‘We’re Birthing Children To Be Raised By Others’: Psychologist Challenges Longer School Hours In Powerful Post
In a powerful social media post, psychologist Nicholas Briffa urged society to discuss other topics to improve the lives of families rather than the extension of school opening times.
Briffa spoke out after a study by professors Anna Borg and Liberato Camilleri, endorsed by PL MP Edward Zammit Lewis, recommended extending school opening hours and shortening the length of summer holidays to ease pressure off their parents and help them balance work life with family life.
However, the psychologist said that discussions on improving the lives of parents should focus elsewhere.
“The reality is that nowadays we are bringing children into the world so that they can be raised by others in the name of the economy,” he said.
“We bring them into the world for the economy and, after a few months, we must return to work for the sake of the economy. And to top it off, we’re now proposing longer school hours in the name of the economy.”
“I would rather we start discussions, like other societies have, about property affordability, the right size of an apartment to raise a family in, how we can work fewer hours, how we shouldn’t have to work part-time jobs to keep up with costs, how we can spend more time with our children, how we can have similar maternity and paternity leave and other topics.”
“This is major neoliberalism and capitalism which states that the economy, and not people, are the centre of society. The economy is there to serve people and not the other way around.”
Do you agree with the proposal for longer school hours?
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