School week worked well before change

RE: Your question on preferences over the school week.

The four-day school week worked absolutely fine for children at France’s écoles maternelle for years before the then government made its ridiculous decision to change school hours just four years ago.

A whole system of childcare had been sorted out, parents had arranged their work and kids spent less out-of-lesson time at school.

Now there is pressure for after-school care, or garderie as most parents work and cannot pick up at 15.45.

My own children found it much better with a day off in the middle, they were never as tired as they are now by the end of Friday.

Catriona RILEY, by email