Do you disagree with the Longer school hours proposed?

[aproudmum]

If like me for many reasons do not - can you please sign and share this petition -
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/change-of-hours-for-schooling

[rollonthesummer]

They'll have to be answered if it's implemented though!

[Goldmandra]

I think it's obvious that the schools will be expected to cover the additional expense from within existing budgets and to press-gang parents into helping out. The activities will just be more of the same they offer right now because schools are already offering pretty much everything they can. Children will be sat in front of DVDs because it makes them easier to manage.

The only benefit I can see is that they will get to do homework in school but how they will ensure that all pupils have quiet, calm environments in which to do it is anyone's guess as they won't be able to afford the same staff ratios as they do earlier in the day.

[NannyPeach]

Loving the hat wearing idea - It's sure to raise standards! Perhaps some longer holidays would make all the difference too, after all it's what the private schools do!

[rollonthesummer]

I think the hat thing really could be the way forward here. What do we reckon; boater or cap? Piping? Tartan?


Maybe there should be some expensive research carried out as to which type of hat produces children with the best A levels, and then the report can be scrapped and we'll just go with whatever hat Michael Gove used to wear-that policy seems to work best for the Tories ;)

[rollonthesummer]

I thought the point of homework was...that you did it at home?!

[Goldmandra]

I thought the point of homework was...that you did it at home?!

I think the point of homework is that it is independent work to consolidate class learning and there are pupils who would benefit from working an appropriate and supportive school environment as they don't have that at home.

However there is an enormous chasm between that and justification for compulsory 10 hour school days.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

the STRB has said no to gove's demands to adjust the teacher's working time directives, so hopefully that will put an end to this.

But knowing gove he may push for this anyway.

[Back2Basics]

I would love this to happen,

I am another mum who shovels food into her kids and sends them to bed thanks for that comment

My dc do a range of activitys beavers, cubs, judo and gymnastics, they also play with their friends. Being picked up later doesn't need to change this it could be ran more in school.

My dc love school but the school has no spaces at all after school and my dc have to go to a CM who has a horrible daughter that my daughter complains about constantly with her bullying (and I don't throw that term around lightly). I would love to be able to pick them up from school instead of having to have them looked after in a way I'm not happy with.

I don't see why the school can't incorporate art, music, clubs and all the after school clubs they have anyway into something accessible for all. For instance my ds can't do the football club as it finishes at half 4, I don't finish work till half four but if it was a half 5 or 6 o'clock finish for all he could do football and homework, hopefully have dinner and be ready for me to collect at 6.

I then could just go home and spend a quality 2 hours with them instead of being tired pissed off and still having to cook dinner and sort their homework out.

I'm sure most of the mums against this is because their rich banker/lawyer husbands will want to know why they can't get a job and pull their financial weight with no dc till 6.

[OwlCapone]

I'm sure most of the mums against this is because their rich banker/lawyer husbands will want to know why they can't get a job and pull their financial weight with no dc till 6.

Oh FFS. Are you so shallow or insecure that you can't put forward your opinion without insulting those who see things differently?

[Goldmandra]

Oh FFS. Are you so shallow or insecure that you can't put forward your opinion without insulting those who see things differently?

Hear hear!

I fail to see how your children being in inadequate childcare justifies forcing all children to do ten hour school days anyway. What if your children were forced to be in school and were being bullied there? That's a far more likely scenario.

[PatriciaHolm]

"I'm sure most of the mums against this is because their rich banker/lawyer husbands will want to know why they can't get a job and pull their financial weight with no dc till 6."

Blimey. That's some chip you have there. You have a perfectly valid point of view, why ruin it by saying something so ridiculous?

[morethanpotatoprints]

Back2Basics

Woah, some insecurities there!
It's sad you have to belittle other peoples choices.

[rollonthesummer]

I don't see why the school can't incorporate art, music, clubs and all the after school clubs they have anyway into something accessible for all. For instance my ds can't do the football club as it finishes at half 4, I don't finish work till half four but if it was a half 5 or 6 o'clock finish for all he could do football and homework, hopefully have dinner and be ready for me to collect at 6.

Schools are there to educate children, not give them dinner!

My dc do a range of activitys beavers, cubs, judo and gymnastics, they also play with their friends. Being picked up later doesn't need to change this it could be ran more in school.

I presume you mean these clubs could be run in schools. I doubt that. There are not enough children in most schools to fill one patrol of cubs etc, they usually come from several schools.

Attending these clubs is also an excellent way for children to mix with people outside the school environment. My son recently changed school and attending these outside groups is an excellent way of staying in touch with old friends. If children are having a miserable time at school for whatever reason, these clubs may be a really positive place that children look forward to going to.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

It is very telling that those who are for this are generally speaking about the semantics of providing for their own child, very few are thinking about the whole picture and the numbers involved.

How do you provide football for large numbers school children?

then simultaneously run art, music, drama and any other number of clubs for large numbers of children?

then we are back to who will run the clubs.

[TamerB]

Interesting to know who is going to run all these clubs, what their qualifications will be and how much they will be paid.

(I'm sure that the wives of rich bankers already have jobs if they want them- probably high powered, and if they don't they have absolutely no need to justify it in any way- rather puzzled as to why the can't already afford high quality child care, even if they don't have jobs)

[meglet]

I'm against this idea. IMO it's to push single parents to work full time. Part time work is almost too much for me to cope with (mental + physical health). I'll work full time when I've got the dc's to Uni.

And to echo what someone else said about dc's who are being bullied having to stay at school longer. I left at 14 because the school didn't stop bullying, 10hrs at school will be hell for teenagers who are having problems at school.

[colleysmill]

I'd be really interested to know what consideration has been given to families whose children are young carers when putting together these proposals.

[Goldmandra]

I'd be really interested to know what consideration has been given to families whose children are young carers when putting together these proposals.

Absolutely none. I would guarantee that.

When the person driving the change states his highest qualifications to do so as being his own status as a parent and a person who has been educated (privately I might add) you can guarantee that very little thought, knowledge or consultation has gone into the process.

This is simple.

We want more people to work full time to help us shore up the economy.

We can get more parents to work full time if we keep their children in school for longer hours.

Parents who already work full time will like the idea of free wrap around care.

We'll tell the rest that their children's education will become as good as a private school education and some will be stupid enough to believe us.

We'll ignore the others and duck any questions about whether our claims are evidence based and how it will be funded.

Once it's in place and is detrimental to the children's well being we'll blame the teachers.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

My dd does attend school 9am-6pm every day plus Saturday mornings

It is incredibly tiring & school have spoken with us about the importance if her getting some down time (she has a long commute as a day girl)

The school is a specialist performing arts school & a national centre of excellence for dance. If at primary school she hasn't been able to leave school at 3.30pm to be taken to dance/drama classes each night she would not be there

Her new school can provide this they are specialist with wonderful facilities but its impossible fir most schools. They also provide no sport. At an ordinary state school you'd have to cater for the serious sports kids (in all sports), music, drama, ballet

It's just not possible. That's why we take our children to centres where specialist coaches gather.

If my sons taekwondo teacher ran a club at a different school every night (the are the only Olympic tkd club in our area) that's still only five schools with each child training just once a week instead of the multiple times needed at comp level

Same for swimming, gymnastics etc

My dd is ready for half term, she is exhausted. She gets longer holidays than most schools

Gove us an idiot.

[colleysmill]

goldmandra I suspected as much.

The effects this would have will ripple far and wide, as it always does when something changes in the public sector. There is always an impact on other public services and in turn the private sector. Why there never seems to be any cross departmental thinking on policies never ceases to amaze me.

I can't see social services queuing up to offer extra support for families reliant on young carers when support for families young and old is already so inequitable.

[Bagtrainlady]

This is a typical Gove strategy

• put out an extreme version of something
• get your media chums to plaster it everywhere
• get the public ranting & frothing about it
• undermine the education professionals and/or parents further
• backtrack & put out a watered down version which is exactly what Gove wanted to happen in the first place

He keeps doing this - I'm fed up of it about what he is doing to the education system for his own political gain.

[notso]

Wow back2basics a little jealous there!

I don't agree with this at all. The standard of schools is too low. I think I would consider homeschooling if this is compulsory.

[trufflehunterthebadger]

It will never happen so i'm not bothered.