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?

OP you remind me of my MIL. She has followed BIL around all his life bailing him out of everything he doesn't want to do. He now lives at home with his parents (he's 32) and has been unemployed for years as he walked out of his last job as he felt "picked on" (was told to do stuff he didn't fancy doing) and mummy dearest couldn't bail him out of that one. We all have to do things we don't want to sometimes , and sweeping the floor is hardly a breach of the Geneva convention is it.

ROFL GetOrf

I had one group in my class on their hands and knees on the carpet today picking up every speck of paper and mess from the floor, with another group using the dustpans and brushes to clean up mud that had been trailed into the classroom, the third group wiping down tables and the rest tidying up. It is their classroom and they need to treat it carefully and with respect and clear up after themselves. ( and yes, we have yr 6's wiping tables and sweeping floors at lunchtime) The school is our community and we are ALL responsible for looking after it

I have seen teenagers dropping rubbish on the floor and explaining their actions with, "I'm giving the cleaners something to do."

Where do attitudes like that come from, I wonder? This is a normal secondary school, by the way, not a finishing school for pampered princeses

It really wouldn't bother me if DD had to man a broom for 5 minutes at the end of lunch every so often to help keep their own school clean and tidy.

They are simply being given a bit of responsibility.

I personally think you are being precious.

As for "poor DS was almost sick" - hinestly? If so, he probably needs to be doing this kind of thing a bit more regularly to get hi ready for future life!

We have job squad where I work. Part of it is litter picking. The children - and this is INFANTS (so Y1/Y2) - get rubber gloves, black bin bags and litter grabber things and they go litter picking at lunch time. We have a waiting list of childrn wanting to do it!

The allergy argument seems weak to me- surely, adults have allergies as well as children, and most people, either adult or children, do not have allergies which would render them incapable of a little hall clearing?

As for "this is not a job for children"- what is a job for children? Cooking? Doing experiments with bunsen burners and toxic chemicals? Using sewing machines? They will be doing all these things by next year, in secondary school. And no, the chemistry teacher will not give them a choice; he'll tell them to get on with it.

Wow, better not send him to Japan then!

www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070318/26pitchin.htm

And actually souji time was pretty fun!

I wonder if the difference was that we all did it at the same time though?

To answer SEA's question about what OFSTED would think - at our last inspection the inspecting team ate lunch in the hall and chatted to the children clearing up afterwards, and the school was rated outstanding for the well being and safeguarding of the children, so it seems unlikely that they had any concerns about it...

OFSTED would most likely look upion it favourabley - seeing children involved in looking after their school environment.

I can't help wondering if the lunch time supervisors are being overbearing about the sweeping up. It would surely be fun unless the adults involved were making it into a miserable chore and making the children feel threatened and therefore nauseous.

I remember feeling the same way aged 10 about working the dishwasher at school (slightly ridiculous in hindsight) but it was fun if the people you were with were fun.

Many of the pupils love sweeping and helping clean up teh dining hall in my school.

I'm sure there'll be plenty of volunteers to help keep their school environment tidy and clean.

There is no obligation for them to do it, they volunteer.

DS's school let them do "scrpings" in Y2. Thye would scrape the lft over food off other childrens plates into a bucket.

It was voluntary, and the kids were very keen to volunteer.

It wouldn't bother me if my DC swept up in Y6. Materingteh use of a broom is a highly underated skill.

this is often a tricky one-kitchen staff are to do the kitchen, LO's should be with the children-it's often the caretaker who does this between-two-stools job.
i would be incandescent if my DD was made to sweep a lunch hall-this isn't why I send her to school and she should be outside playing at playtimes.Unless she was part of a food fight or something where it would be an appropriate punishment I would be down that school PDQ. would they expect the teacher's to do it?

Incandescent? Really?

I have seen teachers, headteachers, deputies clean tables and help mop up spills, yes.

nitsparty - I have seen many a teacher, TA and other teaching/school staff help out at times. I used to help at DD's school and the girls ways took turs to clear their tables and wipethem down, as did the teachers. It wasn';t just expected of the girls, it was just an automatic response that they all participated in this. It takes less than 5 minutes of a playtime. Teachers and teching.school staff are also resonsible, generally, for keeping their own staff rooms clean and tidy too. So IME teachers are expeted to help clean their working environment.

IMO part of a school's job should be preparing children for later life; surely part of their later life will to take on responsibilities for caring for their working/living environments. Therefore the school are doing their job.

I would thoroughly approve if my DD was given this task at school. If there is a rota, it is hardly going to impact significantly on playtime over the course of the school year.

nitsparty - I send my child to school in the hope that she learns, among many other things, about the consequences of her actions, mucking in, respect for her surroundings and for other people.

I wouldn't have a problem with it-I expect that most of them enjoy it-all those big brushes!

Pixie, firstly you are an adult and secondly you are paid to do perform that role, have been trained to do so and I cannot imagine you touched bodily fluids without the correct protective clothing either.

Trained to clean up vomit? No!

I wouldn't mind if my DC had to do it, and frankly I'd like to see it in the secondary school where I teach.

Well I used to be a lunch time supervisor, and we had a rota system for the year six children to help clear the dining hall.

Firstly it won't be a wheeze by the LTS's - they don't make those sort of decisions.

IME, most of the children were quite happy with the arrangement, they liked using the big brushes, and it did teach a bit of responsibility, and one or two skills.

They didn't miss very much playtime, and most got on with it fairly cheerfully, one or two moaned but maybe having to get on with things you don't particularly relish is a learning experience too.

We never got the children to clear up really messy stuff (we were always in the hall doing by far the majority of the clearing up). They basically wiped tables and swept the floor after the gooey bits had been wiped up by us. I always made a point of thanking the children and praising their - efforts, some children enjoy having responsibility for certain tasks, and take pride in doing a job well.