To think that it is the job of the lunchtime supervisors to clean the lunch hall, not year 6 pupils?

[tulpe]

DS came home from school today telling me that there has been a new rule implemented for lunchtimes. Apparently, each week two year 6 pupils will sweep and clean the floor of the hall at the end of lunchtime. Poor DS was almost sick after being one of the 2 chosen for this week.

I find it appalling actually, tbh. Not because I think "oh precious DS shouldn't be clearing up" but because it is hardly fair to expect 2 children to clean up after 100 children have eaten.

AIBU to think that this is a job for the lunchtime supervisors and not two 10/11 year old children?

AIBU to tell the headmistress that DS will not be doing this job this week nor for the remainder of his time in the school?

My dd is on year 6. She loves helping out.
I assume he's sweeping the floor not licking up the food

If there are only 12 children in Y6, I presume the other year gropups are similarly small and therefore maybe 80 or so children to clean up after? That doesn't sound too bad - it's not like our local schools with 450 - 800! And if they have those mahooosive brushes, it wouldn't take more than 5 -10mins to sweep the hall.

Perhaps they need to do something more about collective responsibility - maybe the Y6's being monitors at each table, ensuring that not too much food gets dropped / wasted so that they don't have too much to clear up?

Why was he nearly sick?! I can't see why a few bits of partially eaten sandwich would have that effect, at all. And it can't be "smells" because food dropped that lunchtime wouldn't be smelling yet. What are they serving? Is this a case for Jamie Oliver?

Tulpe, even though I broadly agree with your objections, I wouldn't have told the HT ds wasn't doing it as don't think it's very good for dc to learn that all he has to do is complain and mum gets him out of it. Personally, would have told him in an encouraging way to suck it up, even if it wasn't a very nice chore.

And then established with the HT what exactly it involved. As he's in a class of 8, how often is he going to be cleaning, what kind of cleaning (ie just pushing around a brush?) and more importantly how long for - if for 10mins ok, but all lunchtime, all week 5 or 6 times a year, then no.

We had this system at my primary school in the 1980s.
I think it would be 3 yr 5 at a time and we would sweep the floors and put away the chairs and tables every day for a week (I can't remember if we also had to wipe the tables).

It wasn't nice, none of us liked doing it - it did actually make me heave too, all the horrible food on the floor. But there you go, everyone in the school would end up having to do it at some point, and it didn't actually take that long really.
One week's slightly curtailed playtime once a term - I don't think it had a massive (or indeed, any) effect on us.

I think fair enough to raise it with the head if you don't agree with the policy - but I don't agree with you saying that your son should be withdrawn from having to do it in the meantime. I don't think that gives a very good message to your son, or the other children in his class - who presumably will have to carry on doing it.

I agree with many others, YABU

Does you ds know you've talked to the head? because that, imo, is sending a pretty poor message and horribly undermining the school. You're telling him that whenever he's asked to do something he doesn't really like, Mummy will come and sort those idiots out for him.

Totally agree Jenai

yabu
and I feel a little bit sorry for your ds as I can't imagine his classmates will be happy at him for not mucking in.

My dc's school do this.
There is a rota for all the juniors (yr 3 - 6) to help clear tables, tidy away chairs and sweep the floor.
It works out that once a week, they have a job to do. I think it's a brilliant idea, as all the juniors now encourage the infants to be tidier when they have lunch.
I think our school has a reward system as well, so if the job is done well consistently, extra playtime can be earned for the whole school.

I went to boarding school. At the age of eleven we had to:

clear up after meals (wash up, dry, put away, wipe tables worktops etc.

make our own beds

wash our own underwear.

Children have no personal responsibility these days and the reason for that is parents like the op who feel that cleaning is beneath them.

actually that's a good point wannabe - I was at a boarding school (small numbers though - about 30 of us at the time).

The youngest boarders were 10, and they were expected to wash up dry, put away, clean tables etc etc- on a rota basis along with the older ones

I don't think it's an unresonable thing for kids to be asked to do, and I think you talking to the head was a an overreaction

Sweeping up a floor won't kill him, does he help out at all at home?

it's not about being beneath them, more about being allowed to have playtime with all the others (imo).

boaring school is different surely as you're there all the time.

If my ds had to do this, he would have to take his turn once every 6 weeks. Don't think using 10 minutes of playtime to sweep up once every 6 weeks is going to hurt anyone!

"more about being allowed to have playtime with all the others"

I doubt it takes all their playtime away - and if it does they'll soon learn to do it quicker.

And are lunchtime clubs ok?

YABU. It's a fantastic idea. We used to do staff washing up at primary school and felt very important! Most kids will enjoy it. They have eaten the food after all. No doubt the (poorly paid) kitchen staff will still have to do plenty. Also it might get rid of the horrible attitude towards cleaning staff that i have seen in some teenagers.

In our school Yr 6 pupils were in turn playground mentors, librarians, reading helpers...all of which I totally approved of. I don't see a problem with asking them to take responsiblities with any task that is within their capabilities.

yep, we cleaned the tables after lunch, had to pick up litter on a rota basis, were playground monitors, heard the little ones read. Didn't have to clean the toilets tho... (that was just at home!)

YABU, sorry!

This wouldn't bother me at all. Too many people have a sense of being above cleaning up after themselves and think it is acceptable to leave a mess behind for someone else to clear up.

Perhaps this has been implemented because the children were making excessive mess and need to take some responsibility for themselves. In my school, the year sixes are messier than the reception children.

We had to pick up litter in break/lunchtimes at my primary school too - bare handed, without gloves! My goodness however did we survive to adulthood touching the nasty germy crisp packets with out hands!

A bit of lunchtime sweeping won't do a child any harm - everyone should pitch in and do their turn.

YABU. It's good for children to have some reponsibility. I expect the clemers will finsh off the cleaning after the pupils have left.

I agree with all those who think this is a good thing, and teaches responsibility and a sense of community.

I would much rather lunchtime assistants were used to actually talk to children, and see to their needs, than spend half an hour sweeping the hall, when a group of kids could be doing that.

If they are on a rota, you are probably only taling about one 15 min session every half term or so.

My dd's school did this when the kids were in year 5 and 6. It was fine.

I think the OP is misguided in her response to this. If my daughter came home and said she had to sweep up the hall, it made her feel sick, my response would be a pretty no-nonsense 'oh well, there you go'. NOT to go to the head and complain about somethiong so trivial.

OOh i used to LOVE litter picking duty.

We used the litter pickers to pinch the arses of good looking boys.

I think you are being precious OP.