The Student Room Group

Longer school days on way as George Osborne vows to scrap 3.30pm home time

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Original post by Gingerbread101
I read on a quote that the planned extra time would be spent on sports and extra curricular after lesson time - not adding to lesson hours. The media does like to twist things :rolleyes:


Those can easily be provided as an optional extra for those who want or need it, without forcing it on those who don't, and without lengthening the school day for everyone. Most if not all schools already do after school activities. It supposedly not adding to lesson hours doesn't make it any less a bad idea.
Original post by MarleyZ
Chancellor George Osborne is offering new funding for schools to add in an extra 5 hours of lessons per week, which will be announced in today's budget.

What do you think about having longer school days? Beneficial to students?

What would you prefer the extra time to be spent on? Lessons, homework, extra curricular activities (ie. sport or drama)? :K:

BBC article here


British Public Schools such as Harrow, typically start lessons at around 8:30 am and finish the day long after 3:30 through their contributions to Extra - curricular activities ranging from Rugby to the vast number of societies on offer. Then we take into consideration everyday they have 'Prep' from 7:30 to 9, their school day is significantly longer than the typical state school students.

Then whilst most state school students are sleeping in till the early afternoon, the Harrow boys have lessons from 9 till 1. So per week, the Harrow boys roughly do at least 8/9 hours more than what your typical state student.

As a state educated student, I personally think that we should aspire to study at such illustrious institutions and if these schools are producing some of the finest individuals in society including David Cameron and Winston Churchill, then ideally we should do whatever we can to compete with these schools.

If state schools are going to get more funding, then this money should be spent on employing teachers on the weekend and offering more activities such as the societies and sporting activities so that those from less privileged backgrounds can compete with those from a wealthier background.
Original post by RF_PineMarten
Those can easily be provided as an optional extra for those who want or need it, without forcing it on those who don't, and without lengthening the school day for everyone. Most if not all schools already do after school activities. It supposedly not adding to lesson hours doesn't make it any less a bad idea.

I think making extra-curriculars obligatory is actually a good idea - if someone doesn't do any clubs because they would prefer to just be sat at home then it's a much better use of their time to be developing skills and experiences for their personal statement and CV
I would be fine with it IF the teachers didn't already waste time with pointless tasks. Many teachers in this country simply do not know how to teach and waste countless hours. I wish I was homeschooled.
Original post by MalayHKG
British Public Schools such as Harrow, typically start lessons at around 8:30 am and finish the day long after 3:30 through their contributions to Extra - curricular activities ranging from Rugby to the vast number of societies on offer. Then we take into consideration everyday they have 'Prep' from 7:30 to 9, their school day is significantly longer than the typical state school students.

Then whilst most state school students are sleeping in till the early afternoon, the Harrow boys have lessons from 9 till 1. So per week, the Harrow boys roughly do at least 8/9 hours more than what your typical state student.

As a state educated student, I personally think that we should aspire to study at such illustrious institutions and if these schools are producing some of the finest individuals in society including David Cameron and Winston Churchill, then ideally we should do whatever we can to compete with these schools.

If state schools are going to get more funding, then this money should be spent on employing teachers on the weekend and offering more activities such as the societies and sporting activities so that those from less privileged backgrounds can compete with those from a wealthier background.


Dude.. Harrow is a boarding school..

But I do agree with the adding societies bit. We don't want to produce a bunch of brain dead machines.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Mahmoud X
Why?


We were already given a tonne of homework our lazy good for nothing teachers either forgot to mark or forced us to mark as a class which was an insulting waste of my time. Teachers also waste too much time anyway, with lessons where you have to make posters or play stupid games.

When a teacher makes you cut and stick definitions in an A-level lesson...:facepalm:
Some students quite clearly don't want to be there. Is it right to make them stay longer?

In general, depending on how the time is used, it could be useful. For example, we used to have to homework, where older students (I think it was Year 11s and 6th formers) would help the younger students with their homework. I never used that; but I imagine for some students, that is useful.
It's stupid. I understand why the idea was implemented, but it's acting on the belief that kids will actually pay attention to what they're being taught. Most students who want to do well will go home and do it themselves because they're interested in the subject or have something they want to do in the future. It's as simple as that.

The same thing could be said about extending maths till 18. As said, I understand why. The majority of people in the UK can't answer gcse maths question and don't seem to know how beneficial it is. But like I said, this has to be something people want to do of their own accord, or it's just going to end badly.
Original post by RF_PineMarten
The upset is that making the school day longer really starts to cut into spare time and family time. Time at home is just as valuable for a child's development as time at school...

The purpose is to make school a general daycare substitute, rather than the current awkward arrangement of children being moved from school daycare at 3:30 to alternative daycare for a couple of hours then home at 5-6.

In that framework though there's no need for the extra time to be filled with lessons or organised activities of any kind, or to be mandatory.
Original post by Gingerbread101
I think making extra-curriculars obligatory is actually a good idea - if someone doesn't do any clubs because they would prefer to just be sat at home then it's a much better use of their time to be developing skills and experiences for their personal statement and CV


What if they don't want to do any of those things? You think they should be forced to do something they're not interested in (which means it's likely to be of little use to them) just so it's an extra thing to put on a CV? If they are not interested in something, they will put minimum effort into it, and they will not gain any "skills and experiences" from that.

I again refer to my earlier comments about spare time and family time being just as valuable as school time.
My school ends at 3:10 unless you're in GCSE period then we have the privilege to end at 4:00pm with an extra revision period. I think they should cut costs and reduce school time, and instead give students the freedom to study at home, if they fail they fail, you're boss isn't going to be there guiding you through the work all the time, so you better learn to do things by yourself sooner or later, and make school a place where you just get tested. I also believe we should start focusing on GCSE's in Year 8 rather than Year 10 especially for subjects like english where you got learn a ton load of ****
Original post by Mahmoud X
Idiot. You don't need to go through a year of PGCE training to be allowed to comment, that's like saying you should never talk about Christianity unless you are a fully ordained priest.
Did I call you an idiot?

You are nothing but an arrogant pratt.
Original post by Mahmoud X
Why?


We were already given a tonne of homework our lazy good for nothing teachers either forgot to mark or forced us to mark as a class which was an insulting waste of my time. Teachers also waste too much time anyway, with lessons where you have to make posters or play stupid games.


Damn schools has changed. We never did anything like this
Original post by RF_PineMarten


For god's sake, let kids be kids.


Seconded, let kids be kids. Just because Osborne and Cameron went to boarding school, doesn't mean the rest of us have to.

Also bearing in mind that at school you are basically spoon fed what to learn, continued at 6th form. Why on earth do they think that children need to suffer more, to get better grades? Sure that may help those at the top, but those at the bottom will only come out worse, if this system comes to pass.

Please see reason!
Original post by RF_PineMarten
What if they don't want to do any of those things? You think they should be forced to do something they're not interested in (which means it's likely to be of little use to them) just so it's an extra thing to put on a CV? If they are not interested in something, they will put minimum effort into it, and they will not gain any "skills and experiences" from that.

I again refer to my earlier comments about spare time and family time being just as valuable as school time.

I think there's always something for everyone - my school will let older students organise their own clubs if they think there's something missing that people would like to attend. There's got to be something that people are interested in, otherwise they wouldn't need a CV in the first place - if they're interested in a career in English then they would find a creative writing club useful, if they want to go into engineering then a tech based club would be interesting to them. For every career there's going to be some skills that can be built up using extra curricular activities, and if people aren't interested in the things related to their career then they aren't going to do well whether they have extra curriculars or not.
Original post by Legendary Quest
Well this is TSR after all lol what is the strangest thing someone has proposed? :tongue:


Now that's a tricky one. Let's take a quick look at Hansard. In 2007 it was proposed that the government provide every citizen with a subsidised apple every day to 'keep the doctor away' thus reducing NHS cost. :biggrin:

(Most proposals are serious though :redface:)
My school doesn't finish till 3:50pm anyway. Start at 9am


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Original post by xmazino1
Where I come from school is until 12:30 .And we have extra optional lessons til 4:00


What country is this?
Original post by RayApparently
Now that's a tricky one. Let's take a quick look at Hansard. In 2007 it was proposed that the government provide every citizen with a subsidised apple every day to 'keep the doctor away' thus reducing NHS cost. :biggrin:

(Most proposals are serious though :redface:)


See I would support that if they changed 'apple' to 'chocolate' :biggrin:
It's a waste of time, students can barely stand the regular 35 hours of school per week.
If this happens then i'm pretty sure some students will be lacking in subjects because if school becomes 8 HOURS A DAY, then we will all get tired and just cba to do any work. And It's late anyways, if you get a detention you leave at 5:20 and if you have an SLT, you leave at 6:20 which can be hard during the winter as the sun goes down early.. So thinking further, if this happens then murders, kidnappings could increase as it's dark and you can barely see anything and you're tired as hell.
#StopOsborne

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