A NORTHWOOD school girl is challenging a top politician to reverse his plans to extend the school day to up to ten hours.
Daisy Desousa, a 10-year-old pupil at Hillside Junior School, Northwood Way, wrote to education secretary Michael Gove this week taking issue with his proposals to allow state schools to stay open later and introduce a shorter summer holidays.
“I think it is the most awful idea ever and so do my friends,” Daisy told Mr Gove in the letter.
“You will be taking my freedom away to do the things I like. I beg you to change your mind. Please write back and tell me what you think.”
Mr Gove's proposals could see the changes be introduced as early as September next year, something he believes would be ‘consistent with the pressures of a modern society’.
Her mother Zoe Desousa, who works at a school supporting children with special needs, said: “After I mentioned to her what could happen, she would not stop going on about what a bad idea she thought it was.
“She yelled ‘oh my God they can’t do that’ and kept asking me and her teachers about it. In the end I suggested that she write a letter – so she did right away.”
The letter was sent to Westminster on February 7, and Daisy has since begun checking the post every day after school, but is yet to receive a response from Mr Gove.
The education sectary says that by extending the school day, it would allow for activities such as school plays, sports clubs, and orchestras to take place within the education structure, opportunities which he believes pupils may not always get outside of school hours.
But in the latter Daisy says that she already has a packed and varied schedule, including playing sports and going to the library outside of school hours.
Daisy added in the letter: “If you make the school day longer, I wont be able to do these things. Children will need dinner, a bath and then bed, ready for another long day.
“Surely you understand spending time with family and friends is important.”
