To not want my child litter-picking during school time?

[WhistlingNun]

I probably am being a bit U and precious about this, but right now i'm feeling like i'm in the right. i'm sure you lot will sort that out though...

One class in the school is chosen each week (and two children from that class are chosen for the week) to stay in the yard 10 minutes after the lunch bell and help the janitor pick up rubbish. One of the children get a litter picker while the other gets a bin bag.

My 5yo dd was one of the lucky two today. She came running out at hometime all excited about how she got to use the litter picker upper thingy. One of the mums beside me overheard and laughed saying it was her son's turn last month. i was confused (hadn't heard of it before) so the mum explained the class a week (as i've explained above) etc.

I just don't really like the idea of my dd missing out on class time (albeit ten minutes) to assist with something that the lovely janitor is being paid to do. The children don't get rewarded or anything. After it's done, they're sent back to class again.

When i was at school, we only had to help with the litterpicking if caught littering.

I'm sure if a child is set against it and refuses, the teacher would just pick another child. So i don't know why I'm feeling like this since DD enjoyed it. And i make her do small chores at home (tidy up toys etc).

So... AIBU? Would you be happy about this? She's got to do it all week!

[HeadfirstForHalos]

Primary 1 or 7, the first few minutes after lunch they won't be learning the meaning of life, the universe and everything. You are over reacting, big time.

Asking if she can miss it went she has a SALT session isn't unreasonable, but don't kick up a fuss about it in general, not unless you want to be labelled "that parent".

[HeadfirstForHalos]

*when, not went.

[OrangeClub]

My son's school did this last year. Only it was litter picking in the drug den park next door to the school. The place is constantly littered with needles, broken glass, used tampons/condoms. The school said that the council would do a risk assessment beforehand but to be honest I was not keen on the idea and he didn't do it. It was the risk of needles that bothered me more than anything else. Irrational? Possibly but I felt better that he didn't do it. He was six at the time by the way.

I told the school that if he was being expected to litter pick on school grounds then this would not be a problem at all. It teaches him not to chuck his rubbish all over the place when he is out and about.

[PatriciaHolm]

Let me get this straight...

One class per week, for what 36 weeks a year? Assuming one class per year group (so seven classes?), then each class will have a turn some 5 times in the year. 2 children per go, assuming different kids each time, so 10 kids per year per class. Over the 7 years, 70 kids, so each child will have to do it twice, some three times. So in their seven years of primary, each child will "lose" 50 mins of education twice, some three times.

You don't genuinely think this is going to have an adverse effect on their education, do you?!!

[LynetteScavo]

Nope, never had a letter home about my DC being late, or being ill too often. And that's 3 DC and a total of 19 years at school combined.

[abitcoldupnorth]

Really truly YABU. She is five. You have 13 years of ever-increasing extra-curricular stuff that you may or may not think useful to her development. Don't get your knickers in a knot over 10 minutes of litter-picking.

[Meglet]

We used to take it in turns to do Wombling .

[Sirzy]

The difference is it is one child and they know who that is and when they are coming in. There is always going to be times when children are coming in and out of the classroom for various reasons but that is controlled by the school. Therefore it is very different to parents who can't get their child to school on time.

[HawthornLantern]

Whistling, What leaps out at me is your anxiety about your daughter (not that you think she shouldn't be asked to pick up litter). I think the fact that you are upset about the 10 minute gaps from lessons - which might not bother a lot of people - shows how much you are anxious about her. I think the answer isn't to crack down on the litter patrol or to move it into the lunch breaks - but to find out whether there is more you can do to work with the school to help your daughter. The thing is - your anxiety isn't going to go away with the litter - so the litter isn't the real issue here.

[TuftyFinch]

WHETE DOES THE LITTER COME FROM IN A SCHOOL PLAYGROUND AT INFANT/JUNIOR SCHOOL???

I'm not really shouting but i keep asking and keep not being told.

[strumpetpumpkin]

are you against children taking the register to the office too?

[strumpetpumpkin]

we did wombling too :D

[wigglesrock]

TuftyFinch In my daughters school the litter comes from the kids emptying out their coat pockets, dropping tissues, having birthday invitations envelopes dropped and the odd apple core. They can finish bits of their lunch outside if they need to. Its not a lot per child but it is if you add all the crap up from P1-P7.

[Proudnscary]

Good God

[Cherriesarelovely]

Yabu. Things like this are great for teaching kids to care for their environment and to make them aware of the litter that is being dropped around the school. 10 mins occassionally is nothing.

[starfishmummy]

If litter picking is supposed to make the children realise they have a responsibility for their environment (and therefore not drop litter) then it isn't working, because if it was there would be no litter to pick up.

[TuftyFinch]

Thanks wigglesock

[wigglesrock]

S'alright - I could sense your frustration growing

[hazeyjane]

Ooh, Tufty, can I shout too!?

MISSING SPECIALLY SCHEDULED SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY IS DIFFERENT TO JUST MISSING 10 MINS OF LESSON TIME!

The litterpicking at dd's school is done all around the school, so there will be bits that people have dropped on the walkway up to school, bits that have blown into the playground, random Haribo packets that have dropped out of kids pockets and copious amounts of unidentified fluff.

[stella1w]

Yanbu given the fuss that schools make about lateness and every minute counting. Playgrond monitors should ensure people who drop the litter pick it up.

[borisjohnsonshair]

She's 5! WTF do you think is so important that she's missing? Get a grip.

[maddening]

Yabu it's a very easy life lesson.