Michael Gove Pledges 10-Hour School Days

[JJonas]

Michael Gove Pledges 10-Hour School Days

 

State schools should operate 10-hour days to boost standards so they are indistinguishable from private schools, the Education Secretary has said.

 

 

runs for cover....

[sippo]

So that means IT Support staff would have to do a minimum 12 hour day...

[featured_spectre]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3236/5830236517_0a6a159014_b.jpg

[broc]

It will never fly, once he realises schools will need increased budgets to cover increases in staffing, heating, lighting........

[AngryTechnician]

The only positive thing I can see this achieving is creating a generation of future voters who will forever remember that it was the Tories who made them endure 10-hour school days.

[Michael]

Now that Michael Gove has replaced the Chief Ofsted inspector for a 'refresh', or has he put it, a 'new leader may have a different perspective'... when will this apply to himself?

 

Has any one of the policies he and his team thought of been implemented and actually proven successful? Hmm... toughie that.

[elsiegee40]

Ten hour school days would lead to increases in many costs, not least of which is staffing... they may ask staff to work longer, but more likely is an increase in staff numbers just like in industry. This will happen as soon as the government finds the money to fund the necessary increases in budget... just like the proposal to have six weeks school holiday total per year.

 

I haven't seen any flying piggies heading to Whitehall, so I guess we are safe for now.

[Nibiru]

Oh Gove has resurrected this old chestnut has he. Must be all of 12 months since he was spouting off similar stuff.

[LosOjos]

It won't happen and there's one very good reason I say that: teacher's unions.

[tmcd35]

Announcing the Conservative manifesto pledge, he said: "So a future Conservative Government would help state schools - just like independent schools - to offer a school day 9 or 10 hours long

 

I can see this being a real vote winner; only 15 months left to go...

 

This comment from the Beeb's story on this will put the fear of god in to you all...

 

This will appeal to the extreme right of the Tory Party - which is Gove's target audience in his quest to be the next leader.

 

"Gove for PM" *shudders*

[localzuk]

You're talking about a 30% budget increase needed for that then I'd guess. And some form of stimulant prescriptions for the kids who won't be able to concentrate...

 

Private schools have longer days, sure, but from my experience they also do things like half days in the middle of the week and larger chunks of sports etc... (Obviously not all of them).

Edited February 3, 2014 by localzuk

[GeekyPete]

It won't happen and there's one very good reason I say that: teacher's unions.

 

Yeah!!! Like the miners under the tories!

[LosOjos]

Yeah!!! Like the miners under the tories!

 

The difference is, they can't close and outsource the schools

[featured_spectre]

They can, they can close them and outsource to the academies!

[Michael]

They can, they can close them and outsource to the academies!

 

Yeah and what happens when they fail? The numbers are growing... Academies just do not work.

[HarryMonkey]

Private schools are much smaller, have smaller class sizes and can operate in a less stressful environment. I really don't see a 10 hour day in an inner city comp with class sizes of 30+ being indistinguishable from a private school.

[Theblacksheep]

This should be fun.

[LosOjos]

They can, they can close them and outsource to the academies!

 

Academy or not though, teacher's unions are still involved.

 

The point that Gove is seemingly missing is that there are multiple reasons private schools traditionally fare better than state; it stands to reason that if parents are paying for their child's education, they'll take more of an interest in it (that is not to say that all parents who send their children to state school don't care, but that parents who don't care most likely do send their children to state schools). Class sizes are smaller, allowing more one to one time and less distractions. Staff pay is higher allowing the schools to pick the cream of the crop in terms of teachers. There's generally an entrance exam meaning the worst performing students don't get through the door in the first place.

 

There are so many reasons that this latest dribble from Gove makes no sense, but I don't think anyone outside his office is even questioning that.

[GeekyPete]

Now I have actually read the article I am even more convinced that that he is astoundingly out of touch. "He said school plays, sports clubs, orchestras and debating competitions helped to "build character and instil grit"." How many schools don't have all this going NOW? Coupled with the increasing trend for Breakfast clubs to offer Wrap Around care and it's already happening.

 

But then again this could be Mr Gove following the example of his task master and deliberately mis-leading the debate. Extending the school day and after school clubs are two entirely different things. We need to know what he's actually talking about before we can decide. But then again, so does Mr Gove.

 

Tecchies probably won't be affected to any greater degree than they are now. And there's always the 48 hour/week opt out . Until this co-attrition decide to abolish that too.

Edited February 3, 2014 by GeekyPete

[Oaktech]

Excellent, it's going to be like when I was working in the entertainment industry...38 hours at work had come and gone by wednesday lunchtime! I always felt like a part timer doing 9-5.

[GeekyPete]

Academy or not though, teacher's unions are still involved.

 

Academies can set their own conditions of employment. Including not recognising union representation. They can have very little influence if they are not recognised. The system of protection of the workforce, which now more than ever includes the upper middlesclasses (Teachers, doctors, barristers etc) is being systematically dismantled before our very eyes.

 

Does anyone remember what Carmeron said over and over and over again in his election run up? He will "cut 1%, that's £1 in every £100 to get this country back on it's feet". Now, consider that all MPs have access to the office of National Statisitcs, He cannot say "opps... Look what labour left us! I only found out how bad it was when I got into office!". Did he get his figures THAT wrong? He's now making cuts totalling 40%. Should someone who got it wrong by 3900% really be running the country? If a teacher predicted that 40% of their students would get C or above and only 1 did (the same margin of error as Mr Cameron) what would their ofsted inspector say?

[sparkeh]

It will never fly, once he realises schools will need increased budgets to cover increases in staffing, heating, lighting........

 

This will happen as soon as the government finds the money to fund the necessary increases in budget...

 

You're talking about a 30% budget increase needed for that then I'd guess

Increased budgets? According to the education underling that went on radio to defend this nonsense, its achievable with our current budgets. Apparently there are lots of schools already doing it with current funding...

 

[featured_spectre]

yes and naturally flying pigs have been spotted...and their wings taste delicious!

[Ephelyon]

Now, consider that all MPs have access to the office of National Statisitcs, He cannot say "opps... Look what labour left us! I only found out how bad it was when I got into office!". Did he get his figures THAT wrong?

 

It isn't strictly as simple as statistics though. There's a lot of information on the precise ins and outs of the economy that's kept strictly within the Treasury. That's why I didn't vote for Clegg, because he was always there on the run-up to the election endlessly talking about raising the tax threshold and all manner of other attractive-sounding schemes... all without having the slightest inkling of the true state of the economy. Cameron, wisely, continually dodged the question when asked (they've got to be good at something!) as opposed to making bold statements. I actually respected him more for that at the time.

[Ephelyon]

Anyway, here's the rub on this one I think:

 

"So a future Conservative Government would help state schools - just like independent schools - to offer a school day 9 or 10 hours long - allowing time for structured homework sessions, prep, which will be particularly helpful for those children who come from homes where it's difficult to secure the peace and quiet necessary for hard study."

 

Help how and with what? To be honest, if there's already an acknowledgement at this stage that some degree of assistance is required - be it in additional staff, resources, money in general - then in principle I've no objection. Whatever decisions this Coalition makes they're often not too bad at sending them out for consultation first, so that would be our opportunity as IT staff to jump in and point out the impact on ourselves and the services we run. The same goes for shorter summer holidays.