Longer school day and shorter holidays, proposes Gove

[Morebiscuitsplease]

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!

'extending the school hours should not be about facilitating working parents ..is this about education??...I think not...this seems like an opportunity to keep parents in work as long as possible while the state raises our children during their formative years '

Excellent point Mumcentreplus

if you think state raises your child you have a v passive view of self and parental influence

I love exaggeration!! scott...because I find it's usually at least half way near the truth...children do not need to be in school 8 hours a day...but workers do need to be at work...see to correlation?.. if your children are in school till 5 why do you need part-time working hours as a parent?...why have any significant implementations for working parents?...the last open evening appointments in school could be 9pm...because teachers...well they don't have a life or children of their own...they are there to accommodate workers...

the state is not so pervasive or influential as you'd like to suggest nor do they wield the power or influence to "raise" your child. You raise your child as the parent and significant emotional attachment and role model. The school,and teacher and state seek to influence and modify educational output,and influence behaviour.but as any teacher will tell you they can only work with what turns up,and the attitudes and values imbued at home.

scottishmummy, my ds is only in Y1 and already will only believe what his teavher says. It doesn't matter that I am also a teacher if I happen to disagree - what Mrs Taylor says is Law. And Mrs Taylor talks a load of bunkum for some of the time.

No I think you have a realistic view of the influences other persons can have on your children...the fucking Disney channel can influence my children...to say it does not is a lie...to do nothing about it is passive parenting.

portofino exactly! It's about quality, not quantity of education.

Well my view is mixed - as they have the Maternelle system here, dd did MUCH non-formal learning beforehand. But it was ALL fun stuff. I admit I worried when my friend was here with her dd, a whole year younger, listening to her read. But dd caught up. She went from zilch to chapter books in one school year.

Frankly speaking I would prefer longer terms with less mid-term malarkey in the middle.
Less holidays all round really- I mean really the average worker gets 4 weeks a year...the kids get what- 12-13 weeks plus teacher only days and STRIKES!!!!

In NZ we had 4 terms with 2 weeks in between and then the longer summer break. It works wonderfully well particularly when the in-service days or teacher only days were tacked into the holidays.

You really have to consider the statistics of children who can't read/write or spell correctly. 1/5 of all school leavers in this country are ill-equipped to cope with basic math and literacy.

Here is a link to more disturbing reading: www.mfce.org/id109.html

According to a survey in 2010 children are starting school haven't ever had a story read to them.
Lazy parents or are they part of the statistics of the great unread!

I am a primary school teacher and mother of three who loves her job. I work (and am paid for) three days a week. This gives me two days a week, for which I am not paid, to complete all my marking and planning. I also stay for two lots of two hour meetings after school (staff meeting and management meeting) and supervise a sports club on the other day.

Today, my class of thirty children completed four lots of written work which require marking. Over the week that results in 600 pieces of work to be read and marked. If my hours are extended and I still have to attend meetings and run after school clubs, when exactly am I going to assess and plan your child's learning? Oh yes.. at the weekend! Thank God I only work a three day week!