hiddendriver34 said:Honestly, I don't think it's brutal at all. In fact, I love the idea. As long as kids can actually leave school behind the second they walk out those doors, I'm on board.
If we’re talking about extending the day for 1st through 3rd graders—which is basically what this "all-day schooling" rebranding is—most kids with average abilities, paired with a solid primary teacher and a good after-school instructor, can pretty much forget about school the moment those doors close at, say, 3:30 PM.
However, by 2nd grade, and especially by 3rd, a fair number of kids—whether they are gifted or struggling—just don't fit into that mold.
The high achievers get bored sitting around waiting for everyone else to catch up, while the kids who struggle (or have attention issues) aren't getting the specific support they need to master the material at their own pace.
And all of that assumes both teachers are highly skilled, know how to maintain discipline, and can keep kids motivated. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case.
I honestly don't even want to imagine what that looks like for 4th graders (since some schools offer after-school care then too) or the older kids in middle school.
Also, the concept of full-day schooling should be fundamentally different from just extended daycare hours. The idea that everything academic should happen within school walls is fine in theory, but it ignores the fact that many kids show zero interest in classroom subjects but are incredibly engaged with things outside of school—not to mention the kids who are naturally athletic or hands-on. If we force kids into a rigid school schedule for most of their waking hours, we might forget that we actually need future athletes, cellists, or kids with technical skills who know how to fix things or even just heat up their own lunch.
Making full-day schooling an option? Sure. But introducing it into American schools just because our instructional hours are lower than in other countries? No, no, and no.
The whole thing feels a bit messy, especially since credit was given for the project, yet just a few months before the start, we still don't even know which schools will be participating.
Personally, I think it would be wonderful if the funds that cities like New York currently spend on after-school programs were transferred directly to the Department of Education instead. Maybe that's the one silver lining here—simply because major cities are running such massive deficits, and it seems like we clearly can't afford to hire more childcare providers through local budgets alone.
Since the funding is being increased anyway, we might as well use it wisely.
