I am inspired by Paul Mortimer’s plans to extend schooling to 364 days a year (“Head’s plan for all-year school”, TES, October 7) but feel he is somewhat half-hearted.
The logical conclusion is to have schools open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. We could extend the taught day to 12 hours and have half the pupils taught through the day and half at night. Those not being taught could sleep at school having had a Jamie Oliver school meal, then go into lessons 12 hours later.
We would not be faced with all the trauma of family breakdown because we wouldn’t have to have families. Teenage pregnancy could be ended at a stroke (provided the schools were single-sex and with high walls) and there would be no youths roaming the streets. As one of Thatcher’s children, I applaud Mr Mortimer for thinking the unthinkable: an end to family life and society, as we know it.
Ian Fenn
Headteacher
Burnage high school
Burnage, Manchester
