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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

MN Rules for Schools.

112 replies

eofa1 · 28/11/2013 10:25

So. From what can be gathered from recent Mumsnet threads, the A-Z of school priorities should be:
a) Not give out Star of the Week awards in case your child doesn’t win.
b) Not not give out Star of the Week awards because your child deserves to win.
c) Not go on school trips because somebody might get cold or you might forget to provide them with a drink and then dig about for ways to attack the legality of the trip.
d) Not do school trips targeted at particular groups of students in case your child isn’t one of them.
e) Not not do school trips because otherwise your child isn’t getting enough opportunities.
f) Never exclude a violent child (especially your child).
g) Always exclude a child that is violent towards your child.
h) Never do any sort of school production in case your child doesn’t get exactly the part they want.
i) Don’t not do a school production otherwise parents and children will be disappointed.
j) Never, ever tell a child off in case they find it “humiliating”.
k) If you do tell a child off, make sure you do it in full isolation from any other human beings (because of the “humiliation”).
l) Always tell a child off if they have been mean to your child.
m) Provide entertainment for your child if you’re late to pick them up, because you only do that a couple of times a term.
n) Never do lessons that have any distressing content unless you have arranged with all your spare staff members to individually supervise any child that decides they don’t want to participate.
o) Don’t force your child to eat their lunch.
p) Make sure your child eats their lunch.
q) Use your psychic powers to detect when a child is upset, even if they don’t tell you anything about it.
r) Stop other children being mean to your child.
s) Don’t stop your child from being mean to other children, because it’s just part of his/her quirky and adorable personality.
t) Stick carefully to health and safety rules.
u) Don’t stick to health and safety rules if they’ve been broken by your child, because they never behave in a way that could be dangerous to themselves or others.
v) Make specific children play with your child.
w) Don’t make your child play with specific children.
x) Don’t expect your child to sit anywhere near disruptive children.
y) If your child is disruptive, make sure the school accepts full blame.
z) Allow your child to follow only the bits of the uniform rules they think are sensible.

And finally, if you work in a school, don't EVER complain about your job because everybody knows it's dead easy and you only did it for the long holidays anyway.

OP posts:
echt · 28/11/2013 10:28

In the spirit of MN I will respond without reading the whole OP's post.

The last sentence is spot on, and should be a sticky.

Lcbirdy · 28/11/2013 10:34

Haha!

CogitoErgoSometimes · 28/11/2013 10:37

You forgot... 'Don't give out attendance awards because your child has a poor attendance record'

capsium · 28/11/2013 10:38

If you don't like your job do something else...

Moaning is never good.

Theas18 · 28/11/2013 10:40

I've read the whole post ( shock horror!) and yup, that's it exactly!

eofa1 · 28/11/2013 10:40

I think it is possible for people to very much enjoy their job in a school overall, but occasionally feel annoyed by some aspects of it...

OP posts:
eofa1 · 28/11/2013 10:41

Haha yes. Forgot the attendance awards one, and that's featured in a few threads now... Am sure there are many more that could have been included!

OP posts:
TheLostPelvicFloorOfPoosh · 28/11/2013 10:44

Maybe you're in the wrong job.

RubyGoat · 28/11/2013 10:45

Haha! spot on. I'm dreading when DD is old enough to start school, it sounds like a minefield...

capsium · 28/11/2013 10:49

I think it is possible for people to very much enjoy their job in a school overall, but occasionally feel annoyed by some aspects of it...

Such is life everybody feels like this occasionally. Secret is not to dwell on it.

HesterShaw · 28/11/2013 10:50

YANBU.

You have it to a tee.

:o

capsium · 28/11/2013 10:51

Would you prefer things to be easy? What would be the challenge?

Extremewife · 28/11/2013 10:52
  1. Don't moan about being fined for taking your child out during school time
  2. Moan about the achievment of pupils and link it to the poor attendance statistics
ClutchingPearls · 28/11/2013 10:58

Lock out all children that arrive late, allowing them in will disrupt your child's learning.

Allow flexible start time, only start the class when your child arrives.

OrlandoWoolf · 28/11/2013 11:05

I don't think you've mentioned homework.

Lots of rules about homework. And reading books. Spellings.

knowledgeispowerr · 28/11/2013 11:10

You forgot worship the teachers because they can do no wrong.

2madboys · 28/11/2013 11:12

Can I just add (and I don't think IABU) - if you're organising a school production, make sure that there are enough tickets for parents of all the children in the show!!!!!! Angry

HesterShaw · 28/11/2013 11:17

Oooh, some very defensive posts appearing from some of "those" patents.

How do you know the OP is a teacher? She never said she was a teacher.

noblegiraffe · 28/11/2013 11:17

Have teachers who are well-trained in education and the latest initiatives who deliver well-planned lessons and mark work effectively.

Don't allow teachers to have time out of class for planning or training. Use of cover/supply teachers is unacceptable.

Bellebois · 28/11/2013 11:17

Baha ha ha!
I have worked in schools for over 20 years, but only had my child in my school for the last 2- she is now in reception. I have to wear the 'teacher' and 'mummy' hat which can be tricky, esp in a small community like ours where we have one pub on a Friday night...
Now I find myself even questioning her poor teacher, and it is very hard to keep even and neutral about things when you know inside information about children and families, at times.

These sorts of concerns that you have managed to collect have been around for years.
It is just in the last 10 or so, people have thought that it is ok to question "The School" about them. Previously the kids just got on with it, so did the teachers. I am all for accountability though and there are definitely some crap teachers about so my best advice if you have a problem with "The School"?

Pick your battles.Smile

Sallyingforth · 28/11/2013 11:21

Make sure that no-one encourages paedophiles by taking videos of the school nativity play (unless my James is playing Joseph - I'll need his pictures for my Facebook)

Gileswithachainsaw · 28/11/2013 11:22

You forgot - to make sure every child is taken for his/her wee/nap/snack/ at 10:17 on the dot then moan that the TA was left in charge if the children.

And never bring an animal Into school in case the parent hasn't warned their child there may be a different species beside humans in the world that day :o

eofa1 · 28/11/2013 11:33

Ooooh, some excellent additions.

And quite right, I haven't said I'm a teacher. I think you'll find there are plenty of parents who don't like the sort of attitude (lightheartedly) highlighted on the part of other parents. But if I was a teacher, I find it odd that people would immediately accuse me of being in the wrong job because I might find some parental attitudes obstructive and much more practically damaging than "those" parents would like to acknowledge. And let me be clear; I'm absolutely not saying that all teachers should be "worshipped". What an odd, unpleasant idea. Or that parents should never question what is happening in a school. Or that there aren't some rubbish teachers. But what I've said obviously strikes a chord with a number of people, teachers and non teachers. It is an issue.

OP posts:
Heartbrokenmum73 · 28/11/2013 12:21

How about the fact that all primary teachers should have a degree in every subject they teach apparently?

They should all be degree-level in a foreign language, full-blown scientists, Turner-prize winning artists/art critics, professional psychologists and hold a Masters in maths. Otherwise they're just not up to the job.

Or, accept that they've studied hard at University (maybe not in Teacher Training for 4 years) for 3 or 4 years, spent time in schools learning how to teach and are probably still training and studying.

A minority of teachers are crap, like in every job. We can all tell stories
about crap teachers we had ourselves or that our DC/DGC have had. The majority, though, work hard to provide our dc with an education. And I'm grateful, especially as I know I could never HE!

And as the daughter of an ex-teacher, I can say it's not easy, the holidays aren't usually 'holidays' (apart from the middle section of the summer break) and the hours aren't 9-3.

eofa1 · 28/11/2013 13:23

And I expect the teachers are grateful right back at you, heartbroken :).

OP posts: