Long long ago, a.k.a. when it used to matter to me, Children's Day in Singapore was celebrated on October 1st. Since 2012, it now falls on the first Friday of October, so the kids and their deserving teachers get a longer weekend. That means it changes every year. I get that it's a small price to pay, since there's a longer break, lesson planning becomes more reliable, and families can go on trips with fewer leave days lost. But I wanted a thing to complain about online, I guess.

It's also a sign that like other things in education, a day specifically set aside for children to be children has to bend to what the adults need. For example, I don't think kids really need to wake up before sunrise for school, just because parents have to drop them off before going to work.

As a thought experiment, what would Singapore look like if school days started at 8.30am, and ended by 3.00pm?