view that only they could decide if a child was ill enough to not be in school. Err no! As the actual parent, I would be making that decision. It's hard for schools to make the case that they aren't childcare, whilst simultaneously overstepping and trying to make parenting decisions!
I think Covid showed us that the state certainly does view school as childcare, since schools were kept open for key workers' children.

I think the problem here is not that schools provide a place for children to be so that their parents can work, it's that schools are being expected to parent.
So many parents aren't doing the basics, like sending their dc fed and appropriately clothed, with correct equipment etc. They think it's the school's job to teach their children everything.

The role I spoke about it the OP.

Are you ok because that was pretty unhinged.

I think that any teachers who don't care about any child the state mandates we have to entrust to them for 6 hours a day should probably find a different job.

Well, in other European countries the primary is like 4-5 hours a day, usually starting at 8am, but sometimes it's 12-4pm. I do find the English system better for working parents, but a cultural difference means that, whereas in many European countries a small child is at nursery or school only till lunchtime, having been collected by a grandparent, given another cooked meal at home and collected by a parent at 4pm (parents often work fulltime but earlier hours), in England a child often spends the whole day at nursery/school till 6pm and then it's just dinner time and sleep at 7pm. It's probably not that good for the kids to spend their whole day at an institution.

I can add, but you clearly can’t. You said you each took three weeks off plus bank holidays. The school year has a minimum of 13 weeks off. 13 - (2x3) =7

People always talk about children spending long hours in childcare but I don’t think it’s as common as people think. The vast majority of people I know work flexibly and share pick ups with a partner meaning those long days are rare.

🎯

I thought it was a fair summary too. Maybe rather than throwing insults you could answer the simple questions asked on this thread?

Did you miss the bit we got 6 weeks each?

Most people don't get this kind of generous holiday allowance. What do you expect them to do?

Which counties only have primary education 4 hours a day? How bizarre!

To view education as education and child care as childcare.

If school isnt any type of childcare then I assume you expect parents to be at school with their children?

"OP worked very part time, relied on a partner to provide financially for her and her children and cannot fathom that some women work more hours than she did and are still great parents with happy children."

And I think she would have whinged if one of her children didn't have a school place and had been at home full time.

Whilst you aren't going to admit to it it seems that you used schools as childcare and believe everyone should work school hours. So what is the actual issue, that you feel children aren't starting school with the skills you feel they should have? Or that children should be glued to their parents outside of school hours? Maybe start a new thread about that then you will get perspectives from others.

Quite a few unhinged people on this thread 😱

Something can be two things at the same time.