Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Given detention for lateness on tube strike day

484 replies

Longingdreamer · 09/09/2025 15:18

My child was given a detention today, despite there being a tube strike in London, which has caused travel chaos. They early but were apparently still late: roads are almost at a standstill it seems.

They get very upset by detentions, due to underlying neuro diversity.

Aibu to think that the school shouldn't give these on a strike day for minor lateness?

They usually give them, even if a child is only 1 minute late, but it seems wicked when it is out of their control.

OP posts:
Sodastreamin · 09/09/2025 16:14

Just tell your child to ignore the detention if it’s an after school one. Then call the school and tell them it will not be happening.

BlackSwan · 09/09/2025 16:13

TartanBarmy · 09/09/2025 15:20

It was public knowledge there were tube strikes. Your DC should have left earlier to be at school
on time. School is practice for work. Imagine if surgeons just rolled in late because of a tube strike. Punctuality is important.

Imagine if all the train drivers just didn't show up to work.
Oh wait...

LlynTegid · 09/09/2025 16:12

Sympathy if the school had not made it clear in advance, as employers no doubtless did about attendance at an office (or not).

Flakey99 · 09/09/2025 16:12

I’d tell school that you won’t support such illogical and unjust punishments and that your DS will not be attending a detention for being late during a Tube strike.

SoftPillow · 09/09/2025 16:10

I do think that’s unfair.

For those not familiar with London on a strike day, it isn’t just that the tube isn’t working, it’s that all other forms of transport are so busy they are unusable. Bus stops with 85ppl waiting and the bus is already full, trains packed so you can’t get on, no taxis or Ubers, roads totally gridlocked etc. It isn’t just a case of ‘leave earlier and allow extra time’. In some cases you just can’t get on any form of public transport and so if you can’t walk your journey you can’t make it.

TravelPanic · 09/09/2025 16:08

I can’t stand these petty rules, they give me the rage! What’s the point in punishing a child for something they had no control over? Might as well break rules on purpose if you’re going to get punished for trying your best!

DH just hasn’t gone into work this week due to tube strikes - zero repercussions.

for your DS’ sake I’d just tell him the rules are dumb so he shouldn’t get upset about the detention and just treat it as thinking time.

Silverfoxlady · 09/09/2025 16:08

Write and complain. I would.

LemonMeringueCustardCream · 09/09/2025 16:05

Yanbu. My dcs' school didn't give them if it was beyond the child's control.

outerspacepotato · 09/09/2025 16:02

The school's expectations are unrealistic and out of touch with the reality of getting around via public transport.

There's a strike. It's just unreasonable to expect kids who use public transport to get to school to be on time when transport is chaotic due to the strike.

Sympathy fist bump.

mamagogo1 · 09/09/2025 16:02

Harsh not wicked.

Welcome to the situation in the rest of the country, we don’t have tubes or trams and buses are notoriously unreliable, my bus was 45 minutes late one day last week and failed to come at all another day - it’s a so called on demand service you book the day before. Kids here are late and get detentions because cows are blocking the road!

Deepbluesea1 · 09/09/2025 16:01

viques · 09/09/2025 15:20

Well presumably the teachers had managed to get in on time…….

presumably they had a car?

Albondi · 09/09/2025 16:00

Just3ok · 09/09/2025 15:38

One thing we can be sure of is that there WILL be more to this!

🙄

CalmTheFuckDownMargaret · 09/09/2025 15:56

Your reaction is OTT - it’s harsh but absolutely not evil or wicked or vicious or anything similar. On a planned strike day, I’d expect everyone to allow extra time to get to places so ideally nobody would be late. However, I think a detention is too harsh when there’s travel chaos.

JoeySchoolOfActing · 09/09/2025 15:55

I was travelling yesterday and even if with the best will in the world and setting off extra early, it was v difficult to get to where I was going on time.

Staff and students were held up at my kids' school and I hope they weren't given detention.

YANBU to think that the school should be a bit flexible with the lateness policy on strike days.

Just3ok · 09/09/2025 15:53

Longingdreamer · 09/09/2025 15:40

I never said they are the only child late. Many were late and in detention today, I do not know the number, but the school has confirmed this. Some could walk in and were on time.

Show quote history

Ok so many were put in detention.

Seems wrong given the strike

what is your view of the school this issue aside?

Kaybee50 · 09/09/2025 15:51

I’d be cross about this. My colleagues who work in our London office have been allowed to wfh during strike days. I would email school and let them know how your child left home early but they were late because of something that was beyond the their control. I’m sure there were school staff that were late too.

Just3ok · 09/09/2025 15:49

Longingdreamer · 09/09/2025 15:48

Yes, secondary school. Rule is detention even if 1 minute late, on one occasion. Behaviour generally good, and doing very well academically.

Show quote history

So loads of pupils presumably got detention?

basinbasin · 09/09/2025 15:49

And what is his behaviour is like generally at the school.

And now it's the classic extrapolation 😆

BreakingBroken · 09/09/2025 15:49

Call up and refuse detention/s based on job action. Your child left early and the tardiness was unavoidable end of.
Surgeons are often shifting their schedules. Don’t take public transport in most situations and as adults can call staff and say “I’m going to be 20 minutes late”.

basinbasin · 09/09/2025 15:48

@Longingdreamer just ignore the posters who are bored and want a dig

Blissker · 09/09/2025 15:48

Longingdreamer · 09/09/2025 15:41

I did ask for option 2. The school refused this. I also asked for them to at least try to be fair when giving out detentions, if they were going to insist on them.

Show quote history

Ok, but be wary that if he knows you are fighting this for him you are inadvertently "bigging up" what a terrible thing it is to get a detention.

Commiserate with him, offer him pizza for tea, tell him tales of the punishments you got when you were his age.

Original poster
Longingdreamer · 09/09/2025 15:48

Just3ok · 09/09/2025 15:47

As with most things, the devil is in the details.

out of interest, secondary?

Yes, secondary school. Rule is detention even if 1 minute late, on one occasion. Behaviour generally good, and doing very well academically.

OP posts:
DrinkFeckArseBrick · 09/09/2025 15:48

I also think it's unfair (unless the child can walk and lives close enough).

A lot of work places would be understanding if employees turned up late in these circumstances. Even hospitals. Because if doctors can't get there, it's likely patients can't get there either so it will be quieter

Just3ok · 09/09/2025 15:47

As with most things, the devil is in the details.

out of interest, secondary?

Just3ok · 09/09/2025 15:47

whoopdeedoo · 09/09/2025 15:41

This logic doesn’t necessarily apply - eg in my office, half the people get mainline trains into work and arrive close to the office. Some live close enough to walk. Some cycle. Some will get driven somehow. Children going to school will be the same. OP has said her DS can’t walk the distance..

Show quote history

A London school
there will be hundreds of pupils

If the DS was late and given detention, loads will have done too.

I wonder how late he was. And what is his behaviour is like generally at the school.

Swipe left for the next trending thread