Mum slams nursery's 'ridiculous' daily schedule for her four-year-old daughter

A mum who was told her daughter was ‘not doing well’ at nursery was left shocked after discovering her gruelling daily schedule.

The parent dropped her daughter, 4, off and asked a member of staff about how she was progressing, only to be told her child was struggling to concentrate in ‘all subjects’.

After becoming concerned by the feedback, the mum found the intense daily schedule her child was expected to follow between 7am and 6.30pm at the £64-a-day nursery in Australia.

The strict regime includes lessons in maths & engineering, history, creative arts, and science & technology from 9am to 12.40pm, with a break for a ‘progressive morning tea’ in between.

Following the morning’s lessons, pupils are given a ‘progressive’ half-hour lunch, meaning there is no strict eating times and children eat when they are hungry.

A period of meditation and rest is held between 1.30-2pm before they learn about ‘news, letters and booklet’ until 3.45pm.

There’s then ‘free discussion time’, a ‘progressive afternoon tea’ and after school care to finish the day.

Posting a picture of the schedule in a Facebook group, the mum-of-two wrote: “Is this what preschoolers are meant to be learning in a long day centre every day in their class? Or is it just me thinking this is really ridiculous?”

“Yesterday as I was dropping off my four year old, I asked the new hired head teacher with a primary education degree how my daughter is going. She kept shaking her head, and said ‘She’s not doing well at all’.

“And I said ‘Oh really? In what ways and in which subjects?’ and the teacher replied ‘In all subjects. She has no concentration in all subjects’. 

“I looked at her schedule and no wonder why my four-year-old has no concentration.”

Other parents were left equally bemused at the demands, as reported by the Daily Mail, with one replying: “This is a bulls*** routine. When do they get to be kids?”

A second wrote: “The teacher has forgotten where she is teaching. This looks like my high school kids’ timetable.”

Another said: “A four-year-old has limited concentration anyway, that’s a harsh routine. I’m all for kids going to school at four to five, but they should be learning to socialise, interact, learn through play and enjoy their early school years.

“This looks ridiculous to me.”