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?

Glad you note that at least

I’ve never equated TAs with teachers. They do a great job.

But are they just babysitters” (your words not mine)? In class? When working at the wraparound? Or when babysitting in your home?

Unsure what that’s got to do with the OP.

Your OP was baffled at people think teachers were babysitters, this persons asking if you think TAs are - as far as conversations go that’s pretty closely linked to the initial topic

But who's looking after the children at school if not the teachers?

Why is this basic point so HARD for you to answer? 5 years olds can't be left without supervision. The law mandates they have to school so really its irrelevant whether parents are at work or home during this time.

From what I gather, you were still at work while your kids were at school so they were still being looked after by teachers.

Unless you just left your children without supervision?

If you sent your children to school then you did in fact ‘use’ teachers.

There’s no shame in admitting that at some point during their childhood your children were cared for by someone other than yourself.

It takes a village after all …

My OP was about parents devaluing the education and prioritising the child care. Most of the replies have proven the point.

And there be your issue, you believe yourself above them. Wow

Not a single reply on here has proved your point. Not one.

and your OP might’ve been attempting to say that, but saying that someone said that schools are there to help parents work isn’t proof of that at all.

I’m not a teacher.

No they haven’t. Quite the opposite in fact. You just refuse to acknowledge the nuance in the situation.

Pretty much EVERYONE has said they value education and teachers but they also expect the teacher to care for them while they’re in school.
That’s not calling them babysitters or expecting them to be parents. It’s simply expecting them to keep children safe while in education. Which is a legal requirement of a school.

My son goes back to school today. Does that make it easier for me and DH to work? Yes of course it does. But that doesn’t mean we don’t value his education. It’s not even 8am and we’ve already discussed what SATs practice we’re going to do this week, bought him a book to complement the history topic they’re covering this term and talked about what extra curricular stuff he wants to sign up for this term.
I’m also a governor at his school so take more than a passing interest in his education.

Acknowledging that my day will be less stressful because I’m not juggling work and childcare does not mean I see teachers as babysitters.

Will correct with 'your issue is you believe teachers are above other childcare providers' 😀

Which is probably a good thing as you don’t see keeping children safe as part of the job!

Honestly OP, you would start an argument in an empty room. Literally no one has said that. At all.

You keep parroting this point people have posted they don't value education but have yet to post any evidence that people are saying this.

Your only "evidence" seems to be that people are working while their children are at school as some sort of link they don't value education.

What's your opinion on people like my parents. My dad worked abroad a lot. They had no family within 3 hours. My mum could only go back to work as a teacher when we were at school due to the fact we were at school, being looked after by teachers with no childcare cost to them.

Would you still say in your extremely narrow minded view my mum was someone who didn't value education? A woman that was on the school board of my primary school? Was heavily involved in her teaching union and was the union rep? Who still did union work after she retired? Who worked with the exam board to standardise exams? Because my mum did all these things and much more and made a much bigger impact to pupils education then you will ever have done.

Yet this was only possible because we were able to go to school which in part allowed my parents to work.

And if "child care" means "caring for the child" then someone has to be doing this for children during school hours. And if not teachers who is it?

We've already established teachers have a duty of "care" towards children including safeguarding and keeping them safe.

You say this thread is about schools not being child care, yet you've not been able to explain who cares and supervises children while at school. If you could just answer this question for the millionth time, we might all be clearer on what your actual point is.

Since you've admitted your grandparents did help out, we can take it your statements of having "zero" help and only you and your husband and no else brought your children up are in fact, bollocks.

Much like the statements you keep parroting about people not valuing education and only using schools as childcare.

They weren’t my grandparents.

Well the child's grandparents. It was pretty obvious what I meant.

Are you going to answer the previous questions then?

I think we all know she won't...

How exactly have parents been doing that?

Going to work while our children are at school with the assumption that teachers would be looking after our children as per their role.

Just like the OP did when she was at work though for reasons that are completely unclear only she values education while the rest of us don't.

Mine have been to school and one to wraparound so that we can both work today. To earn money to keep them fed and looked after.

i value education - hence my own many qualifications and job role and how we support our kids to thrive. They are well behaved and “good” kids other than the usual cheekiness and what not. I do expect school to maintain this level of behaviour through their support, care, guidance and polices. The children learn a lot of life skills at school that aren’t just the national curriculum and academics.

but I wouldn’t send them anywhere that didn’t care for them or I didn’t trust could keep them safe. That bit is also very much valued and we actually chose a school that has a good nurturing side as it’s what mine needed.

in wraparound as much as that’s childcare in the sense it’s not following a curriculum. There are still rules and they are still taught right/wrong and social skills, cut their food, tie their laces……so childcare is also education. Childminders and nurseries offer really important education that sets them up for school.

I have also been a teacher and in education roles before my current job and I cared a lot for the kids and young adults.

I can’t do my job without the children being in school or some other childcare.

although saying all that I’m still not really sure what this thread is about! 🤪

I feel the op has got the hump because they feel teachers should be treated as a greater person than anyone else. I think all people that educate and care for children are fantastic.