Sending kids to school until 6pm - how does this "help families"?

[gretagrape]

To me, it feels as though they are looking at this in totally the wrong way. The idea is that children will attend school until 6pm to help working parents. Why don't they look at it the other way around, eg, create an economy where it is normal for people (not just parents) to work flexible hours and to get part-time SKILLED jobs that pay a decent hourly rate, so children don't have to be holed up in school for longer than most office workers.
I'm so depressed at this government's lack of lateral thinking.

[Debs75]

Why on Earth has this turned into a benefits vs worker thread? (as so many threads do)

I don't work atm. I am a carer to my disabled son whilst also volunteering and going to college so I can hopefully get into Uni to study midwifery.
Now I know on my course I will be studying/working bloody hard but I still don't feel that putting my kids into 8am-6pm school will be a great idea. A friend who is on the course said her kids cried during half term when they realised that they were at a holiday club instead of being able to stay in bed.
It is great that it is available if needed or wanted but not if it becomes normal. I want to raise my kids and be there with them as much as school/work/study allows

[horsetowater]

This turned into a sahm argument first and then progressed to a sahm on benefit argument. My argument is that sahm on benefit is an option at present supported by government through income support and tax credits and no jobseeking obligation until the youngest is 5. The govt have always valued the work that carers do in this way, but the perception amongst the dm type mumsnetter seems to be that this is a poor choice and is scrounging or immoral.

There is naturally a fear that 9 to 6 schooling will be followed swiftly by an obligation and forced on parents on benefit, a serious possibility imo.

[jellybeans]

Ridiculous when many people have to work shifts and not 9-5. Will they next offer 24 hr schools?

[rollonthesummer]

Well, there was talk of sleepovers at schools a while back. Why not just institutionalise children full stop, in streams of Alpha, Beta, Gamma etc

It was good enough for Huxley ;)

[NoPartyDay]

Wow picking your kids up at 9pm after chores are done???? You can pick your kids up straight after work, do chores together, teach them some life kills

[Debs75]

So really this govt don't want us to have children, or at least be able to enjoy them.
I can see how they could use this to reduce spending. " school is open longer and they will get fed an evening meal so we will reduce your benefit" "you don't need as much room at home as the kids are at school 12 hours so you can squeeze more in per bedroom as why do kids need toys. They are either at school or asleep. But there won't be anywhere to downsize to so give us some bedroom tax money.

They might as well bring a baby cap like China did. So China is up shit street now because of it but that wouldn't matter to Scameron. He knows that whatever shit policies he tries to bring in he won't be in office long enough to feel the flack