Busy parents of primary school children may see it as a much-needed digout. They are waiting to see what the government’s long-awaited plans for subsidised after-school care consist of.
growing number of parents are struggling to fit in school hours with their work schedule. One of their greatest difficulties is working out what to do after lunchtime when classes are over. The time between 2pm and 6pm has been described as the missing part of the childcare jigsway.
They may be hoping that we eventually follow the Scandinavian model, where children are accommodated in school until late in the afternoon. But that would come at a considerable cost, and it is not necessarily in the children’s interest to be incarcerated in classrooms for a longer period.
At school-based afternoon clubs in Helsinki, children spend the afternoon pursuing their interests with friends. It is not just an extension of the school day.
They choose what they want to do and when they do it. They could be playing outside, painting or playing an instrument. Typically parents pay €4 a day for four hours of childcare and a snack.
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