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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not give a fuck about schools?

569 replies

sensuallettuce · 20/04/2012 21:13

AIBU to be totally hacked off with this subject every bloody year.

I don't care that Saffron didn't get into your first choice school even though the local school is varie good she just isn't "suited" to that "environment" all the council estate kids Hmm.

It's such thinly veiled snobbery and competitive parenting at its very worst. Kids should go to the local school end of and if there is a grammar system state educated kids should be permitted to take the entrance exam (not privately educated kids who are trained to pass an exam) and this should be means tested.

I live in one of the most competitive school areas of the country with a massive social divide (Poole in Dorset). Because of this I ended up with all 3 kids at 3 different schools for 3 yrs Hmm.

How can people bang on about the state providing a perfectly good education then spend an extra £50,000 on a house in the "right" area. It's hypocritical snobby bollocks.

Kids will learn if they want to. I do not believe any of them have faired any better or worse due to my non choice of school. They are fulfilling who they are.

They have a loving home and are well balanced grounded kids and they know if I believe they have been "wronged" I am behind them 100%, if they have done "wrong" I am behind the school. I a, supportive of and interested in their education.

We all need to bloody calm down about this seriously Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
sensuallettuce · 20/04/2012 22:50

Moving to a "better" area because you can afford to us "trampling" IMO.

Pay for a private education or get involved like elport says.

OP posts:
fluffypillow · 20/04/2012 22:51

Well, no lettuce, but it's not ok for other kids to 'trample' all over my dc's education either.

My child had a right to be educated at his primary school, yet countless kids seemed to think it was ok to disrupt every single lesson, and the 'Teachers' did nothing to stop them. I'm talking thowing chairs, fist fighting in class, running in and out of class as they pleased.

Frankly, I don't care if they want to fuck up their own chances, but I do care about my kids, and anyone elses kid that are there to learn..so shoot me.

Original poster
sensuallettuce · 20/04/2012 22:52

Lilliput I am talking middle not first.

Lower Parkstone lot are just twats and what makes my blood boil is they send the kids to private primary and then take the grammar exam like wft?

So 800 kids take the exam for 180 places Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
sensuallettuce · 20/04/2012 22:53

Fluffy pillow - what did you do did you write to the board of governors?

OP posts:
Heswall · 20/04/2012 22:53

I think you have to have been to a crap school yourself to truly understand the impact it has. I didn't and was ok, my brother did and is not ok.
We were both council kids, more money around when I went to school than him 9 years later.
But when I went to school being the eldest my parents could be bothered with all the bollocks as people have called it of finding a good school and by the time they got to number 4 they couldn't. He is far far brighter than I am and has 4 GCSE's to his name, currently unemployed. I have 2 degree's, an MBA and a professional career, all because of teaching staff and peers at the "better" school.

fluffypillow · 20/04/2012 22:54

I wouldn't go private even if I won the lottery.

BUT I do have a lovely little state school not too far away, that is brilliant, and perfect for my kids. That is my choice.

elportodelgato · 20/04/2012 22:55

Quite seriously, those of you with issues with your local school, did you consider getting on the board of governors and doing something about it before writing it off? Or do you not consider that to be your responsibility?

K999 · 20/04/2012 22:55

SL when you say moving to a "better" area do you mean more expensive area or an area with better folk? And round here, folk may pay £50k to move so that their kids can't get into the local school. But £50k is not going to privately fund a child through primary and secondary school. The private school nearest me charges £8-12k per year.

Yellowtip · 20/04/2012 22:55

Of course YANBU OP but you are being U in wanting everyone else not to gaf.

I gaf. I certainly don't gaf about my kids being in a school with an exclusively mc profile (possibly because they're not exclusively mc themselves), but I do gaf that they get to a state school which will enable them to do the best they possibly can. Seems R to me.

usualsuspect · 20/04/2012 22:56

The phrase council kids sums up the attitude towards schools on MN

Theres nothing more to say really is there?

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 20/04/2012 22:58

It's so easy to say you wouldn't go private if you found yourself with the money and a school that's in special measures being the only one you get offered a place at. I can't believe any interested parent would not even consider private school in that situation.

fluffypillow · 20/04/2012 22:58

Oh yes lettuce, many many times. Got nowhere. Countless meetings with the head too. No joy. In the end the Head was given promotion Shock, she just disappeared along with the deputy one day without a word, and walked away scot free leaving a huge mess behind her. The school is still in a very bad way 3 years on.

Original poster
sensuallettuce · 20/04/2012 22:58

Who here moaning is or has tried to ve a govener?

OP posts:
usingapseudonym · 20/04/2012 22:58

Grin at sensuallettuce - I SOOOOOOOOo dare you to post the lower parkstone comment on the netmums local board ;) I may well agree with you!

K999 · 20/04/2012 22:59

I'm in Scotland so we dont have governors.

wordfactory · 20/04/2012 23:00

usualsuspect the poster who said council kids was describing herself.

Where I'm from we would say that too!

Original poster
sensuallettuce · 20/04/2012 23:00

I didn't even know there was a local mumsnet board? Grin

Course I would I don't give a shit :)

OP posts:
usualsuspect · 20/04/2012 23:00

Really? whats a council kid then?

K999 · 20/04/2012 23:01

What are "council kids"?? Hmm

usualsuspect · 20/04/2012 23:02

Come on . whats the difference?

wordfactory · 20/04/2012 23:02

Kids living on the estates.

Heswall · 20/04/2012 23:03

A council kid back in the day were kids who lived in council accommodation hth

K999 · 20/04/2012 23:03

Ohhh! I get it! A council kid is a child of a councillor! Doh!!! Silly me.....

GrahamTribe · 20/04/2012 23:03

sensual, when my kids and I were struggling we didn't move to a better area. We couldn't afford to. I worked hard to get my children into a good school and walked 45 minutes there and 45 minutes back again across fields in all weathers to get them there. Had I been able to move I would have done, sure.

wordfactory · 20/04/2012 23:04

I would always describe myself as a council kid.
You've obviously never lived on one in Yorshire or Merseyside!