150,000 signatures reached
To: Government
No Change of Hours for Schooling
I believe that this idea for longer school hours and less holidays is ridiculous.
The Government needs to understand that families need time together. By introducing longer school days they are directly cutting into time children should be spending as a family unit. For families that have parents working in shift work this already brings a disruption; and lack of family time. These are our Children.
Are they really going to be saving money by 'allowing' mums to return back to work? Once they have paid extra for teaching staff, extra wear and tear on school buildings, etc, will they be able to balance the books?
The Government needs to understand that families need time together. By introducing longer school days they are directly cutting into time children should be spending as a family unit. For families that have parents working in shift work this already brings a disruption; and lack of family time. These are our Children.
Are they really going to be saving money by 'allowing' mums to return back to work? Once they have paid extra for teaching staff, extra wear and tear on school buildings, etc, will they be able to balance the books?
Why is this important?
It's not important it is essential - families have to work together; from teaching right and wrong, to learning life skills - so that you raise a child, not an android in society. There are enough pressures on children from an early age and yet the Government is trying to impose more.
I feel as a working Mum of three, that one very important point has been missed from all conversations - that of Child Welfare. This is at the heart of my campaign, and is supported by unicef's Convention of the Rights of the Child:
"Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities." Article 31 (Leisure, Play & Culture)
"Governments should respect the rights and responsibilities of families to direct and guide their children so that, as they grow, they learn to use their rights properly. Helping children to understand their rights does not mean pushing them to make choices with consequences that they are too young to handle." Article 5 (Parental Guidance)
Also, longer hours will not ensure better standards. OECD data shows that English pupils already spend more time in compulsory education between the ages of 7 and 14 than in Finland, Korea and Japan - countries that have very high education standards.
In fact "when it comes to learning, it’s the quality of teaching at school and students’ attitude towards learning that count most, not the number of hours students spend studying.” ~ Pisa In Focus.
By signing this petition it shows Government that parents do not support the idea of longer school hours.
References:
http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/04/gove-misleads-spectator-conference-about-longer-school-days-and-shorter-holidays-in-the-far-east/
http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
I feel as a working Mum of three, that one very important point has been missed from all conversations - that of Child Welfare. This is at the heart of my campaign, and is supported by unicef's Convention of the Rights of the Child:
"Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities." Article 31 (Leisure, Play & Culture)
"Governments should respect the rights and responsibilities of families to direct and guide their children so that, as they grow, they learn to use their rights properly. Helping children to understand their rights does not mean pushing them to make choices with consequences that they are too young to handle." Article 5 (Parental Guidance)
Also, longer hours will not ensure better standards. OECD data shows that English pupils already spend more time in compulsory education between the ages of 7 and 14 than in Finland, Korea and Japan - countries that have very high education standards.
In fact "when it comes to learning, it’s the quality of teaching at school and students’ attitude towards learning that count most, not the number of hours students spend studying.” ~ Pisa In Focus.
By signing this petition it shows Government that parents do not support the idea of longer school hours.
References:
http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/04/gove-misleads-spectator-conference-about-longer-school-days-and-shorter-holidays-in-the-far-east/
http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
