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!

I agree with the poster who thinks it is more about childcare and getting all mothers into work. Also about not trusting parents with their own children. Childcare should be optional and be with child carers, not teachers. many after school clubs in my area are very quiet. Many parents prefer to work around kids hours and many use childminders who offer a more homely enviroment which suits some kids much more. Some of my DC's friends hate after school club as they see it as extended school when everyone else has gone home. I am sure some kids love it but certainly not all. So why should all kids have to do it? Some posters have said their child does 9-5 and they want all kids to do that to have the opportunities but could it also be so their child isn't the only one having such a long school day?

No, but some of them are selective, and all of them involve parents who give a shit about their child's education. That's the difference - not the longer day.

Give anyone a class of bright children and/or parents who are involved, and they will be a half decent teacher at least.

Even Gove.

Independent schools generally have some specialist teachers. During these lessons, class teachers can take time out of class. My friend works in an independent school and finds that she has almost half the week out of class as the girls have specialist teachers for ballet, PE, music, French and swimming, on top of her PPA time.

In state schools, teachers often teach every subject (and run lunchtime and/or after school clubs), and only get PPA time.

So yes, amicissima, it is a fact that state schools are often more tiring.

Should we not be trying to replicate what ever works ? If private schools have the winning formula then that's what every school should offer whether the pupils want to engage is a whole different story but it doesn't mean the specialist teachers, compulsary sport practice after school etc is a bad idea.

Not always lucky, the kids that tend to go to our local private school are the ones that have failed the 11+ and they get better results.

Smaller class sizes and parents who give a shit still count for a lot, Heswall.

Of course but actually if i was in charge i'd find away to remove the parental influence for the worse being a factor and having the children in school more often than they aren't could be a step in that direction.

Yeah - you and you and you have to stay behind because parenting skills aren't up to scratch at home

The ones who have a good home life it won't do them any harm to have extra activities and will save their parents a few quid too and the ones who aren't having such a good time of it, well it could turn their lives around completely.
Mine don't need extra dance, sport, music, tution but if it's going to help somebody who does then I am prepared to make the sacrifice and cut my petrol costs in half.

Well perhaps the talented could be excluded from having to mix with the no marks like mine who would just be up for a laugh and some extra support doing their homework whilst their mother rushes around working.

And who do you see providing the laugh and the extra support doing homework?

"Everybody, no matter how much they love their job, is entitled to have a proper work-life balance and nobody needs that more than teachers," she added.

was this really said?

whilst I agree that a good work life balance is needed, the nobody needs it more than teacher remark is not true, plenty of workers need this to in different occupations

If the "talented" are excluded, then that means everybody.

My children are too young to have discovered their talents yet, but no fucking way am I having their childhood and adolescence wasted being constantly in school because of a refusal to target help at the educationally disadvantaged.

Nobody needs it more than teachers and nobody needs it LESS than teachers can both be true at the same time.

Perhaps she meant that everybody needs it exactly the same amount.

My girls are at prep school at the moment and each night there is at least one club for them to attend after school until 5pm run by one of the teachers, not sure how the rota works but you don't get the poor art teacher worked like a dog whilst the science teacher swans off at 3.45 each day.

Any teacher that wants to work part time is able to do so by providing extra after school support, I know this as I am friends with the PE teacher who decided to come back without being given a tutor group but runs rock climbing, swimming and something else.
The point is it could be achieved with a bit of thought and if you've a letter from your private tutor saying you'll be the next Darcy whatsherface then you can be excused.
There sorted.

I don't think teachers deserve more or less work life balance than anyone else.

It is a very difficult job to balance, though, as the implication is always that you should 'think of the children' and this is used as a way of guilt tripping teachers into working more, to the detriment of their own lives.