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?

The state could never afford it! Private schools often pay teaching staff more… usually have longer hours too.

Teaching and child care are two different things.

I care for the kids I teach but I am not a childcare giver. There is a subtle difference. Childcare is something that parents do when they need their
child looking after, school is where their child is educated in a safe environment and their education and wellbeing is cared for.

Agree.

Agree.

Like what? Not being snarky but which duties?

Who is “us” in this scenario?

Thank you.

No it wasn’t school…. as we know it wasn’t created during the industrial revolution to create a workforce that was ready to work in a mass situation

Im going to presume by ‘retired’ you were once in paid employment. Did you have DC? If so, what happened to them around school hours while you were working?

Now you’re being deliberately goady! I work full time and I’m a full time parent (as you’re well aware, parental responsibility doesn’t cease when your child isn’t physically with you). How would society function if no parents were allowed to work? Maybe we should all home educate our children and give up work. To be fair their school would have no teachers anyway as they would all be at home with their children. We’d have no GPs in the local surgery either… Should we exclude all mothers from working? My kids are off to sports camp for the day today so that I can work, shock horror!

Childminders also provide education. They follow the early years curriculum!

School is childcare. I don’t see why that’s so offensive. The teachers are educating and the whole school day is providing childcare.

A school’s primary function is to educate children. Of course it is!

However, a significant number of parents wouldn’t be able to work if schools weren’t open. I’m not sure why that’s offensive?

There is a pastoral aspect of being a teacher which is important.

Teachers literally have in loco parentis – legally.
I think you should have done your research before replying snottily to such a basic thing.

This is a ridiculous attitude. Part of parenting is providing for your DC. SAHM's rely on a second parent doing that part of parenting, and that parent is no less of a parent for doing so. Nor will the SAHM have failed as a parent if they need to return to work for whatever reason. But given you've said you are retired, I presume you are either talking bollocks or taking out your own failures on others.

I think the school day is too long in R/KS1 especially(I firmly believe lunch time should be the end of the day), but even in KS2 it could do with being an hour shorter maybe. I don’t think it’s in child’s best interests to have such long days, and is there to suit working parents more. They take kids in nappies (in my day you wouldn’t even be able to join the school nursery at 3 if not reliably potty trained - not alone at school!). Almost impossible to expel disruptive pupils.
Shouldn’t be the case. But I think some changes should take place to make it a place of education and not childcare.

You're ignoring the structural and societal changes since school was introduced.

These days it costs two full time wages to sustain a household, plus it is no longer acceptable for children to just be unsupervised, plus it's more common for younger children not to have older siblings to supervise them as family size has decreased.

The pressures on parents are different in 2026 than in 2006, 1986, 1966, 1946, 1926...

Are teachers childminders? No.
Is childcare needed by parents? Yes.
How do we organise things in society to ensure families can thrive? There isn't a consensus on this.

You didn't answer my question. Who takes care of a child while they are at school?

Not losing a child.
Not letting a child engage in dangerous behaviour.
Pastoral care.
First aid and seeking medical attention for emergencies.
Resolving peer conflict.
Discipline for bad behaviour.
Setting out good behaviour standards.
PSHCE topics.

It’s only a subtle difference in your head though. Children have to be in the care of someone and if it’s not in the care of their parents then by default they are in the care of the school and the parents are free to do whatever they please during these hours as the children are not in their care or supervision.

Some people are treating this like they’ve been insulted. It’s no insult.

My mum was a single parent, she needed me to be in school so she could work…as a teacher!

Why shouldn’t teachers want to be recognised for the role they’re in?

Would you want a nursery teacher to teach your child when they’re not qualified to do so?

Nursery teachers should be paid and appreciated more, but you don’t need to drag teachers down to do it.

Schools are a place of education and there are very strict guidelines and standards linked to that.
It just also happens that they facilitate parents working.

Nursery workers do not teach the same curriculum as teachers.

This thread is crazy.

Well they do, Just for different age groups.

I am not sure what point it’s making though.

I view it more as part of the ‘village’ that helps to raise my kids. And as a working parent, I appreciate this.