As an adult I would not be happy to find that I must now do all my leisure activities at the office. If I wanted to play sport it would now have to be at work with people from work. If I wanted to play a game it would have to be with the people I have just spent all day with. I cannot think of any adult I know who would be prepared to live their lives like this.
It doesn't seem much of a life; it's very institutionalised. When are they supposed to have some time to themselves? I think a very necessary part of childhood is finding out who you are and what it is you enjoy doing. How do you get the opportunity to do this if you are always doing your timetable of activities devised by your school?
As adults we would feel pretty disgruntled if we were subjected to this kind of life and we would be looking to correct the work-life "balance".
As a working parent myself I know many others in a similar position and generally people do not put their kids into after-school club five days a week because they think it is boring for their children.
Most parents I know acknowledge that if their child goes to breakfast club, it's a bit much to expect them to go to after-school club too.
However, this will become the norm with the rollout of extended schools; the entire school-age population will live their childhoods like this.
I am surprised I have not read any other views similar to my own in the press on this matter. Am I just a big old softie?
Caroline Stagg, school governor, London.
