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Renfrewshire council 2.5 hrs a week drop is nothing compared to North Ayrshire thoughts of the four day school week or not starting school until age six.

19 replies

seb1 · 06/02/2011 16:39

North Ayrshire guess education in Scotland is on for big changes ahead.

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TheCrackFox · 06/02/2011 16:48

We have a 4.5 day week in Edinburgh - Friday afternoons off. My feeling is that they will threaten you with a 4 day week and then very charitably offer 4.5 days instead.

It stinks.

geraldinetheluckygoat · 06/02/2011 16:50

how ridiculous. How are people meant to work?!

conkersdropped · 06/02/2011 16:55

I think TheCrackFox has it right, I think all councils will go to 4.5days.

TheCrackFox · 06/02/2011 16:59

I do actually think it is quite sexist as it forces a lot of women to take Fridays off (yes, I know Dads could do it to but it seems the norm round here for Mums to do it). After school club places and childminders are like hens teeth for a Friday afternoon in Edinburgh.

There is also the added pressure that it puts on family finances. Childcare just isn't cheap.

geraldinetheluckygoat · 06/02/2011 17:07

our primary does a two oclock finsh on a wednesday. It isnt really a problem for me as I am self employed and work from home, but can imagine early finishes like this would be a nightmare if you had to arrange childcare. Most childminders would turn down a placement of one afternoon, or charge you for a part time place.

practicallyimperfect · 06/02/2011 17:23

Erm, school isn't childcare. I work and would still much prefer ds to start school later.

TheCrackFox · 06/02/2011 17:30

I know school isn't childcare but local councils cannot just expect parents to find another £20pw (minimum) to cover Friday afternoons.

onimolap · 06/02/2011 17:33

The statutory requirement is for 190 days. Which days these are, and how long, is decided locally, but it would take new legislation to reduce the actual number.

TheCrackFox · 06/02/2011 17:41

Our council got round it by reducing the length of breaks. Which means they don't actually have time to properly eat their lunch and don't get an afternoon playtime either. Hmm

I'm not sure when Edinburgh introduced a 4.5 day week (over a decade ago) but there are massive cuts coming to education here which is quite frightening actually.

pointylug · 06/02/2011 17:47

I don't understand how switching to a 4 or 4.5 day week saves money though.

pointylug · 06/02/2011 17:49

Crack, some schools handled it more sensibly than others. Quite a few schools start at 8.45am, have a 15 minute morning break, have a full hour for dinner and the school day finishes at 3.25pm.

RipMacWinkle · 06/02/2011 17:53

I'm just waiting to see what Lanarkshire comes up with...

Thanks for highlighting this story OP.

practicallyimperfect · 06/02/2011 18:28

One way it would save money is that you could give all staff their PPA time all together, rather than having to cover it during the week.

pointylug · 06/02/2011 19:19

ahh. Good point. Yes.

stressedHEmum · 06/02/2011 19:37

Education has never been very high on NAC's priority list, sadly. The money they reckon that they can save by this move should pay for the 2.4 million beautifying of our town center that has just been approved.

Actually, they make me sick.

pointylug · 06/02/2011 19:41

Wow, that's poor, stressed.

stressedHEmum · 06/02/2011 20:06

Oh, aye, Pointy, they suck and are totally corrupt. They have been investigated by both Strathclyde police and the Scottish government over their PPI dealings, they want to close the only special school, they have closed all but one of the RC secondary schools in the area so that some kids have to travel more than 25miles a day to get to a school with a capacity of only 800, I could go on and on.

In my own experience they failed to carry through on any support promised to mu AS DS!. They actively refused to give any support to allow my AS DS2 to transition from primary to secondary. They couldn't justify it to their auditors apparently and their legal team told us to "take it to tribunal and see how far we got." They made my daughter, born one day before the automatic date, sit a full assessment for deferral even though the nursery staff had recommended that she be deferred. They wouldn't help my 11 year old with a reading age of 6 and a writing age of 4.

Now all my kids are HE so that I don't have to have much to do with them anymore. Even then, they made that as hard as possible, breaching every bit of the guidance, even phoning my DH at work every day for weeks and trying to come and inspect my first aid provisions.

I HATE NAC education department. In fact I hate most of them. I have never had a positive experience, even down to having to complain to my MP because they failed to give me a wheelie bin and then reused to collect our rubbish! And I am not alone. I don't know anyone who is happy with the council.

pointylug · 06/02/2011 20:07

Goodness. I'll be listening out for north ayrshire news now...

HingCogNeeto · 06/02/2011 20:21

oh my gosh, sHEmum, awful

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