School refusing to provide translator

The school’s responsibility to the children involves engaging with the parents so as to communicate about things, whether it’s homework or PE kit, or investigating additional needs, or discipline issues. For obvious reasons, expecting the child to interpret for patents, even if it’s possible, isn’t always practical or appropriate. Not engaging with these parents risks disadvantaging their children.

Yes in most cases, after a year, the child can translate

I may be in the minority here but this feels uncomfortable to me. It doesn’t feel very inclusive. It’s not quite as black and white as ‘if I moved to another country I’d learn the language’ is it? Has anyone from school consulted with parents who don’t speak English and tried to understand the barriers to learning? Surely the school need to understand this better before coming up with a one size fits all solution. Maybe the lessons offered don’t fit with parents work patterns? Maybe they come from a culture where education is viewed differently and parents don’t understand the statutory/enforcement element? Do school understand much about the culture the families come from? Are there any staff who speak different languages. I know the area I live in recruit TAs/pastoral staff who speak other languages that are common in the school. Often they are parents with kids in the school themselves.

Thing is, saying ‘I wouldn’t dream of moving to another country without learning the language’ seems very reductive. You don’t actually know what you’d do if the situation was reversed and you had an opportunity for a better/safer life for your family. Classroom learning doesn’t work for a lot of people. Particularly if it’s not something they’re used or is not culturally relevant to them.

She had to pay for them

My mum emigrated to France and didn’t get free French lessons

Hi, I guess I'm going to have to go ? again at that rosy picture.

We put our native English speaking children through the whole of the French state system (from maternelle right through to tertiary education).

Certainly during their time in the system there was never any offer or entitlement where we lived to the sort services or lessons you described, either for them or us..and yes we did ask and also did our own research and found nothing.

If such really is now a universal entitlement across the whole of France I'd appreciate a link to a suitable source, just to satisfy my curiosity.

Yes it's advisable they learn English once they arrive but as others have said it's not always easy.

But what makes you think it’s the schools responsibility?

Correct move stop pandering to them

Totally reasonable. School funds can be much better spent. The adults of the family spend the rest of their lives in a society which uses English - and after a year they should gave made the effort to learn. If they haven’t then Google translate IS a translator, just an electronic one. Bravo Head.

It's easy to say "if you decide to move to another country, you need to learn the language." And of course if I decided to move to say Spain of course I'd learn Spanish first. But it's not always that simple. Many come over as refugees and asylum seekers, because of civil war, disaster, etc. They come over without anything in fear for their lives but they're expected to learn English first? Get a grip! Yes it's advisable they learn English once they arrive but as others have said it's not always easy.

It's the right call. How on earth can you live here for 5 years and not speak English? Shocking.

I have a parent who speaks English as a second language, who is also deaf, but I don't understand your point? The two really aren't comparable.

Why would it?

Jfc 🙄

You don't have a choice to be deaf.

I wonder if this would also include parent who are deaf? 🤨

We should prohibit forced and arranged and cousin marriages

Not sure how we'd do that, unless we stop recognising other forms of marriage which have taken place outside the UK?

As with the admittedly different subject of FGM, we can try to prevent it happening here, but can't really do much if folk take their daughters elsewhere for whatever-it-is

It's ridiculous that the head won't even allow letters that already exist to be sent out after a year. Petty and clearly ideological. I'm with you, OP. I think it's awful and it's the kids that will suffer.

Yes you have to be careful with nail bars and also car valeting places.

@ASCCM I hope you realise your privilege to think that that’s a choice people just get to make.

Most of these parents haven’t just fancied a change and can’t be arsed to learn English 🤦‍♀️

Yes, and they still are. They're just better at covering it up now.

Most nail bars I’ve used recently have had more men working there than women and one I used last summer the young woman (Vietnamese parents) owned the salon and lived in Home Counties.

Having read your updates YANBU. This is being done for ideological reasons rather than money saving.

They could have a policy of "we'll translate for the first year, and then after that we can't guarantee translation but will offer it when there's no extra cost involved."

Yes absolutely, they are a problem, not countrywide but in some parts of the country. https://www.jamhoor.org/read/you-are-not-welcome-here-race-and-hostility-in-britains-fast-fashion-industry Places like nail bars also use a lot of trafficked labour.

IDK but weren't there some issues with sweat shops in Leicester during lockdown?