Gove says lengthen school days and shorten long summer holiday

[juneau]

Here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22202694

I think it's a great idea and I'm sure working parents will welcome it. I also think it's bollocks that teachers need the six week summer break to recharge their batteries. Do they work harder or longer hours than other workers who only get four or five weeks a year then?

Having just endured a bored DS1 over the Easter holidays I think any break of more than two weeks is actually pretty dull for kids and I'm sure poorer kids really suffer from lack of stimulation and/or money to do stuff.

Stupid idea.
An expensive and inefficient way of providing additional childcare, because millions of children who do not need the extra hours will be forced to use them.

What about out of school activities? When will our Olympians of the future get a chance to train? What about people doing volunteering, guiding, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, activities that develop them as individuals and challenge and stretch them? Visiting relatives, playing with friends, pursuing interests which fall outside the school curriculum?

What about children who are already primary carers for their parents? They get to come home at night and start all the chores then?

There seems to be a continuing assumption coming from government (started by New Labour but pursued enthusiastically by the coalition) that parents are not fit to bring up their own children and that the more time children spend being educated and cared for by the state, the better. I find it sinister TBH.

Most of the pressures o kids at the moment are due to government targets, etc.

Teachers don't work as ahrd as they claim. They are thinned out by 1600 most days.

Adults very often forget how long a school day seems to a child. Yes, they would get used to it. But I used to be starving, tired, & very keen to go home - even though I loved school.

It will also leave less time for out of school clubs... But hey, less homework presumerably?!

It would be funded by all the stay at home mothers from the 19c having to go back to work.
They pay their taxes which go to the government which can afford to pay teachers more.
It's robbing Peter to pay Paul, but it's the children who lose in the end.

I don't like the idea of just shortening the summer holiday, some of the school terms are so long. But if it means more, shorter terms with holidays in between - with no holiday longer than say four weeks - then I think that would be an improvement. children wouldn't be so shattered by the end of term and those in senior school might then be able to cope with a longer day, or indeed more days at school over the year.

From what I've read older teenagers do much better starting and finishing later than the current typical school day so if all schools could accommodate that then we might see an improvement in their results (and happier teenagers).

The current system was introduced presumably for the benefit of parents, farmers and landowners. I would be very surprised if coincidentally it is also the best set up for children.

The problem - as usual - is money, and on this government's previous form I will eat DS1's bookbag if a new system of longer days/shorter holidays is introduced with proper funding to pay for more teachers, etc.

These children who get bored, have they no imagination?

The article names that well known beacon of excellence (heavy sarcasm) the david young academy in Leeds. This here www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/schools/performance/school.pl?urn=131898&superview=sec illustrates their performance ie poor, and the table on narrowing the gap cleary shows this policy of long school days and shorter holidays is spectacularly unsuccessful for disadvantaged kids, with only around half of disadvantaged pupils making expected progress in English, compared to (at the same school) 63% of non disadvantaged kids. Says it all really.

LazarussLozenge
"Teachers don't work as ahrd as they claim. They are thinned out by 1600 most days."

Which shows that you do not understand the requirements of the job, just because teachers are not in school doesn't mean that they are not working.

'Kids definitely get bored after about 2 weeks'

I blame the parents. Either your children aren't self-sufficient enough, or you are tedious company for them. Mine have never been bored in their lives.

Loving your work, GoblinGranny.

Teachers don't work as ahrd as they claim. They are thinned out by 1600 most days.

Yes. Every single one.

Imagine being so THICK that you think you can speak for an entire profession?

They're just trying to win votes from working parents.

He needs to look at how much recess time MPs get. Time their bloody holidays were shortened.

Ha ha ha ha !!!!!! Teacher working normal hours!!!!??? Show me one teacher who works normal hours OP.

Half seven till half five regularly so maybe one or two hours longer than a 'normal'day. Then three or four hours every night at home and a good half a day to a day at the weekend.

Don't make me LAUGH. unless you try the job yourself then please bog off.

I'd hate my kids to have shorter holidays, for the purely selfish reason that I like spending time with them on my days off!

I'm not saying I was the perfect child but I don't ever remember being bored in the summer holidays.

BoneyBack, I am in training for NQT. Not finished my PGCE yet, but n comparison to my last job teaching is not that hard.

Custardo I don't think many of us deny the holidays as a perk either. I will always say I'm lucky to have them. I just get frustrated when non-teachers seem to imply that long holidays = cushy job.

Lazarus, I'm not sure what "thinned out" means? But I'm pretty sure if you reply to tell me I'm going to disagree that I am by 4pm.

lazaruss what do you mean thinned out by 1600?

Do you mean that teachers have gone home by then?????? Are you a teacher? And if so are there any jobs at your school?

He needs to look at how much recess time MPs get. Time their bloody holidays were shortened.

Indeed - 150 days required compared to our 195.

Gove's parliamentary attendance record is appalling too - a little over 57%.

www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?id=uk.org.publicwhip/member/40593

another excuse to hike up prices of holidays during school holidays.

Oh I see. In that case come back in two years and tell us how you feel then.

Teachers are working parents too.

Children get tired and should be allowed to just be children, long holidays included.

The countries with shorter holidays don't necessarily have happier children, which is my top priority.

I want to spend more time with my children, not see less of them.

Most European countries and private schools have longer holidays and still children do well.

Who will pay the increased costs for teachers, support staff, electricity bills, transport costs, etc.?

Gove is a twat.

I could go on and on with reasons why this is a bad idea.

Oh Lazarus enjoy that your training. Maybe pop back and let us know how it's going during your NQT year and thereafter and if you are still done by 4pm. If you are please share your secrets on how you manage it

Shagged out, tired out, by 4pm maybe, but not thinned out.

Lazarus, do come back when you've taught a full timetable.

I actually wish teaching thinned me out. I find I eat more under pressure.

There are so many reasons why it is a bad idea. It's just an attempt to win votes. Which will fail.