Schools should 'provide sleepovers' to help parents with cost of childcare

[Itchyandscratchy]

Here

Speechless.

Yes - but schools in UK do not have purpose built areas- I am intrigued as to where the beds would go.

I agree Maryz. I think that people forget what it was like to be a child- and yet most if them are younger than me! There was a thread saying how dreadful it was that schools were not working up to the last minute and they might as well take their DC on holiday now. From the child's point of view that last week is lovely and not one they want to miss. So many are planning to make their child work everyday of the holiday even though the school is enlightened enough to give no homework. There seems to be no imagination that you can learn a lot without a deadly worksheet.

No one seems bothered that even though it is after school club they are still in in institution, having already had 6 hours of it. They can't get away from others. Just doing nothing is so important, especially doing nothing on your own- curling up in silence with a book.

I love Scouts/Guides too- for the very reason that you say. Probably the only place you can get the Famous Five/ Swallows and Amazons type experience these days.

I want happy children.
On the whole, I dont think children are going to be happier with this arrangement, far from it.
Most children run happy out of school at 3.15pm or whatever.
They would not want to stay till goodness knows when. Even one night a week would be pushing it for most.
Actually there may be exceptions thinking about it. Those with no siblings. And possibly those with an unhappy home life.

You need space and a pleasant environment to be able to learn to learn how to just play and occupy yourself in wholesome and innocent ways - it's not quite so easy if you live in a 2-bed flat in a City in a rough area and share a tiny bedroom with one or two siblings, even if you do have a "happy" home life.

Even in a 2 bed flat, with all the restrictions and frustrations/deprivations, time in and with a family is very important.

The bit that worries me about kids spending more and more time away from home is that it is happening because of parental needs as opposed to their own

I agree Elibean- it isn't as if anyone is saying what is best for the child, which may well be a longer school day and sport everyday, it is all 'how can the parent use the building and/or staff for cheap childcare.'
Schools were not set up for childcare and schools are not about childcare.

Schools were not set up for childcare and schools are not about childcare.

I don't get this argument. Most people's lives have changed dramatically in the last few decades; if we can move with the times, then why can't schools? Some schools have a dedicated police officer on site. No-one thinks that that turns schools into police stations so why should having childcare on site cause confusion.
It is crazy to have expensive buildings that are used for only six hours a day for only 30 weeks a year. They are designed with children in mind so why not use them for children. The childcare is not provided by teachers, it is provided by - would you believe - childcare workers.

It's funny how when kids go to secondary school, one of the biggest causes of concern is the moving around different classes and different teachers. Yet people on here are complaining about the children having to stare at the same four walls all day! They like the security of the same place, interspersed with going off to somewhere like the art room, the dining room or the playground.

I would be horrified if my DCs school had a dedicated police officer on site!

All schools have after school care-they go by 6pm. The issue is staying longer. I still don't understand where the beds go. It will hardly be cheap anyway- I can't see how it can be done for for under £50 a night.

Expensive school buildings can be, and are, used for things like keep fit classes, parenting courses, cookery clubs, etc etc etc.

They don't have to be used as overnight/evening childcare to justify their existence.

Why doesn't anyone in this Government ever, ever consult a child psychologist? Or simply do a bit of research into emotional health?

This is why I keep going about the beds and where they fit in- no one has said yet. I don't know how you work around keep fit etc in the Hall until 9pm. School buildings are already heavily used.

Good heavens. Consider emotional health?! Are you mad?! All these children need are phonics, grammar, punctuation and mathematics tests to sort their lives out, and a good dose of computer programming.

Children should learn to sleep on the floor - provided the Keep Fit class avoid treading on them, it should be fine.

Why do you keep going on about the beds? It mentioned in the article that ONE school offered this - and presumably they have the facilities. Everyone seems to be under the impression that all schools will be FORCED to do it and every child will be obliged to stay at school til 6pm. This is complete nonsense and not what the article says at all.

But it's so much fun referring to it.

And since it's about the only thing many schools don't already provide, it's hard to see what it is the government is urging schools to do that they aren't doing already.

And my child's school is open til 6pm. I have seen the afterschool club with mine own eyes. It is not packed with forlorn, hollow eyed children desperately awaiting their parents. It is filled with children playing games, running around, playing monopoly, making masks with their friends etc. Are UK children so precious and feeble compared to their Belgian counterparts? Are all the schools SO shit? I am glad I am here in that case.

Presumably they ALL have unhappy home lives? - what a fucking rude thing to say.

Portofino. You swore. Suck-lemon face. Who said all children in after school clubs have unhappy home lives?

I think people moan too much.We are fortunate to have education provided for our children when there are countries in which children get nothing.Sometimes maybe people should think how fortunate we are in this respect.Suck it up,get some childcare.Did we not consider this before conception or did we all expect something else?

When my children have used the after school club at their school (not run by the school, just using its premises) they have enjoyed it, but have made it crystal clear they wouldn't want to do it every day - they have things they enjoy doing at home/outside school clubs which they enjoy far more and they also enjoy just being at home more. It is nice to have it available, though, so long as it's not another of those things that gradually becomes the "norm" until it gets to the point that instead of being an option, it is more or less compulsory regardless of parental need, with school days being extended for everyone to 6pm, holidays made shorter, etc, etc. Some children genuinely have better things to do if actually given the option than carrying on at school for another few hours, even if they do make the best of it when they are there.

Sorry which schools are open till 6pm? not my experience at all!

I really still do not get this argument.

I'd like everyone who is against the suggested after school clubs to sign on paper that they provide their DCs with an enriching environment at home, incl. their own playground in the garden, tons of books and loads of other children to play with. If it turns out they don't, then I am allowed to sue them - and be a millionaire by tomorrow.

I know a lot of mums in RL who proclaim to be heavenly mums online. But really, all they do is pick up kid from school and let them watch TV or play PS at home. No taking them to music lessons, etc.

Parents are often guilty of transferring their own desires on their children, e.g. "I have the money, but I don't think my kid will fit into private school" often actually means "I have the money, but I don't think I'd fit in with the other mums". I think this is one such case - most people against the afternoon clubs seem to never have tried it out. They just "know" their kids won't like it.

My mum used to think I'd hate going to summer camp (as in weeks away), but she was equally upset when she figured out I did not want to go home! You might realise that your kid would not want you to pick them up when they are playing with their friends at school...

StealthPolarBear

Portofino lives in Belgium where schools are already open till 6pm. It seems foreign children are more independent and their parents more willing to "let go".

further down exoticfruits said "all schools" are open till 6. Unless I misunderstood - is a little confusing

My dss' school is not open until 6pm, but the after school kids' club is open 'til 6pm and runs from the school's premises. Kids from other schools also get brought to the kids' club at dss' school. There is also a breakfast club in the morning for kids that need to be dropped off early. And the same kids' club runs all-day activities throughout the holidays, as does the local sports' centre and various other organisations, along with the usual adverts for football academies etc, etc. But it is an area of high employment, so lots of demand I guess creates the supply. None of it is particularly cheap. And you still get complaints that 6pm isn't late enough - parents still have trouble getting back from work in time...

Tasmania - there you go, you see. You'd like to see parents having to sign waivers to be allowed to take their kids out of school at 3pm and be fined if they aren't getting their kids to do musical instrument lessons and sports practice until 6pm... Just the kind of remark that makes people averse to the slippery slope government seems to be heading down... It's amazingly interventionist for a supposedly democratic, non-communist country - makes one feel like ones child is the property of the State...