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.

Looking at the issue on a educational point of view, we have tried doubling education budgets and then some to get the following mediocre results, maybe this is part of the answer?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24433320
“Young adults in England have scored among the lowest results in the industrialised world in international literacy and numeracy tests.

A major study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows how England's 16 to 24-year-olds are falling behind their Asian and European counterparts.”

Isitmebut that maybe it will also save money later on, as if a government policy comes in to TEACH THESE SUBJECTS TO GET BENEFITS, why not teach the bleedin’ subjects in the FIRST place, at school?

The people working in the schools will probably be those parents forced into work due to new rules and benefit cuts.

OP I read title thinking 'well it'd help our family by enabling me to work and thus keep helpful roof over heads'
Then read your post - you're right, I don't need more time at work, I need more money for the work I do! Plus a less expensive mortgage would've been nice so DH and I don't both have to work full time.

What would be good, IMO, is if all schools had a breakfast club & after school club.
The staff running both don't need to be qualified teachers. This would create childcare jobs & also help working parents.

Labour tired to force through something similar. Didn't happen.

I think that it would be great if school could provide longer hours for those who want/need it.

But it's never going to be made compulsory.

The cost of childcare is an issue for many working families though. And also the lack of good quality places.

Most schools already have breakfast/after school clubs don't they? And doesn't sound me as though that's what he is proposing - he wants them chained to their desks 45 hours a week for 45 weeks a year, from 4 onwards.

schnitzel no they don't!

I agree with you. I don't quite know why policy always has to sell us some lifestyle or punish us into complying to some behaviour. Families are flexible and pliant and cannot just bend to some rigid norm devised by the current think tanks.

Perhaps policy should come from all those at the coalface ...

I posted this on the other thread;

From AuntyStella's link;

"Labour will set down in law a guarantee that (parents) can access wraparound (8am-6pm) childcare through their local school if they want it ... Parents will still have to pay for this wraparound childcare, just as they do at the moment. "

So that proposal looks like compelling schools to provide breakfast and after school clubs rather than compelling pupils to stay at school for 10hrs a day.

This proposal is just an idea from a former Govt advisor guardian article

And, no, many schools don't provide before and after school clubs. When I was a parent Governor a couple of years ago, the legislation said schools had to provide 'or signpost' after school childcare. Our school interprets 'signposting' as handing out a list of childminder's phone numbers.

I work part time so I can spend time with my kids. I don't want them to be in school that late. When would they eat?? DS is in bed at 7.

Having read the Labour link earlier - Of course working MPs find it hard to drop their children off at school and arrange their nannies and cleaners. The labour ones find it particularly hard because they feel uncomfortable with the idea of hiring help. So hierarchical. And so expensive.

Well the answer would be to have support for those who need or want support, and let others who choose to prioritise their children over their employment have the option of doing the state's job for them by looking after their own children have some kind of recognition for doing so.

I think I needed at least one comma in that second paragraph.

This would really help me in a practival sense. BUT I don't want them to be at school longer, I remember as a child just wanting to come home at the end of the day not stay at school longer.

I am fortunate that my employer and my husbands employer are reasonably flexible and that I have grandparents that help out. However I know that there is no way a new employer would be as flexible as my current one so I am stuck in this job whilst they are this good to me re work/life balance. They are good to me because I am loyal to them and they know that I will get the job done even if it isn't always in the set working hours. And I'm lucky that I can do my job in weekends / evenings if I had too.

I do agree that making flexibility more of the norm for skilled jobs would be great so I could go to a job interview and discuss the working format I would like without being laughed out the door.

I would hate to have to put the DC in school from 8-6.

Me too, my eldest loves school and no.2 finds it very hard, but they'd both hate to be there from 8 til 6.

My ds is asleep school days by 4! Not so bad for older ones but the younger ones far too much

So once sahm's go back to work, will be interesting to see how much we love the house prices going up. If I started earning we'd be outta here so quick and buying some lovely house in a nicer area, sending DS to a private school if possible.

However, if they bring this in, it'll be another thing on a long list of reasons for us to move abroad to get the family lifestyle we want. The UK keeps chipping away at that family life.

So what if China have better academic results? I don't want to live in China, or in a country like China.

My Belgian school is open 7.30 am to 6pm. This is the norm here. Afterschool care costs 1 euro per hour. As a working parent, I really, really appreciate the flexibility this gives me. Dd is normally there from 8.30 til about 5. The school has a team of support staff that cover lunchtimes, afterschool and also help out with other activities. They tend to play outside if the weather is fine, or have cupboards full of games and books if it's not. Dd is quite happy to stay and play with her friends - though she gets a homework period for 45 mins 3 times a week.

I didn't have my kids to get rid of them for 9 hours a day and I'm hardly Ma Walton. This makes me feel a bit sick, like children are a problem to be dealt with, or farmed out. They are far more important than work.

YY to the poster who said we need cheaper mortgages/property prices and more pay for the work we do.

Yes, DD2's class might well have stayed and played quite happily.

But DD1's class wouldn't have. What do a bunch of poorly paid unskilled after school staff do if the bullying that occurs in school spills over into the way less disciplined atmosphere of an after school club.

Some children need space from each other.

I wouldn't like my kids to stay at school that long. They already are shattered when they get in at 4pm,never mind 6pm. What about those who are transported? DS travel for around 1 hour each day so he wouldn't be home till 6.30, possible longer with rush hour traffic.

Eroding family time is what it is. Children will be tireder and grumpier, so will parents. When will families be able to access extra sports or drama classes without their children burning out.

They would be better sorting out liveable wages and affordable housing before subjecting children to such long school hours

cuntybunty exactly.
I want to bring up my DDs, I feel DCs need to spend time with people who truly love and care for them in conditionally.

I've seen DCs with nannies, CM and nursery workers and they just don't chatter away the same way you do with your own DCs.

Unconditionally

Yes Starball. I am in now way criticising folks who work more than us, but it get's to a point when I think, "What's it all for? What's the point?". Depressing.

no way, not "now way".

I am desperately looking for a work option which allows me to pick my DCs up from school and spend time with them. I didn't go through the difficulties I did in having DCs, to want them looked after 5 days a week by a bored teenager, or an au pair, or even a really caring childminder. I want to do it myself, and I would sacrifice a lot to be able to do it.