its not about the education system at all.
its all about money/cost. Break the teachers current contract, teachers strike, government don't have to pay teachers, working parents get pissed off at striking teachers, businesses get pissed off workers taking time off, the newspapers and media have a go at striking teachers, teachers relent and contracts are changed. If kids are in school doing 8-10 hours - the government dont have to pay child care costs. If kids are in school for most daylight hours, single parents, part time working parents, getting benefits to cover the fact they cant work full time hours cos of child care issues, no longer have that excuse. Go and get a full time job, your kid is in full time school, so you work full time. Cant get a full time job in sixth months. Well there's you booted off jobseekers. If you do get a full time job. No need for gov to pay for free school meals, school clothing grants, cos any parent earning 15/16k - the average full time wage - is now above the threshold for the freebies, which probably extends to child tax credit, working tax credit and you can now pay full dib of council tax and on and on.
its everything to do with stop sponging and get on your bike and work.