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

[Itchyandscratchy]

Here

Speechless.

[exoticfruits]

Of course schools are fit for purpose. They are to suit the child. They are nothing whatever to do with childcare- parents need to sort out their childcare around it.
I agree with ravenAK and I would do it for £3.50 perhour per child.

[FannyMcNally]

But don't people think about what will happen when their children start school? It seems to come as a shock that the school day is basically 9 - 3. Why?

[MrButtercat]

Erm the point of school isn't to fit into the parent's day.

School is there to educate,it has nothing to do with the needs of parents- nothing!

[scottishmummy]

Nuggets and chips?good grief where do your kids go to school
A lot of you are just chucking about hand wringing scenarios and what ifs to suit pov
If its so abhorrent,don't use extended day you'll not be compelled.and those who want to have option to do so

[MadBannersAndCopPorn]

^ what she said

[MadBannersAndCopPorn]

Not you scottish, sorry x post

[MrButtercat]

I know Fanny,don't people realise prior to ttc that at some point they will have a bundle they will have to care for and if that isn't possible they will need to sort out and pay for childcare?

Not sure why it has suddenly become the responsibility of schools.The sense of entitlement re childcare is starting to get a tad ott.

[scottishmummy]

School day isn't fit for purpose it's a challenge for working parents,need review
The premises are owned by local authority,if they want to extend day on site they can
The education day is 9-3 this should be extended to include afterschool provision if parents require it

[exoticfruits]

It is very weird that people send their child to school and expect it to have normal office hours- they are schools.
If you can't organise childcare around it then you need a boarding school and even then you have allow for very long school holidays.
No one is going to do it without a lot of extra pay- I would say it is unaffordable.

[MrButtercat]

Err the school day is fit for purpose ie it's a period of time which educates children at an optimum level.

Your purpose is neither here nor there.Get a childminder or nanny if you don't have another parent or family member to cover your overnight meetings.

[scottishmummy]

Having booked nursery at 12wk pg I was well aware of need to plan.i did
I see no reason Local authority cannot maximise its resources and use school as base
It's use of premises,not extended teaching contact time

[NoComet]

Sorry I had children with the intention of actually seeing them and bringing them up, not parking them in indifferent before, after and holiday child care.

And it will be indifferent, No way can it be an enriching experince to spend that long in the same buildings with the same peer group, day in day out all year, especially with it been done as cheaply as possible.

Children need down time in their own space, they need time for interesting extracurricular activities, they need to spend time away from the gossip and pressures of their peers and chose friends with shared interests not shared postcodes.

Children even need time to get bored.

[exoticfruits]

Are you actually going to pay £42 a night Scottishmummy?

[Tasmania]

BUT, the dc know I am home for them after school. I can therefore take them to swimming / hockey training / friend's houses / emergency shopping trip for new school trousers etc etc. I can be there for them.

A lot parents actually do not do that despite not working full time! There are plenty around where dc just sits at home watching TV, and in that case a boarding school-like environment would be MUCH, MUCH better than being with a moody mother who does not want to do anything...

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

The school day is perfectly long enough for our 2 ds's - it's quite fit for their purpose which is to be educated.

It doesn't appear to fit in with your working arrangements scottishmummy and that it something quite different to the needs of the children that the state is educating.

[BehindLockNumberNine]

The school day IS fit for purpose - it educates the pupils for the duration of their time there.
After school care is NOTHING to do with school or the school day and it is a sad day the two are rolled into one...

[exoticfruits]

With meals extra?

[MrButtercat]

A nanny would be waaaay cheaper if you had several children and they'd be tucked up in their own beds on a school night.

[Arisbottle]

There could be a core day devoted to education which we all use and then extended time at the start and end of the day which is optional and acts as child care.

[scottishmummy]

What's the significance of overnight meeting?has someone said they need them
I don't have a work pattern that include overnight meeting
Are you making things up to suit yourself?

[exoticfruits]

If you want a boarding school - like environment you will have to pay boarding school- like fees.

[MrButtercat]

Tas speak for yourself most sahp I know are nothing like that.

[scottishmummy]

Who are you addressing exotic?

[MrButtercat]

Then why do your kids need to sleep at school?

[NoComet]

Thinking about it, spending 8 hrs a day 300+ days a year with the same group of people, doing not a lot, is perfect preparation for working in a office