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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think dd's teacher may as well have went on strike really

21 replies

MrsRhettButler · 01/07/2011 09:58

ok, dd's school: the junior teachers went on strike, the nursery teachers went on strike, the infant teachers..... No strike.

Ok, I thought, fine.

They had big posters up saying 'PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILD ATTENDS SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, THE INFANT SCHOOL TEACHERS WILL NOT BE STRIKING AND IF YOUR CHILD DOES NOT ATTEND YADA YADA YADA'

On picking dd up from school I asked her (as I do every day) what she had learned. She told me she hadn't learnt anything, they'd played all day Hmm

I said 'what, no read write ink?' she said no, I said 'no maths?' she said 'no, we had all the playgrounds to ourselves though' Grin

Aibu in thinking that they may as well have went on strike? Or if they didn't want to then they should have at least been teaching?

I just think she could have stayed home and played, especially as they made such a big deal out of them coming in and not missing out on education.

OP posts:
NearlySpring · 01/07/2011 10:16

Yabu to say "no read write ink" to a child, what a strange thing to say.

Why did they just play games? Perhaps they mixed all the classes so save turning away children who's teachers were striking. Bet your dd had a great day, one day's missed learninj won't hurt them!

bumpybecky · 01/07/2011 10:18

I bet she did more than that really. My dc have all been a bit reluctant to tell me what they've done at school. In year 1 the standard answer has been that they've been playing games or just sitting around. There's always loads of written work to look at at parents' evening though!

throckenholt · 01/07/2011 10:23

it may have been that the infant teachers were not in the union and therefore couldn't go on strike.

She must have done something all day - and mine when asked would only ever talk about playtime and lunchtime - rarely told what they had done in the classroom. I have no idea why - maybe they didn't register what they did in the classroom !

cat64 · 01/07/2011 10:32

This reply has been deleted

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SydSaid · 01/07/2011 10:34

In scotland we had less teachers on strike, so our school was fully open.
It was the last day of term yesterday. Before now they always had a half day for the last day. Councillors or someone decided that it was a daft idea, because the kids did nothing for the half-day so it was pointless, so the school would not close on a full day.

The result being - the kids did nothing for the full day. What a stroke of genius Hmm

noblegiraffe · 01/07/2011 10:59

If they went on strike they would lose a day's pay. To strike is not a decision merely taken on a whim.

itisnearlysummer · 01/07/2011 12:48

Well with all the fuss made by parents about finding/funding childcare for the day, perhaps they felt they were doing the parents a bit of a favour!

If they open the school to the children they need to ensure high attendance for Ofsted purposes (as discussed at great length on another thread recently) otherwise it reflects very badly on them.

Sometimes schools will go 'off timetable' for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps the infant teachers felt that with the juniors out it seemed inappropriate to do 'formal learning' with the little infants. They'd probably planned some fun stuff which the children perceived as just playing when in fact they were learning.

FWIW, children aren't left to just play all day in school. It doesn't take long for it to break down and for squabbles to start!

I wouldn't worry too much, it was just one day and it sounds like she really enjoyed herself.

worraliberty · 01/07/2011 12:53

Children learn through play.

Most Infant children think they've learnt nothing because they've spent the day 'playing' but in actual fact, the day will have been structured and they learn quite a lot.

fedupofnamechanging · 01/07/2011 12:55

I think it's a positive sign if children are having so much fun at school that they describe their days activities as 'playing'. Infant classes do a lot of learning through 'play'.

Also, I have often asked my DC what they did during the day, to be met with the answer 'nothing'. Then hours later,when they feel like talking about school, they mention what they've been doing and it is never 'nothing'.

HengshanRoad · 01/07/2011 12:56

It sounds like your teacher went on strike. "May as well have went"?

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 01/07/2011 13:00

well said heng

throckenholt · 01/07/2011 13:00

I read "may as well went" as scottish dialect - they often use went rather than gone.

harassedandherbug · 01/07/2011 13:09

If you asked what she did or what she learned then you're asking the wrong questions! Ask any of mine that and you'd get "nothing" or "I can't remember".

Ask dd what was her favourite thing she did, and you get a blow by blow account of her day Grin.

Anyway, a day of play is great fun and does no harm. I was very grateful dd's school was open, whatever she did!

throckenholt · 01/07/2011 13:18

if I ask mine what their favourite bit was they say "um .... all of it". If I ask what the worst bit was they say "dunno". They don't like being put on the spot and being made to give an opinion :)

snice · 01/07/2011 13:23

I used to hear children from a class I worked in telling their parents they had "watched a video" today and the parents had visions of them sitting for 2 hrs watching Cars. In fact they were watching a one episode of a series of ten minute BBC Schools phonics programmes that the class teacher had recorded!

Moral of this is: don't believe what infants tell you

itisnearlysummer · 01/07/2011 15:08

snice absolutely Grin

Chen23 · 01/07/2011 15:36

well according to this Daily Mail head line, teachers strikes can now be blamed for pupil deaths

Girl, 13, crushed to death by a falling branch as she sat on park bench because her teachers were out on strike

what a comic that 'newspaper' is.

Chen23 · 01/07/2011 15:40

Looks like that head line was too much even for Daily Mail readers, it's since been changed to

Girl, 13, crushed to death by a falling branch as she sat on park bench as her teachers were out on strike

and then to

Girl, 13, crushed to death by a falling branch as she sat on park bench on the day her teachers went out on strike

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2010193/Teachers-strike-Sophie-Howard-13-killed-falling-branch-school-closed.html

have a look at the outraged comments......

Original poster
MrsRhettButler · 02/07/2011 01:13

Yes, read write ink is what they call it, not me!

Sorry, I should have said that she usually tells me lots and lots about her day, she's very enthusiastic about learning Grin

I'm not actually annoyed with the teachers I just would have enjoyed a lie in

And of course I'm sure she had a great day :)

Shock at that headline!

OP posts:
cat64 · 03/07/2011 22:39

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ilovesooty · 03/07/2011 22:48

Strike - not strike - teachers are bound to be in the wrong with some people whatever decision they make, Hmm

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