Do you love or hate this suggestion?
Is it time for Ireland’s schools to introduce three-day weeks? Schools in the UK are cutting down on the amount of time children are spending in the classroom, but will it have a positive impact on children? Many parents believe it is a great idea because children will have more time at home, more time to pursue hobbies, and more time to develop their own interests and passions. The UK is considering introducing the three-day week because of rising energy costs and to cope with teacher pay rises. However, others are less than impressed with the recommendation, especially HerFamily readers who shut down the suggestion.
Many parents are concerned that their children are now behind in school because of the vast amount of time they were closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. When you add the summer holiday, bank holidays, and midterms into the mix, children are spending less and less time in school. One mum said it feels like her children are out of school more than anything. “5 days should stay. Children are off school more than there in. Teacher training, bank holidays, Easter, summer, Christmas. I wouldn’t support it.”
Other parents said a three-day school week would be impossible for parents who work full-time. One mum stressed that it simply wouldn’t work for them unless the Government introduced cheaper childcare.
“Are they going to change parents’ work to a 3-day week too? That’s the only way that would work,” one mum shared.
Another reader added, “This would create a childcare issue for parents that work full time & put extra pressure on an already overstretched childcare system.”
Another HerFamily reader said the suggestion would cause more harm than good.
“When the kids were out because of COVID they were all saying how behind they would be. And then they said their mental health would suffer, etc. What will happen with parents that work full time? This country doesn’t support working parents at the best of times, so how do they expect this to work?”
What do you think of the three-day school week suggestion?
