kids cleaning at school

[pixiepotter]

DD is 8 and at a small primary school which has about 50 odd pupils and 3 classes.The school does not have a hall, so 2 classrooms are used for eating in.
Now I am not precious about DD and , yes I am happy for her to clean up after herself and to take on responsibilities, but I am not happy to see her exploited.
They have a system whereby pupils have to clean the classroom after lunch has finished.They wipe down tables,wipe chairs and brush the floor.The R, Y1 Y2 and Y3 eat in DDs classroom so you can imagine it is sometimes pretty messy and she says it sometimes takes the whole lunchbreak to get it cleaned up.She has been on cleaning duty for 3 weeks this half term even though there are 15 in her class (1 person can't clean for heralth reasons and others are not on the rota because they can't be trusted to work unsupervised)There are only 3 girls in her class and it seems they have to do it a lot more often because they are sensible and do it properly.
I don't mind them taking a token responsibility, but surely their lunchtime is for playing -yet she is spending nearly 1 in 2 cleaning and surely somewhere a member of staff is being paid to do what the children are actually doing.
Oh and they have given her and her friend who also has to clean all teh time the stupifd titles of head of class which I think is a way of manipulating them intodoing so much cleaning!

YANBU I would be furious if my DC was regularly missing Lunchtime to clean. Lunchtime is essential for the children not only to eat and relax but to practice socialising and let of steam. I would take this to the Governers if the Head isn't willing to sort this out.
Especially when it sounds like its mostly being left to the girls. FFS.

I would be telling the school my DC will no longer be doing this and it is time they employed cleaners not child labourers.

I don't think there's anything wrong with getting children to clean, they won't fall apart and it's good for them to learn that magical pixies don't swoop in at the end of every day to tidy their mess for them.

However, if it's just three girls that are doing all this cleaning, yanbu. You either involve the whole class or none at all. Has your DD said anything to the teacher, given any indication she'd much rather be outside playing when it's her turn?

They have probably cut back on lunchtime supervisors to the bare minimum - so there will be no one who can clean the class - we had this at our school - either the teacher cleans up, the pupils do, or the kids sit in lunch debris...

There are probably only 2 supervisors for that many pupils - both start indoors - then as the kids finish (after say 10 have finished eating) one goes outside - the other watches those eating, then goes outdoors after the last one finishes to help with the numbers now outside....

There is no money for mid day staff as there is no minimum staff to pupil ratio (other than "keep safety in mind") due to the anachronism of kids being allowed to go home for lunch. So unless you can get parents to volunteer to go in and clean at lunchtime you are stuck with the "system" - but I would complain about the heavy loading onto girls and your daughter in particular - though not in "exploitation" terms - just in the "fairness" for all terms...

you need to call the school and ask why she is missing lunchtime why it is just particular children doing it yabu though there is nothing wrong in children helping clean up but the way it sounds it isn't a fair system, these 3 girls should only be doing it a few times a year not all the time , get onto the school or maybe your dd is offering to do it ?

No way would I allow this. I'm not precious either but as previous poster said lunch time is about interacting with other kids not cleaning! Have a word with them

I think this is terrible. Once a term, fair enough, but in a bigger school this wouldn't happen. Children would only be expected to clear up after themselves.

You might want to find out the story from the teacher's side, though, before you go in all guns blazing. From bitter experience a child's "always" can sometimes mean "twice".

I would want to question why it's girls doing this, by the way- don't they involve boys?

I wouldn't care about them cleaning. But t should be every child - except one for health reasons. The 3 well behaved girsl are effectively being punished for being well behaved.

All very well if it's shared equally amongst the class and everyone works together but it's not in for your dd to constantly miss lunch break play time. Completely unfair to put it all on three kids merely because they are the only ones who can be trusted.

You might want to find out the story from the teacher's side, though, before you go in all guns blazing. From bitter experience a child's "always" can sometimes mean "twice".

Aye this is what I was thinking sometimes children do like to add a bit to their stories dd2 was really good at this in primary I did march up one day I ended up going away with my tail between my legs

You may also find that the girls have actually volunteered to do the cleaning to get out of something else, e.g. going out to play when they'd rather stay inside. We used to do that all the time. But if my parents had questioned me, I would no doubt have presented it as the teacher's decision.

I don't see the problem with the children cleaning after themselves but it's disgusting that the pupils who can't be trusted get a play time whereas those who can be get cleaning duty. Talk to the head and make it clear that until it's on a rota that all students participate in, your child will not be cleaning.

I'd also be tempted to speak to the parents of the other children who are cleaning through their lunches this regularly.

Yes our primary school had 'lunch time monitors' as the children had to eat in the classrooms and the adult supervisors needed to go outside when the majority of the class had finished their lunch and gone out. Most of the tables would be empty by then and wiped by the adult before she left the room.

The children monitors were meant to be on a rota - but there were a group of girls every year who would literally beg to be the ones left inside (in the warm away from the football and general chaos in the playground) to watch the last few slow eaters and carpet sweep. My DD was one of them! I think it made them feel important and special to have the responsibility.

I agree though that it should be that every able bodied child gets a go at the cleaning.

They wipe down tables,wipe chairs and brush the floor.The R, Y1 Y2 and Y3 eat in DDs classroom so you can imagine it is sometimes pretty messy and she says it sometimes takes the whole lunchbreak to get it cleaned up

I went to a small village primary - even smaller than your DDs - and we also used two classrooms for eating lunch. At the start of lunch break the whole class moved around desks and set the tables for lunch and at the end of lunch break the whole class cleared away and put the classroom back in order before going out to play.

I am talking about a "proper" school dinner here with gravy, custad etc and I don't ever recall the classroom being in that much of a mess. I think it is time even the very youngest of those children were told to eat tidily and clear up after themselves if they make a mess.

I'd go in and make it clear that you don't feel this is acceptable. Lunchtimes can be a real struggle in schools, and it's not helped by the fact that head teachers are so focused on results and OFSTED inspections that lunch time is pretty much the bottom of their list of priorities.

The lunchtime staff in my school have been complaining of similar issues for ages, and until parents notice and complain as well, nothing will be done.

No issue with children helping clean and tidy after themselves but needs to be whole class regardless of behaviour.

Shouldn't take that long though.

I would check what's definitely happening first though. Often we have children volunteering and then taking ages over it just because they can. However if they described it to a parent it could sound more like what you are describing.

It doesn't begin with a B does it because this has been raised as concern

Yanbu it should be everyone and not just the girls