I argued for the 2 x 7 1/2 hour days. Kinder teachers did not want it, some first time kinder parents did not want it. Frankly how is it any different to Long Day Care? They do have after kinder care and thankfully (For future parents) some of the kinder teachers have come around to the long days. Some are now arguing for 2 quality days, rather than 3 mish mash days with after kinder care.
Kinder here (SW Vic) is still back in the era of mums not working. Does not help down here, that many mums don't work (even though that is now changing) and there is a vocal few who are smug about having flexible work and think that every other parent "should just find flexible work" If only the world worked liked that.
There is a problem when parents do not look forward to it, but cringe about it, even parents who's kids went years ago talk about the "hell of kinder year". Which shows the format does not work. Shouldn't it be a year we look forward to, the one the helps prepare our children for school?? It is wasteful in resources, whole departments, buildings, committees, fundraisers that revolve around 1 year. You go through a stressful, complicated application process, then have to deal with new rules, procedures, hours. All for one year, then you start it all again when they start primary school. That is just me being stressed, let alone what it is doing to DD2 dealing with moving from childcare to kinder and after kinder care (she still has some childcare). Poor kid is so confused. Kinder either needs to become part of the school system (like Tassie) or become a proper part of childcare.
I hadn't realized system was different in Tasmania - just looking at it quickly - that is what I thought kinder was here before I looked into it - and that seems to me a good way of doing things if kinder is about preparing to go to school becoming part of the school system seems a good fit (oh and I love the straightforwardness of the age system there 4 by first of Jan for kinder and 5 by first of Jan for school).
If only the world worked liked that.
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