Victor Aiwone heard mixed opinions on the proposed 10-hour day for school children.
‘It’s outrageous’. East London youth club worker Chris Porter reacted angrily to government proposals for extending the school day to up to 10 hours, 45 weeks a year. ‘They are kids, for goodness sake. Let them be kids, trying to grow them up real quickly will only backfire.’
Mr Porter went on to explain that he would be out of a job, and other people’s working lives would be seriously affected. ‘Not only does this mean there is no need for kids to come to places like us after school but it cuts school holidays down from 13 weeks to just seven.’
Meanwhile Derek Ansu, head of Year 10 at St Bonaventure’s Catholic School in Forest Gate, welcomed the proposal: ‘I think this bodes well for the future of students. This will make sure no-one falls behind. It will help build the future generation.”
With a cup of tea on the table and her youngest boy of two sitting on her lap, full time IT worker Joyce Burgess agreed that something must be done about state education, but she was not convinced about extending the school day. ‘From nine till six, five days a week, is a very long time for working adults, let alone young kids. I want the best education possible for my two, as all parents do, but keeping them in school until six isn’t the right way to go about it.’
Opinion is clearly divided on this controversial proposal.