[Closed] Education - why do I bother?

"bovvah", shurely?

I thought of you AA when I heard this on the radio earlier!!! 😉

Your point whoppit. For clarity mine is the fact that learning isnt even mentioned.

Your point whoppit. For clarity mine is the fact that learning isnt even mentioned

err

There is, however, a limit to the amount of time young children can do productive academic work - and the real purpose of schools is education.

Good kids at School to 6pm is a stupid idea most parents don't work that late.

Well isn't the topic in question, the freedom to determine the length of terms and days?

I loved the fact that my kids had longer days and did homework at school. It meant they did it (not mum or dad) and evenings were free. Bliss.

Gonefishin... where does it say learning?
THM very good points worthy of debate but the article is all about childcare and holiday costs.

Okay so the word "learing" isn't explicitly used but it is surely covered by references to "productive academic work" and "...the real purpose of schools is education"

Not sure it's "all about " that - perhaps that's how the Beeb have chosen to write it up. And there's enough comment on those topics in here!!

The NUT dinosaur was great on the radio. Mr Negative personified..... 😉

Head from an academy (oops) claimed that flexible hours and terms have him 7.5 weeks of extra teaching time (R5L)

Spelling gonefishing spelling. See me at the end of the lesson 😉

Head from an academy (oops) claimed that flexible hours and terms have him 7.5 weeks of extra teaching time (R5L)

good luck in his search for teachers!

😀 he had no problems, but Mr Negative was having a coronary!!!

Really? I very much doubt the best teachers would work 7.5 weeks more a year for nothing. I call bullshit or all his teachers couldnt get jobs elsewhere. Either that or the flexible hours are meaning more teaching hours overall but not any more for each kid. I'd love to know more.

so would longer hours and longer terms mean a proportionate increase in pay?
I would then be the minor bread-winner in the house and would be able to take it easy!

Drac - Moderator
Good kids at School to 6pm is a stupid idea most parents don't work that late.

I assume that any increases to directed time would require a pay increase?

Most people I know work regularly until past 6. I usually work till 7 most days.

I'm usually home about 6, but then often do an hour or so extra after we've eaten.

I have to work pretty much every Sunday to get everything I'm expected to do finished. Will my kids' school be open then? 😉

why do I bother?

Because your too lazy to get a real job 😉

I'm usually home about 6, but then often do an hour or so extra after we've eaten.

I have to work pretty much every Sunday to get everything I'm expected to do finished.

Who will teach your kids about having a balanced life?

Who will teach your kids about having a balanced life?

Hopefully they'll learn not to do what I do. (The 13 weeks holiday a year balances out the Sundays a little.)

AA, don't have any more, I caught a snippet while driving. It was early afternoon on R5L - ok, not great from the limited bits I heard, I guess it's on I player?

anagallis_arvensis - Member

Really? I very much doubt the best teachers would work 7.5 weeks more a year for nothing. I call bullshit or all his teachers couldnt get jobs elsewhere.

It's an academy, so I suppose they may not be qualified teachers?

good luck in his search for teachers!

he had no problems

The NUT dinosaur was great on the radio. Mr Negative personified.....

If I had some idiot who knew absolutely nothing about my job constantly forcing me to do whatever might help HIM, I'd be pretty ****ing negative too.

I might apply, oh no hang on, what? **** off!

Really?
Most people I know work regularly until past 6. I usually work till 7 most days.

Yes really.

THM very good points worthy of debate but the article is all about childcare and holiday costs.

I read it as the number holidays being reduced and making kids stay longer at school with some mention of the holiday prices story.

And the main benefit of longer school days were savings on childcare. Learning wasnt mentioned. A debate about the structure of education may be needed but to focus on childcare and holiday prices depresses me.

So with these longer hours looking after the children, marking, planning, levelling etc when do I get to see my own children?

My day starts at 7 and I'm at school till gone 6pm. That's with 4pm till 6pm marking work etc.

Gove hasn't got a clue.

And the main benefit of longer school days were savings on childcare.

A spokes person for Mumsnet said that which says it all.

Where as the the guy from the Head Teacher's association mentioned both.

Russell Hobby, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "It is good for schools to be open longer hours to offer a wide range of sporting and creative activities, as well as providing quiet places for homework. This also helps parents with childcare.

"There is, however, a limit to the amount of time young children can do productive academic work - and the real purpose of schools is education.

to focus on childcare and holiday prices depresses me.

Me too, and I don't have kids and have never wanted them. It seems quite a large proportion of parents share my feelings but had kids anyway because they are incapable of independent thought and just followed what they perceived as society norms. Now they have them they are unwilling to adopt their lifestyles to meet the responsibilities that having children brings.

Former adviser Paul Kirby is quoted in the Sun as saying changes being looked at would see school days extended until about 18:00, and that school holidays for England would be cut from the current 13 weeks a year to seven.
In a personal blog he said this would be the "perfect election promise"
, which would appeal to working parents struggling with childcare.

so the main focus from the ex gov adviser who is proposing it seems to be a pre election bribe on childcare.

If the extra time was for creative/sports activities, or supervised homework time, I'd not have a problem with the school day being longer. provided they were staffed by non-teaching staff.

I'd also be happy with a change to how holidays are organised, provided the number of days in school was about the same. Both my kids, and me and presumably their teachers, are knackered by the end of a half term so shorter half terms with slightly longer breaks in between, at the expense of a slightly shorter summer break, would be fine too.

The main problem is that it's going to be a free-for-all, with all schools doing their own thing. A nightmare if you have kids in different schools.

The strange thing is schools must be the only buisness that shuts every weekend and for 7 weeks every summer, and quite often during the rest of the year,leaving expensive buildings and resourses empty for long periods, im almost agreeing with a tory idea.

When you say only, you mean apart from other heavily seasonal businesses like banking, the law, construction, farming, tourism...

and when you say business...?

The strange thing is schools must be the only buisness that shuts every weekend and for 7 weeks every summer, and quite often during the rest of the year,leaving expensive buildings and resourses empty for long periods, im almost agreeing with a tory idea.

Schools aren't a business 🙄

Most school buildings are in use all weekend and through the holidays now, or at least the sports halls, swimming pools, etc. are.

Thanks to the 'wonders' of PFI, most school buildings aren't actually owned or run by the school.

Our local secondary is owned by the Kajima Corporation of Japan, and is managed by Mitie. The school has exclusive use before 6pm, but after that they have no right to use the building, and are actually charged for use of rooms. The rooms are used all evening and on weekends for football, and martial arts, and fitness classes, and swimming coaching, and birthday parties.

I wonder if the school would be [i]able[/i] to extend or change its hours or holidays, because that would impact on the contract they have with the PFI agreement?

My sons already stay in their high school until 5 or 6 o'clock some evenings to do homework, take part in school band/clubs and sporting activities. The school at this time seems to be quite heavily populated by teachers who are, in the main, happy to help out kids/offer small revision sessions etc.

It seems to me that they are already working these hours but informally as dedicated educators of children. They also arrange and support a lot of extracurricular activities, usually on evenings beyond 18.00 but also, occasionally. over weekends.

To formalise these hours then claw back nearly half the current holiday entitlement seems to be a pisstake to me.

miketually - Member

I wonder if the school would be able to extend or change its hours or holidays, because that would impact on the contract they have with the PFI agreement?

Ooh, fun one.

So paid for the DoE,rugby,study support,and just think of my timesheet when I run my 9 day visit to Germany,Poland and Belgium. BRING IT ON!
Yes,cos that will happen. As soon as you try and formalise these things a lot of us already do,we will stop doing them. As it is you get no thanks from 99% of parents,who seem to think we get paid for doing DoE for instance.

To formalise these hours then claw back nearly half the current holiday entitlement seems to be a pisstake to me.

A spokesperson from Mumsnet; seriously?

and when you say business...?

Most acadamies are set up as buisneses ,they recieve an income from the state for the number of children they get through the doors, they are able to rent space to outside users and raise money to pay for the facilities etc.

Where as council run schols are closed at weekends and long holidays,with no outside use .