Why do schools start so early?

You don't?

Okay. Take your argument where parents are starting at 8 and 9AM.

Now change the start time from 10AM to the current times and the parents' work start times to 6AM

The same argument applies, no? Ergo to say starting at 10AM is discrimination because people are at work is to suggest ALL possible start times are discriminatory because someone, somewhere, will start at X time and have a child in that position.

6? As in being in school at 6?

The wasn’t the point of the OP, the OP is about the start times, which is what I have been talking about.

It doesn’t matter whether these are valid excuses or not, it is the state of what actual life is. Parents who won’t teach their children they have to do it because it’s easier to do it for them so it actually gets done, students who can’t be bothered to do it anyway so parents do it despite encouragement so that it actually gets done, etc. It’s not realistic to change all that across the country, because people are people and they do what they do. The government knows this and knows it wouldn’t work. Even if the current system is flawed it’s realistically the best it’s going to be.

If you’re an adult and you’re rushing around or going to be late then that’s fine, that’s your issue and nothing to do with anybody else. School children are in essence ‘looked after’ by the Department of Education and much as possible to gain access to an education, because they’re not adults, and they have a right to an education. Therefore the government has a responsibility to make access to education as easy as possible, which is what the current system is. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best it can be.

You don't?

Okay. Take your argument where parents are starting at 8 and 9AM.

Now change the start time from 10AM to the current times and the parents' work start times to 6AM

The same argument applies, no? Ergo to say starting at 10AM is discrimination because people are at work is to suggest ALL possible start times are discriminatory because someone, somewhere, will start earlier than 8/9AM and have a child in that position.

Haha no, but had to get up that early

Most schools start at 8.45 but some are making crazy journeys of over an hour to school. This is down to league tables and a belief that you need to go to an outstanding school to do well.

I'm talking about secondary school only of you read my reply properly. At secondary school you should be able to go to school and get ready all by yourself (I appreciate that this might not be possible for everyone), you shouldn't need to have your parents drop you off (in theory unless you live far from school, live in a rural area, have a physical disability/are on crutches etc) and the school buses would simply come later for primary school and university I wouldn't change anything.

I wasn't taught that had to do it (if anything I'm the one who's doing it and not the parent) but I still got off my back and did it in school (I care about being on time for events or at least making the effort to be on time even before adulthood and in primary school). Sorry but coming from someone who is disorganised as heck even I can't understand why people can't do the bare minimum to try (at least try) and be on time for places. It may be the reality (you're right on this one) but that's not a valid excuse in my view.


This, plenty of parents simply don't have time to drop their kids off to school under the current system. We really need to improve public transport links. I think that the current school starting time is sensible and fine (don't understand people who complain about having to be in education for 9:00 am) but there's still plenty of parents under the current system who simply still can't drop off their kids to school for 8:00 am for whatever reason.

sorry but this is just a big overgeneralisation.
some young year seven and eights are very immature and their parents just might not trust them to get to school safely.
some parents won't want their eleven year old kids going to school themselves if they live in a very rough area. if i had a kid that age i would NOT want them walking around some of the areas i live when it's dark mornings and nights in winter.
also, i went to a big city school and there were kids who would have had to have gotten two long buses to get there (there was even a girl who had to get a ferry and a bus in) so some parents would rather drive them if possible.

Wasn't allowed to go school by myself either in Y7-Y8 but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't have been able to do it unlike for primary school.

Again it’s not a valid excuse, but most kids won’t do it, that’s what kids are. I wasn’t taught either and I did these things. Even if some kids are taught they still won’t do these things, because kids are kids and can’t be bothered. Again the government knows this, no matter how unfortunate it is, and therefore realises that the timings of the school day need to tie in with parental support.

I really don’t think Liz Truss going on national TV and telling teenagers that they have to get out of bed, make their own breakfasts each morning, have done all their own laundry and have got everything else ready off their own backs, would go down very well at all. Again the government knows this.

So the government telling people how to raise their kids, what time do with them and what to allow and not allow them to do? Yeah that’s gonna go down really well…

I commute to work about 0730 but there's always loads of schoolkids on the bus at that time! I feel sorry for them, when I was at school I woke up at 0830 and school started at 9am.

Even at uni lectures only started at 9am and I currently start work at the same time.

I think it's a bit harsh that kids have to start at 8am!

how on earth did you get up, showered, dressed, ate breakfast, sorted your bag etc and get to school in half an hour? did you live next to your school lol? most people would not have the privilege of being able to roll out of bed and into school like that.

Yeah that is true tbh as is a shame.



I don't think that the government should tell people how to raise their kids, that should be the parents job but I'll have to agree with @TheMcSame in that this is exaggerating a little.

Wasn't allowed to go school by myself either in Y7-Y8 but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't have been able to do it unlike for primary school.

Nah tbf some pupils legitimately have no choice (especially at uni maybe).

Everyone has a choice - live in halls for uni. Go to your nearest good school [not miles away to a Grammar or an outstanding school with an old Ofsted rating].

Most schools start at 8.45 but some are making crazy journeys of over an hour to school. “This is down to league tables and a belief that you need to go to an outstanding school to do well.”

I was allowed to go to school by myself as long as it wasn't dark.
I'm not a parent, but sometimes there is a SHOULDN'T.
where I live there have been quite a few murders recently and I simply would not allow my kids to walk to school by themselves in the dark, even if they were in sixth form. it's just way too dodgy where i live

it's different for every parent/child. where i lived when I was younger I walked to school myself in primary because it was safer.

Everyone has a choice - live in halls for uni. Go to your nearest good school [not miles away to a Grammar or an outstanding school with an old Ofsted rating].

You have never been able to choose a state school. You put down a handful of choices you wouldn’t mind your children going to, and the council allocates them a place. Some people don’t get into their closest school.

You have never been able to choose a state school. You put down a handful of choices you wouldn’t mind your children going to, and the council allocates them a place. Some people don’t get into their closest school. Some people don’t get into any of the choices their parents put down.

Everyone has a choice - live in halls for uni. Go to your nearest good school [not miles away to a Grammar or an outstanding school with an old Ofsted rating].