Gove : Longer school days and shorter holidays

[Talkinpeace]

I'm impressed - he's got the comment sections of the Guardian and the Telegraph agreeing with each other
www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10003772/Cut-length-of-school-holidays-says-Michael-Gove.html#disqus_thread
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/18/michael-gove-longer-school-day-holidays
that MP's holidays need cutting first ....

I would definitely homeschool in the primary years- the school day is long enough and they need the holidays.

Ooh lovely - lots of new HE-ers I always wish more people would HE.

I would never dream of HEing normally and don't see the need because you have plenty of time with them. However I wouldn't want younger children in such a long day and without the holidays.

I agree re their model is both parents working and all kids in daycare from babies. They seem to look at Sweden in terms of numbers of women working and most babies in daycare. But what they don't also look at is that parents have masses of days they can take off if their child is ill (125 per year i think it is), much longer maternity leave as well as paternity leave, ability to cut their hours by 25%, they can also take their leave in much more flexible ways. So in other words this gov wants us all in work but WITHOUT any of the very benefits that make people able to work when they have small DC! Crazy!

Lengthening the school and shortening the holidays is not the answer. Summer schools for children who need to catch up or learn English would be a good idea. Changing the curriculum to a less learn to the test would be an even better idea.
Changing our culture of lazy, entitlement is a must!

As a secondary school teacher, I think it's ridiculous that in this country someone with no teaching experience whatsoever can be minister for education. But of course Mr Gove knows all about teaching, because he went to school.

Here in France our PM is a former teacher (German) and our education minister is a former teacher (Philosophy). They are making complete fools of themselves with their current proposals to reform education. Experience of teaching is no guarantee whatsoever!

I can see there would be a place for a longer school day, but only once children are in secondary school. I Think it could help to provide more extra curric activities to all students, rather than those who naturally sign up for everything because that's just the way they are!
Also I would like to see the summer holiday reduced to 4 weeks, but with an extra holiday brought in say after 6 weeks, so overall 1 week less over the year, but split a bit more evenly.
However, it would need to be properly funded, and more teachers employed.
I doubt it will ever happen though.

When it comes to childcare, there's not much difference between the communist ideal and the capitalist ideal, it would seem - keep the kids away from their own parents and get the parents out to paid work. It's not so much there's no such thing as society as there's no such thing as family.

Why don't they make "holidays camps" in school buildings for the duration of summer holidays where there will be a healthy mix of activities and learning and price them attractively (and/or means tested/; or/and free lunch) for children to go there? And make them local so that not only children from this particular school can go there but anybody who lives nearby? It would solve a problem for underprivileged children being out of school environment. But it would need money to pay to the staff (not necessarily from this school) and equipment and this gov is very keen on something for nothing and then gets offended if you want the same.

soundevenfruity This does happen in the deprived area of my town. My DCs school also runs its after school programme some weeks of the holidays. However other schools make money (which helps fund schooling) by leasing their premises to private companies.

Mr Gove did not even go to school in England, BTW.

Indeed, rabbitstew. My own defense of the family becomes more convinced and vociferous with every passing year. Governments seem intent on destroying it.

Soundevenfruity, they had those when I was growing up in Nottinghamshire, we used to love going to Summer School at a different school to the term-time one. Lots of happy memories

Were the summer schools free, though, GladbagsGold? There are plenty of "summer schools" on offer to those who can pay. I'm not aware of any free ones?

rabbitstew, I don't know. I suspect they were free, or at least free to low income families. We had free school meals and never any spare money, and didn't need paid childcare, so I don't think its something my parents would have paid for. It was v long ago! Days of the miners strikes.