The same child got all the jobs AGAIN

[Year5ClassJobs]

Children are Year 5, 3 classes per year.

Each class has 1 boy and 1 girl in school council, 1 boy and 1 girl on the eco-council then Year 5 have 1 boy and 1 girl per house (3 houses) as Deputy House Captains, and Year 6 have 1 boy and 1 girl per house as House Captains (usually the ones who where DHCs in Year 5).

It’s supposed to be that you are only allowed 1 job per year, you can’t be on both councils or be on a council and be a House Captain.

Except the last 2 years the same girl has been on both councils for the class, and this year she’s been voted again and also given Deputy House Captain. There was literally no point in my DD standing up to do the speeches for each as when this girl stood up to do hers DD knew she’d get all the jobs again, and she did – shes the same team as my DD so DD had no chance.

It just seems wholely unfair. There’s no logic behind it, she’s a popular girl among the class but she’s not related to a teacher or anything so I don’t get it. Usually the HT is very fair and ensures each child only gets 1 job per year but this child seems to get round that rule.

I’m all for boosting the confidence of DC who need it, but it just seems unfair for this girl to stand up and get all the jobs when others have never had a chance.

I’m not going to complain, I did a few years ago when she was given School Council and Eco-Council and was told by the HT that she always ensures each child only gets 1 job and that all the Year 5s and 6s have equal chance of getting DHT or HC. And that any child who put themselves forward for any job that didn't get a job will be given a big part in the Year 6 end of school show.

Why does this happen though? Why is this one child allowed 3 jobs when 2 other DC who’ve never had a chance could do it?

It is just possible that there is something going on in the life of this child which means the Head Teacher has decided not to overrule the pupils vote because it will be a benefit to the child. The OP said that in the past the HT has been fair in allocating these roles. So the HT may have a good reason to risk the wrath of the parents by making this decision.

Bearing in mind the UK electorate voted for Brexit, I would actually say yes, they are.

I wonder if things really are still as bad as there were when I was at school in the 1990s? Back then the rules were:

1. The children of loudmouths come first;
2. Naughty children get treats to encourage them;
3. Boys can never be given any responsibility, even the ones who behave.

Some kids get the best jobs, the communities helping make decisions, they get the best roles in the school play and then the certificates for 'helping out the most' and ' etc etc. The kids are sometimes PITA's and the parents asslicks and PTA often.

I wish schools were more random but many teachers have their favourites and they keep selecting them.

When my 2 sons were at secondary the head of house for 3 of the years were teachers sons and daughters!

Guess they were the best candidates and not because they were children of the staff.

Even if it’s decided by a vote, ineligible candidates shouldn’t be on the ballot to begin with.

You want to have gone to my dd old primary school, they made no bones about favouritism, same children every single year, main leads in play, class prefect, child of the year. Always the teachers own children, the kids whose parents were deputy heads etc in other schools. The board of governors kids grandkids were allowed to basically do what they wanted. Honestly, one parent challenged it, they were told if they didn't like it, they could leave. I couldn't have cared less as my child was always in trouble and I knew she was naughty so no way was she getting any lead role in anything!😀

Is this still going on?

I thought they'd have stamped it out by now

I remember at my elder kids school it was always this one girl who got to play Mary in the school play

Her mother and aunt where dinner ladies and kiss arses to the teachers

Joseph was the ds of one teachers sister

When they left,it was commented on that 'it'll be nice to give other kids a chance this year'
Roll on the christmas-'mary' was the younger sister of the older one and Joseph was the ds of another arse kisser to the teachers

It's wrong-shove names in a hat and choose from there

It may be meaningless to us,but as a kid who's face has never fitted its heartbreaking to know that the kid who did get the job,is only chosen because of favoritism/who has a 'high up parent'

(I may be still sore over the fact that in the 5 years I did primary,I wasn't even in the damn plays for 3 of them and the 2 i was,i had a non part and wasnt even visible on stage,while the nasty bitchy bullies where mary/an angel/lead speaker/the inn keeper every year-their mummies where either loud bullies the teachers where scared of or arse kissers)

At our school, the children have a secret ballot, to avoid pressure from "friends" to vote the same way as them.; but inevitably the children know who the sensible, capable ones are , and vote accordingly. Not all children choose to put themselves forward , either.

As for those complaining about school plays etc.... children are asked to put themselves forward, because some of them just do not want to be front and centre! So you usually end up with the confident ones every time. It's more than our lives are worth to put any of the staff's children in the limelight every single time! But, they have just as much right as any other child in their class to put themselves forward. Are you honestly of the opinion that a child, whose parent is staff, should never get chosen for anything?

This is definitely a thing. I removed when mine were in primary school that the same girls name would be mentioned in the newsletter. The name was distinctive and the girl was several years older than by DCs so I had no skin in the game. But it was really obvious when they name kept appearing for every award going.

I expect it's a case of staff perceiving someone capable and exceeding when they are awarded, so that name springs to mind the next time an achievement is given out..

Sounds ridiculous frankly

I meant 'remembered' not removed.

Every single year my dds old school, throughout the year , always teachers kid, receptionists kid, grandkids of board of governors, always the same all the time, it got to be a running joke.

Talk to the teacher/HT. totally unfair.

But if they have more than 1 job surely that’s your argument? No-one is given more than 1 job except this child?

Unfortunately, it always has been and always will be. The 'popular' kids always get the plum jobs. I challenged one once, she didn't believe anyone had favoured her. As the outsider, I can tell you they did.

Oh yes and the class dojo king and Queen was rotated around 6 kids every five weeks. 😂. One teachers dd who was chosen for everything and who I even thought was an angel, told children of different backgrounds that they couldn't play with her and her friends as they weren't as good as them. This was the one that was picked as school counsellor!! Spiteful little mare.

There was a golden child in my daughter's class. She looked like an angel, long blond hair, very pretty. She was the most popular girl in the class and good at everything. It drove me mad that from reception to year 5 she was picked to do everything! In every play and show she had the main part, sang solos etc. I mean she was great but I felt the other kids never had a chance to shine. The year 6 teacher realised this and started making other children the stars of the shows. I really think teachers need to be careful not to display favouritism.

Genuinely laughing at the idea the PTA have such influence. Being on the PTA is a time consuming and thankless task in the main.

None of the parents of any of the kids who always gets those kinds of roles have even been involved in the PTA at my DC's school.

I’d complain . If they are only allowed 1 job then that’s what she gets and the ones that came 2nd get the others , you cannot change the rules for one child . If they just try to brush you off take it further .

My DS was the kind of kid who couldn’t care less about jobs and nobody would have voted for him (not popular at all!) so I’ve seen that side of it. DD on the other hand cares desperately, is popular due to being very friendly and outgoing and is also very very reliable and sensible, and always gets voted and chosen for things. However she doesn’t leave it to chance - if she really wants something she is very proactive, hands up all the time, finding jobs to do to show she’s a good choice, tailors a speech to be compelling…it’s quite something to watch. She leans RIGHT into the competition. And it pays off. I’m not a pushy parent with teachers at all, I work full time and she’s in kids club so I don’t even see them from one month to the next. I am a teacher myself though so I have no qualms in telling her exactly how kids get chosen for stuff.

I’m a child of teachers so always instinctively feel sorry for them as having a parent at school is quite shit. That said I am so over a senior teachers Dd and her two friends getting on every single desirable school trip whilst my own Dd has never been once been on a good school residential 🙄

At our school, the children have a secret ballot, to avoid pressure from "friends" to vote the same way as them.; but inevitably the children know who the sensible, capable ones are , and vote accordingly.

Hmm. They've always been a secret ballot here and always been a popular vote rather than anything else.
There was always some form where one child refused to do a poster or stand up and say why they would be good at the job (what they were asked to do) and was voted on. It was never a child for whom the responsibility would be good or needed extra encouragement either, and typically they didn't even bother attending the meetings (at lunch times) after the first as they said they were boring.
I think the most ridiculous one was when they had a vote on a dressing up day for the best costume. Lots of children (and it was the children in a lot of cases) had put a lot of effort and the prize winner was invited up to explain her costume. Her reply "I didn't bother with a costume, I just wanted to wear this".

Child isn't the child of PTA member or Governors (CofE VA BoG is all church personelle - we have a very small PTA like 3 people).

I don't think a complaint will get anywhere.

Its just unfair that my DD really wanted a job for the first time ever and didn't get one and this one girl got 3!