> we do a disservice to our students by confusing it as the same problem Absolutely. The simplest approach is to specify some hours for learning, starting at

> we do a disservice to our students by confusing it as the same problem Absolutely. The simplest approach is to specify some hours for learning, starting at 9 AM, ending somewhere between 2PM and 5 PM depending on age. However, the school provides optional childcare starting at 6 AM and ending at 6 PM, where the parents can bring/take their child at any moment. So parents bring their kids to the playground whenever is most convenient for them; at 9 AM all kids are sent to classes; after classes kids are sent to playground again; and then parents pick them up whenever is most convenient for them. When I see schools that try to implement this, the greatest mistake is when they insist that the morning and evening childcare needs to be provided by the same teachers who provide the education. And the teachers of course object, not only because this reduces their status from providers of knowledge to mere babysitters, but also because they want to be with their families. (Then the school says "dear parents, we honestly tried, but the teachers are uncooperative".) Instead, the school should hire extra babysitters for those morning and evening hours. For example, retired teachers would probably welcome the possibility to make little extra money in the mornings or evenings, in a familiar environment. The babysitters can be fewer than teachers, because there is no need to separate kids by grades. For example, you could start with one babysitter at 6 AM, joined by another one or two at 7 AM, perhaps joined by a volunteer teacher at 8 AM; and then at 9 AM the babysitting is over. Similarly in the afternoon.