School Hours Is A Family Issue

School Hours Is A Family Issue

Family First NZ is rubbishing suggestions that school hours should be extended.

“Education is based on quality not quantity, and a suggestion to extend the school hours is not in the best interests of children and young people,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“As with the debate on childcare, we are only looking from an adult perspective and failing to take into account what is best and appropriate for children and young people and what is in the best interests of families. Extended hours will cut into valuable family time, sports and music practices, and is ultimately about serving the needs and pressures of fulltime working parents.”

“It would also cause chaos for families where children are at different schools with different schedules each day.”

“We have got the debate around the wrong way. We should be focusing on how to make parents more available to their children – not how we can occupy the kids longer,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“The call for longer hours has nothing to do with pupil’s changing needs, and everything to do with pressures on families. This is where the debate should be focused.”

ENDS

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