LONGER SCHOOL DAYS

Michael Gove pledges 10 hour school days and believes that introducing further testing of children (therefore less reliance on coursework) and longer hours will bridge the gap. He says that a longer school day would allow time for structured homework sessions and prep which would be particularly helpful for those children who come from homes where it is difficult to secure the peace and quiet necessary for hard study. He believes that children should sit private school style Common Entrance exams at the age of 13 to make sure that they are “on track for later success”.

In an interview with First News, Prime Minister David Cameron has revealed his children have been “expressing some strong views” about the Conservative Party’s plan to extend the school day!

A recent poll conducted by First News, the weekly newspaper for young people, suggested that 91% of children are against the idea – well of course they are – I don’t think there are many children on the planet who would actively encourage a longer school day.

The thing is though – I have had experience of both the private and the state education system for my children and they are very, very different. Private education offers a longer school day, but it also offers longer time off for lunch, more breaks throughout the day, less children per class (at least 50% less), more one on one attention and LOADS more sporting activity within the day. I don’t really see how by merely extending the length of the state school day, when there are already issues with sheer numbers that things will improve. They can already go to to homework clubs if they want to do their homework at school – I’m really not sure that this will actually bring up standards – more just continue to avoid the wider issues of what isn’t on offer in the state school system (namely enough sport).

Will it help having stronger discipline including in-school “community service” for regular rule breakers? Maybe, but I still think that reducing class sizes is the key and until more schools are built to support this, it’s not going to happen any time soon we don’t have enough places for all our children as it currently stands.

Is the idea of trying to replicate the more classical education a wise one? I personally don’t think so. State schools have much to offer in a far more relaxed and real way and perhaps there is an argument to get the parents a little more involved so that additional education can be supported more at home?

My child would hate being at school for longer and I don’t think he would benefit, unless it’s more one to one or even one to twenty children to one teacher type lessons. Especially as there would be the very real risk that the teachers will be demoralised, demotivated and exhausted very very quickly. I suspect we will lose a lot of our teachers, or certainly there won’t be so many young people keen to teach if one of the perks is taken away. Anyway, most kids are exhausted between 4pm and 6pm and so are their teachers.

As a working parent it is tempting to support the idea. I wouldn’t have to worry so much about child care at the end of the day….but I don’t necessarily think that should be part of the argument.

What do you see as the pros and cons of longer school days?