Daisymae
Apparently according to an article in the Times, there's a campaign for schools to consider a 4 day week to help with financial difficulties. Schools are struggling financially in the current climate but surely children have fallen behind enough? I don't expect that private sector schools have any such plans. How is this allowed to happen?
Falling behind what? Some Gove-inspired edict?
In my opinion children spend far too long in school. - indeed so.
There are so many aspects to be considered. .....
1. Education - children here get more than enough school time. We are obsessed with children stuffing their heads full of facts and missing the real treasures of being a child - imagination, ingenuity. This fact-stuffing leaves so many young people disillusioned with school, and they drop off the end of the system demotivated and lacking in self-worth. Get rid of the blessed national curriculum and let teachers use their professional skills to do right by each child, rather than ticking boxes.
2. Child care - unless workplaces also change their hours, then many working parents will have to find child care places, which in turn will have increased their fees to pass on the increase in their fuel bills.
3. Cost - ALL schools pay their own heating bills, not just academies. I am governor at a non-academy (so-called maintained) primary school and this will hit hard on our budgets. Our income comes from a per capita payment, with some extras for disadvantaged children, sports premium etc. We finish up with a pot of money which we manage and have to balance the books, paying for everything: staff salaries, cleaning, heating, maintenance, buildings etc. We try to set sensible budgets and financial projections - these will be out of kilter if there is no help for school heating and lighting bills forthcoming from the government.
As someone above pointed out, the concept of academies and academy trusts being not for profit is a huge joke. They top slice the per capita income (which is meant for the children's education and in the case of academies comes from central government) to pay their chief execs (who are just business people and not necessarily educationalists) and the legal guys who are needed to set the trusts up. It is a farce and takes money away from where it is needed. These business people prowl around like vultures seeing if they can absorb more schools into their MAT (multi academy trust) and increase their incomes. It is a sick system and makes my blood boil.