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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be irritated that ds was not allowed to go to his instrument lesson today?

107 replies

SixImpossible · 07/05/2014 18:37

Apparently they had a maths test,and "maths is more important than music". TBH I'm not sure whether those are ds's words or his teacher's. He has one 20minute violin lesson every week, which we pay for. What right do the school have to prevent him attending? The music company will not reimburse or replace missed lessons unless they themselves cancel.

OP posts:
TheHouseatWhoCorner · 07/05/2014 18:40

Is his music lesson during regular school hours? If so, I'm afraid I can see it from both angles.
How old is he?
How important was the test?

LEMmingaround · 07/05/2014 18:41

Well if the music is extra-curricular then yes, it is more important.

5madthings · 07/05/2014 18:41

No the teacher should not have stopped him attending his music lesson! I would be demanding the School pay the cost of the missed lesson!
My boys have music lessons in school time like this, it's offered by/through the school but we pay (not cheap!) and they have never Bern stopped from attending.

TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos · 07/05/2014 18:41

When I was at school, although the lessons were always a Monday, we had to check our allocated time each week as it moved around so we didn't consistently miss the same lesson. I am surprised, if the test was THAT important, that he wasn't gievn notice the week before so he could have changed the time of the lesson. I expect, they won't, but, as he was prevented and the music teacher was there, the school ought to refund the lesson cost. Certainly, it should be raised with the class teacher then, perhaps, the head.

Lottiedoubtie · 07/05/2014 18:42

School organised music lesson?

Test not public exam?

Depends, did the teacher enforce it or did DS not want to miss the test?

The teacher shouldn't prevent him attending, but it'd be reasonable to get DS to do the test at lunchtime, which he may have been trying to avoid...

KatieKaye · 07/05/2014 18:42

Wouldn't it be better to have music lessons outside school hours?

FatalCabbage · 07/05/2014 18:42

Primary school? Is the lesson at the same time every week? Group session or one-to-one?

I'm guessing the class teacher forgot about music lessons and got flustered.

The peripatetic music teachers are often self-employed, aren't they? If they were directly employed by the school I'd ask for a straight refund/raincheck.

LEMmingaround · 07/05/2014 18:43

The maths, not the music. I would be miffed about the money though - i stopped my dd from doing an instrument at school because it took her out of class and i felt that her class work was more important - cost the same for her to have out of school time lessons.

Original poster
SixImpossible · 07/05/2014 18:43

He's in Y2. How important can a test be in Y2?!

The lessons are always during the school day. That's the system.

OP posts:
5madthings · 07/05/2014 18:43

These lessons are offered by the school and often in conjunction with lea they are only offered in School time as the teacher comes to the school and provides lessons all day, more economic I guess.

If the school offer them then they should support,them and stick to the agreement esp when the parents pay!

5madthings · 07/05/2014 18:45

And why is maths more important than music anyway?

ICanSeeTheSun · 07/05/2014 18:46

I think math is more important than music.

English, maths and science is the 3 core subject.

Year 2 will shortly be having national test, so good practise

manchestermummy · 07/05/2014 18:46

I'd be raging. This happened several times when I was at secondary school: I was jolly good at music and ended up doing it at university. If the test was that important he should have been warned so the lesson could be rearranged.

Hulababy · 07/05/2014 18:47

Wonder if it was his Y2 SATs they were doing?

School should have given you notice so that you could have rearranged it, or allowed him to do his test at another time.

manchestermummy · 07/05/2014 18:48

Yes, maths in year 2 is definitely more important than music Hmm

Original poster
SixImpossible · 07/05/2014 18:49

Why the hell should a 7yo have to practice for national tests? Especially tests that will have no bearing on the rest of his education!

OP posts:
UncleT · 07/05/2014 18:49

I agree with 5mad entirely. If they organise it, you pay for it, and in my view music is no less valuable than other subjects (fine, miss it for national exams obviously), then they owe you the cost back for cancellation without notice or good reason m

titchy · 07/05/2014 18:50

Agree he should have been allowed to go, year 2 or higher.

Both mine are at secondary and have a music lesson during class time. It does rotate so they don't miss the same lesson each week, and if there are mocks or important exams (and I do not regard an in class test as that important) then their teacher or the music coordinator rejigs timings but the school is supportive of lessons.

I'd kick up a fuss OP!

5madthings · 07/05/2014 18:50

Ofgs yes they have sats soon which will mean fuck all in a few mths time, pointless waste of time to judge teachers with.

Sorry but you can't say maths is more important than music, having a grasp of basic maths and being able to budget etc yes but I doubt that's what the child was doing.

Op does he have his lesson the same time each week?

My ds's have their music lessons at diff Times each week so they don't miss the same lesson each time.

bigdeal · 07/05/2014 18:50

yabu maths is much more important than learning the violin .

teacher54321 · 07/05/2014 18:51

As music teacher in a primary school,this is the bane of my life! The class teacher should have let him out, if truly impossible I would normally expect the peri to rearrange within the same day (as in go and collect someone out of year 4 at that time) if at all possible.

Hulababy · 07/05/2014 18:52

I would assume it isn't practise, but the actual SATs maybe. Our Y2s are doing SATs this half term.

Although they are not externally assessed and are not reported on, they just form part of the teacher's assessment at the end of the Key Stage.

But if school have organised to do them this day then they should have let you know so that the music lesson could be rearranged.

Perspective21 · 07/05/2014 18:53

This often arises at school at SATs and other secondary testing times. Both my DDs play a different instrument, one primary, one secondary school. IME the music teacher is informed which pupil is being tested at which times, and moves the lesson around the other children being taught at that school that day. It does rely on school valuing music lessons as an important part of education and either speaking to, or letting pupil find the music teacher and explain as soon as they arrive in school.

My children and friends' children have always been accommodated in this way. Mind you, one school has an Arts Mark and music plays a big part in this, so it helps to have an enthusiastic school.

NearTheWindymill · 07/05/2014 18:54

Notice should have been given and the music lesson should have been rearranged. Most peripatetic music teachers in my experience are able to juggle a bit and make alternative arrangements.

Sounds as though the school forgot. If I felt strongly I might just note my disappointment, ask if a refund is possible as the school didn't communicate in advance and if a refund isn't possible I might think about deducting the cost of the less from the next voluntary contribution. I wouldn't though but sometimes I think schools need to realise that they should think about the impact of their disorganisation on others.

titchy · 07/05/2014 18:55

Not for 20 mins in year 2 it ain't. If he was missing every single maths lesson for the entire year then maybe I'd agree the priorities were wrong, but missing 20 mins of maths a week in order to learn an instrument is well worth it IMO (and I haven't even pointed out that learning an instrument has a positive effect on kids' maths abilities).

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