Watching TV at school

[ChannelHap]

DS started in reception in September. He doesn't tell us much about what he does there except when he's been watching TV and it seems to be a lot! Go jetters, toy story, finding nemo...

Is it normal? Obviously I'm 40 so 'in my days' there was no TV watching at school except as a teenager and only on the last day of the school year!

Even when I started school in 1982 they had a TV! In colour!

Mainly we were allowed to watch it on the last day of term or special events/documentaries. No idea how often they watch them nowadays though? Why don't you ask the teacher?

Its been very wet recently. Very normal to watch TV at wet break/lunchtime.

This generation of teachers have got used to sticking the tv on and calling it a lesson. It is disappointing yes. Some schools only do it at wet play but others use it daily during lesson time because teachers are exhausted and under resourced. Do not be afraid to raise it with the school at parents evening etc, it should at least be educational not go jetters.

"This generation of teachers have got used to sticking the tv on and calling it a lesson."
Er, what evidence do you have for this assertion?

I’m 41 and we definitely has to time in infants.

I used to put the TV on for wet play and at the end of the day dismissing kids, so I could talk to parents and keep them calm on the carpet waiting their turn to be called.

*TV

When Foster son was in Year 1 they saw the numberjacks each week and he used to have nightmares about them. He'd wake up screaming a number 7 was chasing him. I had to ask if he could not watch it.

Wet play. My dc's school has shown films on rainy days when they can't go outside to play.
And I think watching films are good for children.

I'm a teacher and we use those programmes for wet play, so unfortunately more at this time of the year. In lessons, depending on the year group, I have used Numberblocks, Newsround and BBC bitesize content.

Unfortunately, it is right that school staff are using the television as a short break, often if they need to go to the toilet, get a drink, manage a child(ren) to regulate, clear up a bodily fluid accident etc etc. There can be millions of reasons why, but I assure you that no teacher puts the television unless desperate.

I started primary school in 1978.,we definitly had a tv in school a great big thing on wheels that was wheeled out to watch things like the way we used to live ,and probably some kids proogrammes occasionally.

We have some TV but only where it's relevant, or during part of a wet play.

So numberblocks is actually built into the mastery scheme we use, so the children see an episode or two of that. So about 5-10 minutes a week.

Some other parts may be used - the 'let's celebrate' CBeebies series if there is a particular celebration we are learning about in RE, some of the History or Science clips (not necessarily a whole episode, usually shorter clips), a really old series of Magic Grandad in History in year 2, etc.

Wet play at lunch will sometimes include the lunchtime assistants putting on a CBeebies programme.

Films tend to only be for a 'treat' day - so once or twice a year.

Oh and I'm 49 and we definitely had a TV at school.
I re her it being rolled out on a trolley.
There were schools programmes we watched in English, History, etc. That was primary.

When I pick my daughter up they're usually watching TV, I think reception aged kids are just so knackered by 3pm they need to have half an hour of down time. It's usually educational though - number blocks or something - not films.

They might put on a film at break or lunchtime if it's wet outside. A bit of a shame because "wet play" was the best when I was a kid. We got to play with toys in the classroom, they had knex and multilink that we just had free play or could do drawing. Watching TV instead of free play seems a bit of a shame.

We used to watch TV when I was at primary school (I'm 30) but only a few times a week. Not all day. They managed to teach us phonics without a telly or interactive whiteboard, but now those technologies are essential.

I didn't want to ask the teacher and be 'that parent' but it does seem excessive to me. I wouldn't mind at all the educational programs mentioned by PPs but entire films seems a bit much.

DS also mentioned that at break time he can choose whether to go outside or have a go on the ipad which seems so bad to me! He's very outdoorsy but we don't have an ipad at home so the novelty probably means he'll choose the screen everytime...

Oh and yes he's started waking at night having nightmares about what he's seen on TV (he's a sensitive little soul!) So a bit annoying.

At nursery school and reception my dc was watching things at school that I wouldn't have chosen for him to watch at home.
I think many grown-ups just don't notice how much violence and inappropriate language an average kids' movie has.

Dc had nightmares about the white tiger in Pets that was cruelly treated. And they also watched Sonic 2 at school and there's so much 'stupid' and 'what the heck/ what the fff" and "piece of shiit(ake mushroom)"... Things that kids would be in trouble if they repeated.

Most films are rated 6+ for a reason - not nursery and reception aged.
But of course many kids are already into all these movies before they go to school so I guess teachers are not seeing harm in it.

Oh fuck off, I'm so tired about the shit people say about teachers

Same...

There was definitely TV watching at school 'in your day', OP. My biggest memory of being 6 was the 'TV room' where we watched You and Me.

I really do not think this is true. The current school curriculum is absolutely jam packed with a crazy amount of stuff that teachers have to fit in. In my school it is nigh on impossible to fit the expected curriculum into the school day. Sometimes children are allowed to watch TV shows during we lunch-times- usually things on I-player on the interactive whiteboard. A film might be shown as a treat on the last day of the year or if it it is part of the class curriculum such as a film adaption of a text they are studying in English etc.

I'm also in my 40s. We used to watch maths in a box and playschool. Later on when you could get videos we watched films such as Pete's Dragon and science shows. Its definately not a new thing.

I'm afraid you can't control everything and it will not be on all the time just wet play. Don't worry so much.

Living and growing, starting out. Def had tv at least once a week late 70s early 80s.