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AIBU?

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Do you think that schools are okay?

429 replies

applejane11 · 08/08/2026 20:36

When I was in school, I remember absolutely hating school. I like learning. What I hated was the constant feeling of being in a prison, having no freedom. Having to sit for 7 hours a day and not speak. Having no say at all in most things. Constantly being controlled. I remember every morning, feeling dread when I woke up to go in.

I now actually work in a school in an admin position. Ive worked in lots of different companies. Now im in a school. I hear the teenagers say the same things all the time. They hate it, they feel like they are in prison, that it is awful, that they feel depressed every day, that all their young life is wasted. I also have to say, I definitely see school teachers abuse their power over the students. Not in a way that you could say is definitely abuse, but just in a way where you can see that they are really loving having power and control over the teenagers.

Do you think that schools are okay the way that they are? Teenagers don't have a lot of say in things or a lot of human rights, so it's adults that need to have the conversation about it.

OP posts:
applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:33

Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:31

LOL you have kids moaning about rules in an establishment their parents have paid for and deliberately chosen.

Hilarious.

Why is it hilarious. It's the system that we all live in. You're acting like you don;t know that there are private and public schools. You wrote that my school is very unusual to have a lot of admin staff.

Yes a lot of the parents pay fees. Many of the students are also here on scholarships. Not all of them come from wealthy families

OP posts:
ZeroMotivationWithTeens · 09/08/2026 00:33

Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:29

Same size.

2 Sci techs
3 finance, hr, cover, behaviour admin
1 receptionist
1 heads PA
1 DT tech
1 exam officer
1 data manager
1 sixth form admin

Departments have nothing

IT staff,
Caretakers/maintenance

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 09/08/2026 00:32

does anyone know why history at gcse level was so focused on ww2 ?

IStillHearTheWaves · 09/08/2026 00:32

I don't recognise that from my own school days at all. There were subjects I disliked but more that I did like. You were expected to be quiet at for an hour at a time. I enjoyed the social aspect too. People's experiences are vastly different.

InOverMyHead84 · 09/08/2026 00:32

Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:31

LOL you have kids moaning about rules in an establishment their parents have paid for and deliberately chosen.

Hilarious.

Quite the web we have here.

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:31

InOverMyHead84 · 09/08/2026 00:27

Playing devils advocate, I work in an Academy school which does seem unusually well staffed. But, admin in every department? Do 3 Science technicians count? (School of 1400........ We need them.)

But, depends on what you mean by department.

Maths, PE, Art, English. No support/admin staff in my school.

Reprographics, well, by definition.......

Edited

I'll just give two examples of admin staff in our school. We have a welfare team. They have two administration staff. We have a college liasion team. They have two admin members

OP posts:
Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:31

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:29

Right well you know that not everyone works in a state school right.

LOL you have kids moaning about rules in an establishment their parents have paid for and deliberately chosen.

Hilarious.

ZeroMotivationWithTeens · 09/08/2026 00:30

InOverMyHead84 · 09/08/2026 00:27

Playing devils advocate, I work in an Academy school which does seem unusually well staffed. But, admin in every department? Do 3 Science technicians count? (School of 1400........ We need them.)

But, depends on what you mean by department.

Maths, PE, Art, English. No support/admin staff in my school.

Reprographics, well, by definition.......

Edited

Perhaps support staff is the correct terminology, but would be suprised if the OP would get this basic definition muddled

boblady · 09/08/2026 00:30

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:28

No. I am not on school holidays. I have a completely different contract to teachers. I work through the summer

But there’s nothing you can really help with at the moment, as everyone else is off enjoying themselves. Give it a rest for a bit.

Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:29

InOverMyHead84 · 09/08/2026 00:27

Playing devils advocate, I work in an Academy school which does seem unusually well staffed. But, admin in every department? Do 3 Science technicians count? (School of 1400........ We need them.)

But, depends on what you mean by department.

Maths, PE, Art, English. No support/admin staff in my school.

Reprographics, well, by definition.......

Edited

Same size.

2 Sci techs
3 finance, hr, cover, behaviour admin
1 receptionist
1 heads PA
1 DT tech
1 exam officer
1 data manager
1 sixth form admin

Departments have nothing

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:29

Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:27

Many state schools, none of which have admin staff for each department, even back in the early 2000s.

Right well you know that not everyone works in a state school right.

OP posts:
applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:28

boblady · 09/08/2026 00:27

@applejane11 aren’t you on school holidays? Why don’t you give yourself a break away from it and deal with it again with your colleagues in September?

This thread is not helping you as we think you’re being ridiculous.

No. I am not on school holidays. I have a completely different contract to teachers. I work through the summer

OP posts:
boblady · 09/08/2026 00:27

@applejane11 aren’t you on school holidays? Why don’t you give yourself a break away from it and deal with it again with your colleagues in September?

This thread is not helping you as we think you’re being ridiculous.

Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:27

Many state schools, none of which have admin staff for each department, even back in the early 2000s.

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 09/08/2026 00:27

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:25

Oo I loved History too.

hitler was overdone thats why i taught my self different aspects eg the russian woodpecker system etc

InOverMyHead84 · 09/08/2026 00:27

Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:25

Nope, average secondary.

Your experience is incredibly unusual.

Playing devils advocate, I work in an Academy school which does seem unusually well staffed. But, admin in every department? Do 3 Science technicians count? (School of 1400........ We need them.)

But, depends on what you mean by department.

Maths, PE, Art, English. No support/admin staff in my school.

Reprographics, well, by definition.......

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:26

Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:25

Nope, average secondary.

Your experience is incredibly unusual.

No it's not. There are multitude of different schools in the country. For example one of us could work in a state school and one of us could work in a private school.
State schools - some are bigger than others , so some have more staff than others.
Then amongst private schools, some are much bigger than others, so have more staff

OP posts:
Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:26

Unless you are confusing admin with pastoral non teaching staff, they would be involved in safeguarding meetings. But they are not attached to departments.

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:25

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 09/08/2026 00:24

Art, then history specifically cold war era espionage and soviet closed cities then ancient history eg egyptions then medical history and forensic science, information tech but mainly so i could do history reseach and print it off, then psychology, never good with maths or english,

Oo I loved History too.

OP posts:
Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:25

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:24

Is it a very small school then?

Nope, average secondary.

Your experience is incredibly unusual.

deepseaargyllfish · 09/08/2026 00:25

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:18

No, the kids in my school are not moaning about uniform.

Edited

What is it they’re complaining about exactly?

MrsOctaviaCharlotteSmythe · 09/08/2026 00:24

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:17

Aw sorry to hear you were bullied. Yes, I loved learning in school too. What subjects did you like?

Art, then history specifically cold war era espionage and soviet closed cities then ancient history eg egyptions then medical history and forensic science, information tech but mainly so i could do history reseach and print it off, then psychology, never good with maths or english,

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:24

Happytaytos · 09/08/2026 00:22

Admin staff in every department.... Are you working in a utopia with funding?! We certainly don't have admin staff in every department.

We barely have 3 admin staff, never mind 3 to be involved in weekly meetings.

Is it a very small school then?

OP posts:
Peacoconut · 09/08/2026 00:23

School can be a very lonely place for some but it’s probably always been that way. I loved being at school, seeing my friends but wasn’t the most academic. My daughter hates school, doesn’t have many friends, was bullied, struggled a lot and also autistic and adhd. In her case there just wasn’t much support for her and it caused a lot of damage, including self harm. Schools just don’t have the resources for that I guess.

applejane11 · 09/08/2026 00:23

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