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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is my occupation relevant to Ds education?

102 replies

chocolateandcoffee · 13/03/2012 10:15

I got my Ds enrolment forms for primary school yesterday.

One for the questions was Mothers and Fathers occupations

Tbh I don't see the relevance of this question and I think it pangs strongly of my school days when doctors and solicitors children were treated as superior beings.

Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of what I do as is Dh. We have both worked hard to get were we are.

Aibu to Leave this space blank on the form, I am not going to voice my concerns to the school as I believe in picking my battles. Dh says to put down our occupations, I think it's none of there business and has no relevance to my Ds care or education. So who is right?

OP posts:

GravyAndALumpyMashBaby · 13/03/2012 10:18

I don't think it's relevant. But will the school take issue with it if you leave it blank? I'm only sayng because in the most popular school in our area they don't even accept forms that are not fully completed. Or has he already been offered the space?

imnotmymum · 13/03/2012 10:19

Why on earth would they want that information I would leave blank also.

squeakytoy · 13/03/2012 10:21

I cannot really see any relevance at all. People do not have the same job for life. You could be a nurse one week, and work in Tesco the next...

Original poster

chocolateandcoffee · 13/03/2012 10:21

He already has a place. Its a very small country school with great results. He automatically has a place because of the catchment area.

OP posts:

CogitoErgoSometimes · 13/03/2012 10:23

I've had various school forms to complete down the years. If I don't want to share the information, I don't include it on the form. Once I was asked what language DS spoke at home and thought it came under the heading of 'none of your business'.

GravyAndALumpyMashBaby · 13/03/2012 10:24

Well if you're not risking anything just leave it blank. I honestly can't think of any reason they need to know.

OlympicEater · 13/03/2012 10:24

Not relevant at all to your child's education, other than possibly if you were in the armed forces, where Head's are encouraged to look favourably on term time holidays because of leave time.

catgirl1976 · 13/03/2012 10:24

Did he speak "sailor language" cog? :)

throckenholt · 13/03/2012 10:25

It was always on the forms - I remember in the early 80s struggling do decide what to say my dad's job was - he changed jobs quite often, and usually had more than one.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 13/03/2012 10:25

Sailor?

GinPalace · 13/03/2012 10:26

Maybe it is just for their demographic analysis so they can report to whatever interested parties and say their diversity policy is working. For their benefit and not yours, so no loss if you leave it blank. :)

PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn · 13/03/2012 10:26

It's probably to spot children who may move on a lot, or who possibly miss a lot of school - traveller children or armed forces children spring to mind. And for the interminable government statistics they seem to like nowadays.

Moomoomie · 13/03/2012 10:28

Children no longer automatically get a place in catchment school these days.

catgirl1976 · 13/03/2012 10:29

Ah sorry - it's from the sweary thread where we are requested to stop using "sailor language" :) have been intrigued by this mysterious tongue ever since i read it......

SydSaid · 13/03/2012 10:30

When I enrolled my eldest in school, the form asked for fathers occupation but not mothers. I filled in most of the form and scrawled over that bit that it was sexist tripe and I refused to complete it.

A few days later I got a letter of apology, saying it was a mistake, with a new form that included mothers occupation, asking me to complete that one instead. I didn't. I was quite happy for them to retain the original form.

I agree, I don't see how it is relevant at all.

ViviPru · 13/03/2012 10:30

CogitoErgoSometimes Tue 13-Mar-12 10:25:50
Sailor?

Fucking Sailor, you mean.

senua · 13/03/2012 10:31

I was going to say what GinPalace said but she said it quicker than me. I tend to be vague in my replies eg 'administration' could either mean I work half a day a week doing filing or it could mean that I am Head of the Civil Service.

Ephiny · 13/03/2012 10:31

If you leave it blank, they may assume you have no occupation. That may not bother you of course!

I'd be curious about why they wanted to know though!

angelpantser · 13/03/2012 10:31

I'm sure the admissions experts on here can tell you for sure, but it is my understanding that schools should not ask for parent's occupations on an admissions form as this may be seen to give preference to pupils on the basis of what their parents do for a living.

Most likely they are using a form that has been in existence for some time. I believe there was new guidance for schools issued 5 or 6 years ago on what they could include on their admissions forms.

SydSaid · 13/03/2012 10:32

Moomoomie, while that may be true where you are, it is not the case everywhere.

PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn · 13/03/2012 10:32

Did you know useless fact for the day the Venus was a real ship, and was hijacked by the first european women to ever live in New Zealand - they and some of the sailors mutinied because the captain was, well, a bugger, and stole the ship, and even though none of them knew how to navigate, they made it to NZ.

mummytime · 13/03/2012 10:32

It might be because they will try and rope you in to help when they are doing something relevant to your occupation. Eg. A local surgeon goes and dissects a pigs heart with year 6. At DCs seniors, they get all kinds of parents to go in and do practise interviews with year 10s. Nursery Nurses etc. are in demand for child care classes, and so on. (Actually, plumbers, carpenters and gardeners are really in demand.)

jeee · 13/03/2012 10:32

I completely agree it's irrelevant, but would probably fill in the form because I wouldn't want to start off on the wrong foot with the school (coward that I am).

And home visits - they may not be meant to ensure teachers classify children as 'naice' - but they sure as hell have that effect. My son suggested that DD4 should be playing Call of Duty when the teachers came round .

Sarcalogos · 13/03/2012 10:33

They ask for a few reasons

1.demographic/diversity research
2.if you have an interesting job you might be of some use in coming in to share your expertise/give an assembly (eg, police officers-safety, vets-animal care, fitness instructor-PE workshop).
3.if you are unemployed you may be entitled to free school meals or other grants that you may not be aware of and this is a non-confrontational way of them finding out if they can offer assistance (or at least whether it might be worth opening up a more in depth discussion).

If you don't want them to know leave it blank it's not essential to your child's education

GetGone · 13/03/2012 10:33

Our school asks so that the PTA can collar you if you do something that they need or have skills you can use to help them. The school also likes to invite parents in to talk about their jobs.

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