Non faith school re-arranging events because of eid

[reikizen]

My daughter's primary school is a large multicultural one, but is not a faith school. They sent a letter tonight saying the year 6 leavers assembly has been rearranged to accommodate children who may be kept off school for eid. This means I can't now go as I have to request my shifts at work well in advance and did so on the information the school originally gave. I am really cross and feel like contacting the school as I can't understand why the personal preferences of a certain group of parents should trump all other considerations. I know of at least 3 other year 6 parents who can't attend the new date, and my daughter will be very upset when I tell her. Would you complain?

[Theycallmemellowjello]

Er no obviously that's fine. They should have realised before but obviously a holiday affecting a large portion of the year group is more important than one person's arrangements.

[Theycallmemellowjello]

And clearly it's more important all the children attend than parents! Can't actually beleive you think it's more important you attend than the children.

[DamsonInDistress]

Yes I would, I'd be extremely upset. But you should play the angle of lack of notice and of rearrangement after many parents may have already made special arrangements. Dwelling on the reason for the change (religious festival) should be avoided at all costs.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

It is a shame but I suppose the school have worked on trying to have the date when most children and parents CAN be at the event. It would have been a lot better had the school thought of this in advance. I would inform the school that you need more notice and that in future they need to organise their dates in advance.

[RustyBear]

I'm not sure why the school didn't realise this might be a problem when they were setting the date but when it comes down to it, it's better for some of the parents to miss the leavers' assembly than some of the children.

[ConferencePear]

I think you could reasonably complain about the change of date. If it's a multicultural school they should have known about Eid.

[SuburbanRhonda]

Yes, I would complain.

It's not about the fact that it's been rearranged to accommodate a religious festival. It's that parents may have made arrangements to enable them to attend.

I would email the HT and explain the situation as you have here. Normally I would say speak to the class teacher but this is a very busy term, especially for Yr 6, and it may not get passed to the right person in time.

It's possible though that they would prefer to have all the children there than all the parents. Not saying that's right.

[SurelyNotEh]

The lack of notice is the issue, not the reason for it. It's not like Eid crept up on us, the school should have planned in advance FFS.

[cleanmachine]

What would be the point of the assembly if the majority of the actual leavers were not present? ? Yabu.

[BertrandRussell]

Better parents miss out than children. Daft of them not to have realized though.


Surely you could rearrange- you've got a month.

[AndNowItsSeven]

What does kept of school for eid mean?

[AuntieStella]

Yes, it's shoddy.

Although the exact date of Eid can vary a little, the time it is likely to fall is known well in advance and if the school wishes to avoid a clash (a good position to take) they should have dealt with this when setting the diary.

Late changes are always disruptive.

[SuburbanRhonda]

mrsterry

Unless there are other siblings there won't be an "in the future"!

[chocolateyay]

Do they do a Christmas party? I assume they do, so even though its non Dom, they will give a nod to the major religions main celebrations/events.

[AndNowItsSeven]

To clarify I know what eid is just unsure why children would need to be kept of school?

[overmydeadbody]

That must be very frustrating.

A school's priority are to the children, not the parents though.

Of course it is good that they re-arranged so that all children can attend, whether or not parents can attend is not as an important consideration for a school. It is a shame that these children would be kept off for Eid though, in an ideal world that wouldn't happen.

Ask your work if it is possible to rearrange, assembly doesn't take long, would that be an option.

[BertrandRussell]

A month isn't really short notice, though, is it?

[overmydeadbody]

The school are unlikely to change it again because of complaints from parents.

[overmydeadbody]

Andnowit'sseven if you lived in a country that didn't celebrate Christmas would you send your kids to school on that day or keep them off to celebrate? It's the same thing.

[AndNowItsSeven]

It wasn't a criticism , I just didn't think days of for religious festivals were authorised.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

AndNow
If you lived in a non-Christian country and were a Christian would you send your children to school on Christmas Day, if it was a school day?

Eid is a major religious and family celebration so people do keep their children at home.

[AndNowItsSeven]

Off!

[BertrandRussell]

If you lived in a country that didn't celebrate Christmas, presumably you would keep your children off school on Christmas Day?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Well they should have known about eid by now surely?
I'd be annoyed at the sudden change of date too if it meant I couldn't re arrange work again.

[Theycallmemellowjello]

Yes schools can authorise absences for religious festivals.