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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:
Heartbrokenmum73 · 28/11/2013 16:32

mummymeister

Do you get sarcasm at all? Tongue in cheek humour?

I think, eofa what your post was missing (for those who don't understand humour unless it's in your face) was a Benny Hill-style cartoon of a busty teacher being chased by an older man. Or maybe a mouse hitting a cat with a frying pan.

Then we'd all 'see' the humour Grin

HesterShaw · 28/11/2013 16:35

Mummymeister, I was a teacher for several years and now I'm self employed so I have experienced both. Being a teacher was much harder mainly because of the reasons outlined so well by the op, despite my relative poverty now.

I thought the op was very funny and was obviously light hearted.I think it sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder. Both in fact. Sorry.

eofa1 · 28/11/2013 16:35

Haha lesson learned!

OP posts:
eofa1 · 28/11/2013 16:36

Sorry, that was to heartbroken.

OP posts:
eofa1 · 28/11/2013 16:37

Thanks Hester!

OP posts:
Arabesque1 · 28/11/2013 16:39

It's always amazing how, on the most lighthearted or innocuous threads, someone will come along griping and trying to weigh it down with sour remarks Sad.

BlackBorderBin · 28/11/2013 16:42

Back to the OP - can all the children be in the top set please, and the same book band and this be spot on for everyone.

AmIthatTinselly · 28/11/2013 16:42

OP what a great post. It made me laugh, I didn't for one minute think it was a serious moan.

I'm sure I can think of plenty more Grin

Heartbrokenmum73 · 28/11/2013 16:45

Everyone agreeing with OP must be a teacher (including OP, obvs).

Everyone else is overworked and underpaid.

I'm sorry, OP, but orf with your head for a) not expressing your lightheartedness (is that even a word?) clearly enough and b) daring to sympathise with scumbag teachers.

AlbertGiordino · 28/11/2013 16:48

Again Mummymeister, you have assumed that I think you sit on your arse and do fuck all for lots of money. I don't think that, you probably work quite hard.

I said teaching was more difficult than sitting in an office bashing a few keys for £25k a year - which it is. A glib remark, granted, similar to the assertions that teachers do a 9-3 and have 15 weeks holdiay a year.

For balance, then, teaching is also less difficult than say killing people (enlisted military) or running into burning buildings (firefighter) for similar money.

AmIthatTinselly · 28/11/2013 16:50

A) don't stick to health & safety law because it's all bureaucratic nonsense and stifles learning
B) little Timmy tripped over his feet and I want £3,000 and to see your risk assessment for walking
C) don't allow parking outside the school as it makes it hard for the children to cross the road safely
D) do allow parking outside the school, because little Timmy might get wet or his legs might fall off if he has to walk more than 10 metres

capsium · 28/11/2013 16:52

It was not just innocent humour though, it was loaded. The message being, "Oh horrible parents for expecting the impossible!"

I suspect this was to counter other threads where eofa felt teachers were getting slated...for being expected to act with the professionalism the job demands...

AlbertGiordino · 28/11/2013 16:53

My child is a genius, he just doesn't do well in exams, or tests - there should be more coursework.

Coursework is the easy option, kids these days dont know the meaning of the word pressure. My boy does amazing in all his tests.

eofa1 · 28/11/2013 16:53

Those ones definitely need to go on the list.

And I know, heartbroken. I will do some sort of penance for my egregious wrongdoing, I promise. Maybe read a MN immigration thread or something.

OP posts:
Heartbrokenmum73 · 28/11/2013 16:53

It was still humour though - which most people have managed to pick up on.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 28/11/2013 16:55

eofa

Christ, stay off the immigration threads! I've made a deal with myself today to not comment on them anymore - wonder how long I'll last?

There's a rather marvellous thread about a postman I can highly recommend though...

capsium · 28/11/2013 16:56

Rolls eyes.....

Gileswithachainsaw · 28/11/2013 16:57

:o heartbroken

AlbertGiordino · 28/11/2013 16:57

its humour similar to that "Thomas Cook Customer Complaints" thread a few days/weeks ago.

That one didnt get anyone's back up re: travel agents (wankers all of them....)

(that was a joke btw

eofa1 · 28/11/2013 16:58

You have to keep commenting on them! Whenever I read them the lonely voices of reason are the only thing that keeps me from utter despair!

Read the OP in the postman thread and assumed it was a wind-up, but having re-examined it actually seems to be real...

OP posts:
TheOriginalSteamingNit · 28/11/2013 16:59

Sounds about right!
Also, without being annoying or telling you how to parent, if your child has been sent in an outfit he has every right to feel comfortable in, but is unhappy or being teased, they should ring home and ask you to come in with an alternative. But without offending you, somehow.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 28/11/2013 17:01

They're really not good for my rage.

I start to lose the ability to reason and just start to feel all shouty and sweary - I just want to call racists...well, racist. and cunts

Then I get deleted and achieve nothing

Millenniumbug1 · 28/11/2013 17:02

Love it eofa!
Did you mention good work certificates/stickers: to give or not to give, that is the question; newsletters too often/not often enough; parents evening running late/not spending a full hour talking about my child!
Perhaps we should all band together & open a Mumsnet Academy!!Grin

FastWindow · 28/11/2013 17:03

Give reception kids homework to prepare them for what lies ahead.

Don't give kids any homework at all because it interferes with their home life.

eofa1 · 28/11/2013 17:05

Oh! that is a fabulous idea. I think I could get over my academy objections for that one :).

And heartbroken, it drives me INSANE when somebody calls a racist a racist and then somebody else pops up and moans about how unfair it is that racists can't be racist without somebody calling them racist. GRRRR.

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