Private school students are staying at school until 8 pm on weekdays as part of an after school supervision package being offered by private schools around Sydney. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that private schools such as Kincoppal-Rose Bay, St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill and The King’s School now offer ‘extended day’ packages, which allow students to stay at school until the evening, using boarding facilities or under the supervision of staff. Several schools report growth in these programs as more families choose to collect their children later in the day.

Changing needs of parents

One of the core rationales for these programs is the needs of modern families, as many children have two working parents. Given reports in the Sydney Morning Herald that, from kindergarten to Year 12, private education in Sydney can cost $250,000, it is unsurprising that many children who attend these schools come from double income families who have the resources to fund the fees. However, due to the realities of working life and its restrictions, it can be difficult for parents to organise adequate supervision for their children from when school normally ends at around 3:30pm until the end of their working day and when the students can be collected.

The afternoon supervision offered by schools is a solution that better suits the scheduling requirements of many parents. Although schools often charge a fee for care after school hours, it can be a more cost-effective and safe option for parents if they wish for their children to be supervised until they finish work. As a result, most of the schools discussed in the article reported growth in participation in these programs,

After school programs

These programs can provide a range of services, based on the length of time that the student is kept at school. Most schools will offer supervised study sessions, during which the children are able to complete their homework before going home for the day. Other packages can include afternoon tea and evening meals for the students and the opportunity to have a shower and change before leaving school. Schools have reported that these programs can improve a student’s routine, as they have the majority of their work completed before going home and can then relax and rest.

Better supervision: good news for schools?

It is well-established that during school hours, schools have a duty to provide adequate supervision to students. Schools often provide limited supervision immediately after school as students are leaving, and keep records to note which students remain at school due to extracurricular activities. However, there is a broader obligation for schools to ensure the safety of students whilst on schools grounds, sourced from workplace health and safety obligations and their common law duty of care. This duty is not time-limited, and so schools could be liable for accidents that occur outside of school hours.

Given the work obligations of parents, it is possible that they will be unable to collect their children immediately after school, and may ask their child to remain on school grounds until they are collected. This could be in a library or elsewhere on campus. This creates difficulties for schools if there are students remaining behind after hours without any clear record of who they are, where they are located and when they will be collected. This confusion and uncertainty could create large problems for the schools if any incident were to occur.

By having a clear list or ‘register’ of which students will remain on campus and their predicted leaving times, the school is able to organise adequate supervision and ensure that in the event of an emergency, there are clear records of which students are on school premises. An organised after school program is not only helpful for parents, but also allows schools to discharge their duty of care towards students that remain on school grounds.