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Original poster

Longer school day and shorter holidays, proposes Gove

409 replies

Morebiscuitsplease · 14/01/2012 10:24

I cannot understand this man. Children need time out, teachers also need time to prepare and mark work, when do either get this with such proposals? We complain our children are obese yet suggest more time in school. I do not want any child of mine going to school for 7.30 and finishing at 5. They need time to play, pursue other activities and do homework. Your thoughts please!

OP posts:
goingtoofast · 14/01/2012 10:25

Do you have a link?

Feenie · 14/01/2012 10:31

here

The man is a total idiot.

Theas18 · 14/01/2012 10:33

Bonkers gove sound bite crap!

Yes wrap around care provision 7.30-5 might be appropriate isome cases - my primary age kids did this with breakfast club and childminder - bu it was an hour or so eating breakfast and playing before school and a walk to d
Cm then chilling time after.

My secondary age kids now get up at 6.30 , leave at 7.30 to get to school at 8.15 or so ( public transport permitting ). They chat to mates, pop to do ICT or go to the library if the havent choir or what ever before school.

So actually, thinking about it or my secondary kids there is " stuff" happening from 8.30- 5 on several days a week anyway with extra curricular things. If formal lessons were extended they'd loose those and the music and the sport are tbh what they look forward to most.

And I doubt less homework would feature in the plan either.

Not to mention grinding the teacher into the ground !!

Theas18 · 14/01/2012 10:34

Does he have kids? State educated?? ( lol)

Gumby · 14/01/2012 10:35

It would help those who have to work though
As long as it's sports, activities etc

Original poster
Morebiscuitsplease · 14/01/2012 10:38

No mention of sport or extra curricular, that would be better but most schools offer that anyway. It may suit working parents but is that the purpose of schools?

OP posts:
EdithWeston · 14/01/2012 10:38

I think they've cut and pasted comments from various places to create thus article.

The commitment to ensure schools offer or signpost wrap around care is usually well received. Talk about the length of the school year has been going on for some time (actually, it nearly always is, whatever Government), but I hadn't seen there were any new definite proposals.

I'll have a google (but also grateful for any links on this in addition to the Huffington Post above).

sodapops · 14/01/2012 10:38

My DC already have to leave the house at 7.25am to get to school and get in at 4.05pm. Then they have homework to do. I think the day is already long enough as it is. I want my DC to focus on their education, but I, also, want them to know that their sporting activities and time with their friends is important too. They need a good school/life balance and I am not sure that extending the school day would make that happen. Also, I would pity the teachers who were teaching them at the tail end of the day when they are tired, fidgety and not interested in what they are doing.

I can sort of see his point WRT the Summer Holidays.

Original poster
Morebiscuitsplease · 14/01/2012 10:39

No mention of sport or extra curricular, that would be better but most schools offer that anyway. It may suit working parents but is that the purpose of schools?

OP posts:
Feenie · 14/01/2012 10:40

It would help those who have to work though
As long as it's sports, activities etc

He specifically said teachers would be doing this, in his world. As a primary teacher, my main concern is educating children, not to making childcare easier for working parents.

Feenie · 14/01/2012 10:41

Edith Weston - this refers to comments he made on ITV'd Daybreak yesterday. There is a DM link also, but I am not posting it.

EdithWeston · 14/01/2012 10:44

I've googled, and this seems to be a distorted reflection of the Government's support of the US KIPP schools, which isn't exactly breaking news.

But there hasn't been anything new on this is terms of UK proposals, and it's rather dropped out of sight in the last year.

AChickenCalledKorma · 14/01/2012 10:46

I expect teachers everywhere will particularly enjoy this quote: "Asked how this would affect teachers, he said: ?If you love your job then there is, I think, absolutely nothing to complain about in making sure you have more of a chance to do it well.?

There we are. Teachers will simply loooooooooove working 7:30 to 5pm, plus preparation time. Wouldn't we all?

EdithWeston · 14/01/2012 10:47

The link was to the Huffington Post, and it doesn't flow well, which means it's been snipped for effect.

But it's not unusual, nor is it fresh news, for Gove to talk in these terms. His admiration for the KIPP programme has been in the public domain since before the election, and was much under discussion in 2010 and early 2011.

There do not seem to be any new ideas, let alone proposals, here.

IDontDoIroning · 14/01/2012 10:49

Schools start too early IMO especially secondary. They then have from 3.00 in the pm free.
Why can't t they start a bit later and finish later. ?

4madboys · 14/01/2012 10:56

we already have to leave at 8:10am to get to school for 8:40 and then once the kids have stayed and played with friends in the playgroung (and i have chatted to other mums!) we arent home till 4:30 plus some evenings they have after school clubs and then sports, some clubs start at 5pm, so we have to get home, get them fed and back out again etc, i think its an awful idea! there are before and after school clubs for those that work, if people need that then make sure provision is in place but as a sahm i dont want my children at school any longer thanks!

MoreBeta · 14/01/2012 10:57

Fantastic idea. My children go to school 8.15 to 5.15 and they enjoy it all. They do lots of after school clubs and do their homework at school as well in a quiet supervised space. Its a private school and the terms are shorter than state schools so eleongating the terms would be a good thing too.

Children IME forget a lot of things during holidays and frankly get bored. In fact a tracher I know who works in a fairly rough school says a lot of the children from quite socially deprived backgrounds makes good progress during term but just regress when they spend a a summer school holiday at home with no stimulation. She says it is really exasperating for her and not good for the children.

As long as school is a positive and interetsing experience children are better off at a school than loafing around at home or raking around the streets getting into bother.

4madboys · 14/01/2012 11:02

my children dont laof around at home or rake around the streets getting into bother thanks morebeta you want the long hours so you pay for them great, but i dont. my high school aged child will stay after school to use the school library, IT facilities and do his homework. but my little ones dont need a long a day as that, they get tired anyway, esp with after school clubs, music lessons etc (that they choose to do) if school didnt finish till 5:15 we wouldnt be home till 6pm and we are normally having dinner then, then there would only be an hour or so till bedtime. its allright saying they can do their homework at school etc, but many schools have homework clubs so children can do this if they/their parents want to. i dont mind my kids doing their homework at home! its interesting to see what they are doing, i can keep tabe on their progress etc. i actually want to be involved in my childs lives not ship them out for the majority of the day and hardly see them.

MoreBeta · 14/01/2012 11:08

Incidentally, when I was 14 - 16 yrs old at boarding school we were up at 6.30 sometimes cross country running in the dark then home by 7.30, quick shower, breakfast at 8 and lessons by 9.15 after a full 2 sermon, 3 hymn assembly. Finished homework at 8.00 pm and bed by 9.00 pm probaly after a 3 hour rugby practice and a full day of lessons. We managed it so I dont see why children today can't. Sunday was our day of rest, although we did find time to attend church twice.

Feenie · 14/01/2012 11:10

Hmm Hmm

kreecherlivesupstairs · 14/01/2012 11:10

I don't think longer days are a good thing, but would really love a shorter summer holiday and longer or more weeks during the year.

Meglet · 14/01/2012 11:11

I wouldn't be suprised if this is tied into the welfare reform bill that will make lone parents work longer hours.

chickensaregreen · 14/01/2012 11:15

Michael Gove wants a longer school day? He has clearly been reading the wrong spam emails.

A word in your ear, Michael. Increasing the length will not necessarily increase the performance. It is not how long it is that matters - it is what you do with it.

chickensaregreen · 14/01/2012 11:17

Pressed send too soon. Got that joke sent to me when this all started a few months ago!

AThingInYourLife · 14/01/2012 11:18

I don't know how he thinks he is going to educate a generation of self-starting innovators if they spend their whole time in school with little free time to figure life out for themselves.

Childcare while I work is my issue.

I want happy, well-motivated teachers with plenty of scope to develop their own teaching styles and approaches. I want their creativity and ingenuity recognised and I want them to have plenty if downtime for marking, preparing, personal development and thinking big thoughts so they can inspire my children.

It needs to be an attractive, rewarding job to get the best candidates.