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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to allow DS to take to school

56 replies

maclover · 04/09/2014 22:08

an atlas, so that he can show his teacher that the capital of Brazil is Brasilia? DS (7) was doing Geography today at school. His teacher told him that he was wrong (even though he knows he is right because of a World Cup obsession) and another pupil was right. Should he suck it up, or take in his atlas to show her the answer?

OP posts:
Original poster
maclover · 04/09/2014 22:09

Sorry, should have added that the other pupil said that Rio was the capital ..!

OP posts:
NorksEnormous · 04/09/2014 22:12

I would most definitely allow him to take the atlas in to show her!

wolfe1 · 04/09/2014 22:18

I'd let him.

BackforGood · 04/09/2014 22:20

I'd let him too.

sunnyrosegarden · 04/09/2014 22:21

Absolutely!

LuisSuarezTeeth · 04/09/2014 22:21

If you're going to look back on it in 10 years with satisfaction, yes.

ShadowStar · 04/09/2014 22:22

Apparently Rio de Janeiro was the capital until 1960. Perhaps the teacher learnt her capital cities from an old atlas?

But yes. I'd let him take in an atlas.

mommy2ash · 04/09/2014 22:23

I would but then I hate knowing I'm right when someone tells me im wrong. what does your son want to do

Gruntfuttock · 04/09/2014 22:24

Definitely let him take the atlas in.

itiswhatitiswhatitis · 04/09/2014 22:24

Yes I think you should

BramwellBrown · 04/09/2014 22:29

I'd let him. I'm quite impressed a 7 year old knew that though, I didn't and I'm a lot older than 7.

Jessica85 · 04/09/2014 22:40

I wouldn't, it seems like a really smart-arse thing to do. Can you not just tell him that teachers are wrong too sometimes?!

MulberryPeony · 04/09/2014 22:42

YANBU.

whimsy · 04/09/2014 22:43

I'd let him. That would really irritate my ds2 aged 9 who is a walking atlas.

MrsCakesPrecognition · 04/09/2014 22:44

Think of it as a learning opportunity for the teacher. If she doesn't learn now, she'll spend the next xx years of her career telling students the wrong capital of Brazil.

Fiddlerontheroof · 04/09/2014 22:46

I ask this question every time I do a samba class and no one ever gives the right answer, including teachers, it's a little known fact.

Let him take it in...if he's right he shouldn't have to suck it up !

BrevilleTron · 04/09/2014 22:48

Can I suggest that he shows it to her before or after the class so as not to humiliate her? See if she has the nouse to admit to the class. Wouldn't want him to suffer if she gets embarrassed?

Iggly · 04/09/2014 22:48

God no. Maybe tell the teacher to check but not wave the atlas in her face. That's just smart arsy.

fredfredgeorgejnr · 04/09/2014 22:48

Rio is a capital city though (of the state), so there's wriggle room for the teacher depending on the question...

browneyedgirl86 · 04/09/2014 22:52

I agree. I wouldn't let him. It would be a bit smart arsey if a child did that to a teacher. By all means he could ask the teacher to check. I'm sure the school has an atlas. I agree with Iggly.

RiverTam · 04/09/2014 22:52

I wouldn't, it seems like a really smart-arse thing to do.

that statement in itself says so much about what many people think about knowledge and education Hmm.

I don't think there's really wriggle room, after all the US has (I assume) 50 state capitals, yet you'd be a numpty to think anything other than Washington D.C. was the actual capital, surely?

Lee32 · 04/09/2014 22:53

I'd let him take the Atlas in, but for heaven's sake tell him to show it to the teacher after school, or in some private way. To deliberately humiliate someone in front of the whole class is going to teach DS a worse lesson than faulty geography ever could.

HiImBarryScott · 04/09/2014 22:56

I would be a bit wary of this and would think about how the teacher would take it....maybe he could show the teacher in private as the teacher might not appreciate this being pointed out in front of the class (although of course a good teacher would take it as a learning opportunity and point out to the kids that everyone gets things wrong sometimes).

Personal experience is that I once corrected a teacher's spelling. After she argued with me, I showed her that she was wrong by using a dictionary in front of the class. She made sure that the rest of the year was was hellish for me. I was 7.

HiImBarryScott · 04/09/2014 22:59

Can I just point out that I wasn't that much of a smart arse. The teacher suggested using the dictionary to prove I was wrong....unfortunately for her she was!

whimsicalteabag · 04/09/2014 23:03

Dd and you lot have twisted my arm (although mainly Dd threatening to self- practice on us using her various accents Wink ) and we have decided that she's going to do it (three of her best friends are doing it) although if on the first day it turns out to be trust exercises and sitting in circles (her words) then I'll request for her to go back. Thank you for all your help!

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