Is extended wraparound care in schools the answer to parents' childcare problems?
Babies are nurtured by their mother or member of their family. They are spontaneous, free-spirited and unpredictable. In normal healthy circumstances, babies are responding to a personal family environment.
The proposed pre-and post-school care arises from a range of social needs including displaced family units, single parent families and working parents.
If families are encouraged to keep primary-aged children within the school environment for up to 10 hours in a day, there will be little natural respite or 'down time'.
Any negative results may not become immediately apparent. However, I am concerned about the following issues if wraparound care becomes commonplace: a breakdown in communication within families; less family time overall; less time with friends outside of school; less time to be spontaneous and creative in a non-structured environment; difficulties in addressing and dealing with individuals facing personal issues, either with staff or peers at school; less enjoyment of school in general; confusion as to what constitutes school and non-school work; and no release from wearing school uniform, if one is worn.
In an ideal world, financing the nurturing and development of families could be shared with school clubs as activity-and skills-based.
Alternatively, extended schools care could mean trips to new and different environments that involve family and community get-togethers.
Perhaps instead of breakfast clubs we should be encouraging businesses to allow working parents to have breakfast with their children.
We as adults have choice. This is about the children. If the children really did have the choice, do we honestly believe they would choose to remain in school from 8am until 6pm from age five?