All-day school schedules

Honestly, right after Divjakica, I was actually rooting for Fuchs—mostly because I thought he’d be the fix we desperately needed after her tenure. If I were to get into what I *really* think about her, I’d probably be flagged by a moderator before I could finish my sentence. He did leave us alone, though I’m not sure if that’s actually a good thing, given how much work the education system needs. I'm genuinely terrified that if things don't change, we'll end up in an even worse spot than we were under Divjakica. She completely butchered the curriculum, especially for my two subjects—it’s gotten to the point where I can’t even watch anything on TV without wanting to start swearing uncontrollably.

I dig certain aspects of the Finnish school system, but who’s actually footing the bill to put two teachers in a single classroom? For subjects where mastery is non-negotiable, though, it’s probably worth it. Just imagine cutting the grading workload in half. Or if the kids start acting up—you’ve got two sets of eyes on them immediately.

jadetinker85 said:I dig certain aspects of the Finnish school system, but who’s actually footing the bill to put two teachers in a single classroom? For subjects where mastery is non-negotiable, though, it’s probably worth it. Just imagine cutting the grading workload in half. Or if the kids start acting up—you’ve got two sets of eyes on them immediately.

There is actually so much I admire about the way they handle schooling over there:
the teachers are top-tier and genuinely happy in their roles (they're paid exceptionally well and are hand-picked from the best of the best), schools are fully equipped, and there isn't that massive gap in quality between rural towns and big cities. It’s consistently good everywhere.

And then there's that mandatory 15-minute break after an hour of instruction, where the kids are actually allowed to run outside, scream, and just act like wild animals. Of course, having two—maybe even three—teachers would be necessary to make that work.

But where does that leave us? We're down here in the South of Europe. I can't think of a single country that manages such a highly organized school system while maintaining those stellar PISA test scores (if you're looking for a real benchmark).

I honestly don't think Fuchs is driving the bus here; he’s just following orders. To me, he seems like a grandfatherly type who's happy enough to hold onto a cabinet seat, but if it were up to him, he’d probably just be sitting there smiling through his entire term without lifting a finger. Plenković handed him a roadmap that was drafted a long time ago, and frankly, I have no clue who actually designed the master plan we're seeing now.

Let's be real: Fuchs doesn't have the bandwidth or the expertise to manage a massive project involving this kind of heavy funding with any real sense of quality. It’s a shame they didn't just let him coast and smile his way to retirement.

hiddendriver34 said:I honestly don't think Fuchs is driving the bus here; he’s just following orders. To me, he seems like a grandfatherly type who's happy enough to hold onto a cabinet seat, but if it were up to him, he’d probably just be sitting there smiling through his entire term without lifting a finger. Plenković handed him a roadmap that was drafted a long time ago, and frankly, I have no clue who actually designed the master plan we're seeing now.

Let's be real: Fuchs doesn't have the bandwidth or the expertise to manage a massive project involving this kind of heavy funding with any real sense of quality. It’s a shame they didn't just let him coast and smile his way to retirement.

The whole "all-day school" concept actually started during Divjak's term.
She used to promote the importance of full-day instruction constantly on her Facebook page, linking to the program over and over. As a math teacher, she seemed solely focused on the numbers—specifically comparing how many hours our kids spend in class versus kids in the EU—rather than looking at the actual quality or content of the curriculum.
For instance, when people talk about those cumulative classroom hours compared to students in the EU, they conveniently ignore preschool (which is mandatory here but categorized under daycare rather than the school system) or the age kids start school (in many other countries, they start earlier). They also don't mention that we only have eight mandatory years, while some other nations have a few more...
And let's not forget our school holidays, which we definitely have far too many of.
But honestly, the number of hours spent in a building is irrelevant; what matters is *how* those hours are spent and what knowledge the kids actually walk away with.

It’s funny—ever since this full-day school topic gained momentum, she has only spoken up regarding the "knitting vs. computer science" debate. It clearly stung her that knitting is being introduced while the computer science hours she implemented are being cut, as if that's the only subject that matters.

Beyond the fact that her original plan was a disaster, Fuchs somehow made it even worse. Like many politicians, he felt the need to leave his own mark, so he "updated" it. But because he likely doesn't grasp the subject matter and isn't considering the developmental needs of children at different ages, we ended up with a program that's arguably worse than hers.
Following the typical Republican playbook, he's pushing this forward mainly because some EU funding came in that needs to be spent by 2027.
(And that money exists because his predecessor basically used mathematical proofs to show our kids aren't spending enough time in school.)

I'm almost certain they will find 50 "experimental" schools 😠, led by 50 principals appointed along Republican lines who will happily take a 25% raise. They'll probably even make a little extra on school renovations or by hiring their friends and relatives for new positions like "World and Me."

My heart just goes out to the kids who will be part of this four-year experiment. It lacks the basic hallmarks of a real scientific study, and ethically speaking, it feels wrong.
Though, I suppose the blame lies with whoever signs the consent forms for the schools—those Founders and School Boards where the ruling party holds all the cards.

Honestly, I’m just relieved that my youngest will at least make it through elementary school, even if the whole system decides to go into full-blown meltdown mode tomorrow.

I find myself wondering: once this entire initiative inevitably collapses like every other half-baked project we see around here, will those experimental schools be allowed to keep their bizarre, distorted curriculum? It seems we're headed toward a ridiculous situation where we'll be stuck navigating two entirely different sets of standards and teaching methods simultaneously.

Look, you aren't going to end up with two different sets of standards—you know as well as I do that the only way anything from CDŠ actually integrates into the general system four years down the road is if we just raise the bar for everyone across the board.

hiddendriver34 said:Honestly, I’m just relieved that my youngest will at least make it through elementary school, even if the whole system decides to go into full-blown meltdown mode tomorrow.

I feel lucky that mine won't be caught up in it either.
But I can't help but wonder about all the other kids out there. It really weighs on me. We're looking at a generation of young people who might struggle to function, lose their creative spark, or deal with depression and mental health struggles.

In a way, I'm actually glad the pandemic put a pause on that whole "full-day school" experiment back in 2020. Since Divjakica didn't secure a second term, the whole idea was basically pushed to the back burner...

Jason Morgan said:I find myself wondering: once this entire initiative inevitably collapses like every other half-baked project we see around here, will those experimental schools be allowed to keep their bizarre, distorted curriculum? It seems we're headed toward a ridiculous situation where we'll be stuck navigating two entirely different sets of standards and teaching methods simultaneously.

And now, kids from about fifty different schools are going to be dealing with totally different schedules and standards...

I was thinking about this the other day while watching my neighbor's kid head off to his after-school club. We already have kids in private schools who follow a different rhythm—they don't deal with traditional grading and they participate in activities that public schools don't offer. From what I understand, most of those kids find it pretty tough to transition into the standard high school system later on because the structures are so different. But hey, that’s ultimately a parental choice, and usually, those parents end up footing the bill for private high school too. The real question is whether families here actually have a choice, and when it comes time for high school enrollment, will spending four years in an intensive 15-hour-a-day environment be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage compared to students who wrap up their day by 12:15 or 1:00 PM?

Raised standards? Are you talking about JPMorgan Chase, the Ministry, and the rest of them? Because under these rules, IT teachers are the ones getting screwed. Even homeroom duties are being lumped into "other tasks." I honestly wonder how many people will actually volunteer for this job now—it’s the kind of work that used to make people want to shoot themselves just to get out of it. Some guy from the Department showed up at the last meeting to answer questions for principals, and when asked who would be teaching the new subject, he just shrugged and said, "Well, IT teachers can do it then." Real smooth.
When you ask when music schools will finally get their turn, it feels like they expect us to work a third shift and basically travel to the kids' schools ourselves, rather than the kids coming to us.

At this point, the Secretary doesn't even matter; children are clearly the absolute last priority for these people. I wish they’d just tell us what kind of hallucinogenic trip they were on when they drafted this curriculum. Better yet, send the syllabus over to us so we can fully immerse ourselves in this absolute nebula of nonsense.

Higher salaries? Caring about kids and families? Give me a break. Who the hell are they trying to fool with that garbage?

And here is the kicker: this kind of crap passes through easily, just like everything else happening in this country. And what are we supposed to do? File formal complaints? Too bad, the deadline for that has already passed. They’ll "take it under consideration" while they swallow yet another delusional idea, laughing at the moronic programs they serve us, while the only thing that ever truly matters to them is the money.

Fixing up schools, building gyms, setting up cafeterias? Sure, why not. It’s not like it’s a church. This is a school—a place designed to breed obedient little followers for the Republican Party, brainless drones who will one day enthusiastically circle "YES" without question and suffer a total bout of amnesia every time they need to remember how much they’ve been robbed or lied to. It's a farce.

Which schools would even want to participate in this four-year circus? Based on what I know so far, it’s mostly the ones where the principal is a member of the Republican Party. I suspect there are others, but that’s just my observation thus far.

If they raise the standards so everyone is expected to hit 20 hours of pure, straight classroom instruction for full-time status—man, what a mess. It’s going to be total chaos. You'll have some teachers grinding away at 26 or 28 hours because they're stuck teaching math and English plus all those mandatory enrichment programs, while others will be forced to bounce between three different schools just to scrape together enough hours to hit their full-time requirement.
Honestly, it feels like hardly anyone is actually going to manage to hit full-time at a single school under this setup, unless you happen to be a math or language teacher.

I would love to personally meet this mathematician—this supposed "dedicated educator"—who is expected to run mandatory makeup exams and extra credit sessions right after their regular classes finish. And then, apparently, they’re just supposed to spend the entire night grading finals and prepping lesson plans for the next morning.
Do you even have a life, sir or madam? Do you have children? A life outside the classroom?? Oh, wait, I forgot—that’s not how it works. In this country, teaching isn't a profession; it's a holy calling, right? 🙂

By the way, where exactly are the kids supposed to go when these A2 assessments happen and there aren't any scheduled makeups? Is there a specific section of some NASA-grade space shuttle built into our crumbling school buildings reserved just for them? Are we planning to shove them into a boiler room? Because clearly, sunlight and basic human dignity are just too much to ask for.

Sarah Hall53 said:Look, you aren't going to end up with two different sets of standards—you know as well as I do that the only way anything from CDŠ actually integrates into the general system four years down the road is if we just raise the bar for everyone across the board.

Oh, don't be so certain. I'm convinced they'll still have childcare programs running in schools until 3:00 PM.
We’ll all be completely burnt out and eventually drop dead just trying to make it home by 5:00. Personally, I'd rather be $200 richer than deal with some parent attacking me because their exhausted kid didn't finish their homework at school.

So, they get an A2 level, right? And the poor souls stuck actually doing the work have to juggle three different things at once—handling the add-ons, managing the supplements, and then somehow finding time to write up all the assignments. It's a mess.

Honestly, I am definitely not working like that for that kind of money. They’ll probably end up with this weird, endless school day where they’re basically being assisted by high schoolers who couldn't make it through graduation or even get into college—just hanging around until they stumble upon a job with actual, normal hours.

Andrew Doyle said:I would love to personally meet this mathematician—this supposed "dedicated educator"—who is expected to run mandatory makeup exams and extra credit sessions right after their regular classes finish. And then, apparently, they’re just supposed to spend the entire night grading finals and prepping lesson plans for the next morning.
Do you even have a life, sir or madam? Do you have children? A life outside the classroom?? Oh, wait, I forgot—that’s not how it works. In this country, teaching isn't a profession; it's a holy calling, right? 🙂

By the way, where exactly are the kids supposed to go when these A2 assessments happen and there aren't any scheduled makeups? Is there a specific section of some NASA-grade space shuttle built into our crumbling school buildings reserved just for them? Are we planning to shove them into a boiler room? Because clearly, sunlight and basic human dignity are just too much to ask for.

The A2 program is meant to be a core part of the curriculum for everyone. Some students need extra review and simplified explanations, while others need advanced challenges to stay engaged. The idea is that one superstar teacher can manage all these different needs in the same space. But honestly, the math doesn't add up. How are you supposed to squeeze ten different subjects into those ten hours (spread over five days), especially when some of that time is already eaten up by homeroom periods? It's asking for teachers to provide support for every single subject—letting kids practice until they actually get it—while also nurturing talents in things like math or computer science and still finding time to finish all their paperwork.

Honestly, it’s just one big, unsolvable mess.
How on earth are kids supposed to spend just two hours a day learning and finishing homework for thirteen or fourteen different subjects while still finding time for their actual hobbies?

Andrew Doyle said:Raised standards? Are you talking about JPMorgan Chase, the Ministry, and the rest of them? Because under these rules, IT teachers are the ones getting screwed. Even homeroom duties are being lumped into "other tasks." I honestly wonder how many people will actually volunteer for this job now—it’s the kind of work that used to make people want to shoot themselves just to get out of it. Some guy from the Department showed up at the last meeting to answer questions for principals, and when asked who would be teaching the new subject, he just shrugged and said, "Well, IT teachers can do it then." Real smooth.
When you ask when music schools will finally get their turn, it feels like they expect us to work a third shift and basically travel to the kids' schools ourselves, rather than the kids coming to us.

At this point, the Secretary doesn't even matter; children are clearly the absolute last priority for these people. I wish they’d just tell us what kind of hallucinogenic trip they were on when they drafted this curriculum. Better yet, send the syllabus over to us so we can fully immerse ourselves in this absolute nebula of nonsense.

Higher salaries? Caring about kids and families? Give me a break. Who the hell are they trying to fool with that garbage?

And here is the kicker: this kind of crap passes through easily, just like everything else happening in this country. And what are we supposed to do? File formal complaints? Too bad, the deadline for that has already passed. They’ll "take it under consideration" while they swallow yet another delusional idea, laughing at the moronic programs they serve us, while the only thing that ever truly matters to them is the money.

Fixing up schools, building gyms, setting up cafeterias? Sure, why not. It’s not like it’s a church. This is a school—a place designed to breed obedient little followers for the Republican Party, brainless drones who will one day enthusiastically circle "YES" without question and suffer a total bout of amnesia every time they need to remember how much they’ve been robbed or lied to. It's a farce.

Which schools would even want to participate in this four-year circus? Based on what I know so far, it’s mostly the ones where the principal is a member of the Republican Party. I suspect there are others, but that’s just my observation thus far.

SIGNED!

Andrew Doyle said:Raised standards? Are you talking about JPMorgan Chase, the Ministry, and the rest of them? Because under these rules, IT teachers are the ones getting screwed. Even homeroom duties are being lumped into "other tasks." I honestly wonder how many people will actually volunteer for this job now—it’s the kind of work that used to make people want to shoot themselves just to get out of it. Some guy from the Department showed up at the last meeting to answer questions for principals, and when asked who would be teaching the new subject, he just shrugged and said, "Well, IT teachers can do it then." Real smooth.
When you ask when music schools will finally get their turn, it feels like they expect us to work a third shift and basically travel to the kids' schools ourselves, rather than the kids coming to us.

At this point, the Secretary doesn't even matter; children are clearly the absolute last priority for these people. I wish they’d just tell us what kind of hallucinogenic trip they were on when they drafted this curriculum. Better yet, send the syllabus over to us so we can fully immerse ourselves in this absolute nebula of nonsense.

Higher salaries? Caring about kids and families? Give me a break. Who the hell are they trying to fool with that garbage?

And here is the kicker: this kind of crap passes through easily, just like everything else happening in this country. And what are we supposed to do? File formal complaints? Too bad, the deadline for that has already passed. They’ll "take it under consideration" while they swallow yet another delusional idea, laughing at the moronic programs they serve us, while the only thing that ever truly matters to them is the money.

Fixing up schools, building gyms, setting up cafeterias? Sure, why not. It’s not like it’s a church. This is a school—a place designed to breed obedient little followers for the Republican Party, brainless drones who will one day enthusiastically circle "YES" without question and suffer a total bout of amnesia every time they need to remember how much they’ve been robbed or lied to. It's a farce.

Which schools would even want to participate in this four-year circus? Based on what I know so far, it’s mostly the ones where the principal is a member of the Republican Party. I suspect there are others, but that’s just my observation thus far.

When principals get a 25% raise, you can bet your life there will always be schools eager to play along.

So where does that leave us? If the public and parents don't step up to stop this, our only option is to accept reality and realize we're witnessing the final stage of turning teachers into glorified babysitters—a shift that’s been creeping up on us for years and is now reaching its inevitable conclusion.

We basically have to swallow our pride, settle into the routine, perform eight hours of childcare, bring zero paperwork home, take the bigger paycheck, and call it a day.

Teaching becomes an afterthought, almost like nobody even cares anymore; why should we bother when the system doesn't?

I can already see myself in my classroom—handing them a stack of printed worksheets and letting them figure it out while they try to learn on their own. Meanwhile, I'll be busy with administrative tasks, grading tests that I used to take home, doing paperwork, and making sure my spreadsheets look pretty and colorful. If they ask a question, I'll toss them an answer. Honestly, I'll probably have way more free time than I do now, since I won't be lugging work home to design lesson plans, individualize instruction, or create custom assignments.

You just have to make a mental pivot and tell yourself: "Look, wanderingbadger44, nobody cares if you actually teach them to read; they just need you to watch them until 3:00 PM. And hey, that's why they're paying you more. Accept it—you aren't a professor anymore, you're a sitter. If your ego can handle it, you might as well profit from it."

Susan James said:The A2 program is meant to be a core part of the curriculum for everyone. Some students need extra review and simplified explanations, while others need advanced challenges to stay engaged. The idea is that one superstar teacher can manage all these different needs in the same space. But honestly, the math doesn't add up. How are you supposed to squeeze ten different subjects into those ten hours (spread over five days), especially when some of that time is already eaten up by homeroom periods? It's asking for teachers to provide support for every single subject—letting kids practice until they actually get it—while also nurturing talents in things like math or computer science and still finding time to finish all their paperwork.

This clearly shows exactly which geniuses designed this program; there is no way they have such a fundamental lack of understanding regarding how school operations actually work. So, let me get this straight: instead of having a review session on Monday and a makeup session on Thursday, I’m now supposed to run parallel review sessions, makeup sessions, and homework periods all at once? And how exactly is that supposed to function? I’d be doing this with just one class—but which one? I teach eight different grade levels, and I’m not talking about just eighth or seventh graders; it’s a mix. Which specific group am I working with, and when? And when will the "enrichment" or "equal opportunity for all" happen for my other subjects if I'm stuck working with the English group? These are bizarre ideas that insult anyone's intelligence.
By the way, I’ve also noticed that Fuksić loves repeating that empty cliché about how "equal conditions will now be provided to everyone," implying there "won't be a need for private tutoring" anymore—which is really just code for saving money. Basically, the ruling party assumes the general public has low cognitive abilities, hoping people will bite on this fake equality and these manufactured "super conditions" that supposedly benefit everyone, when in reality, they only benefit themselves.

As for being a homeroom teacher—some of us are "perpetual" homeroom teachers, and anyone who works in a school knows exactly what that entails. Both the former principal and the current one always use the same excuse: "there's no one else available." That isn't true. There *is* someone else, but it's usually the inner circle of favorites who are practically hand-picked by administration out of their own pockets, or perhaps the crew that built a reputation for being "difficult," so the bosses won't touch them. Consequently, certain individuals end up carrying the entire burden of this miserable homeroom duty for a measly two hours of paid time. Given the current climate, that responsibility can push you to a total mental and physical breaking point because everything is irrational, particularly the demands placed on a homeroom teacher. I cannot tell you how many times I wished I could just focus on my own subject and enjoy my job, only to be constantly dragged down by these homeroom duties. But unfortunately, once they see you are capable, conscientious, and willing to sacrifice, you're done for. Am I really expected to choose this same misery for a 2.5% raise? Not a chance, not even then. But it will play out just like it always has—if everyone refuses, the principal will just come back and say, "There's no one else, so you're doing it." What then?