DD missed a cooking lesson so has to do it at home?

[EdwiniasRevenge]

Last week DD was ill, had the day off school. First one this term. She probably averages 1-2 days off per academic year and only when genuinly ill. She had been up all night with fever and still had a fever that morning (38+).

She was due to bake lemon biscuits in her food class. Yr9, not an examined course. In fact it is an 'option' not a compulsory subject.

Today she has been told that because she missed the cooking session last week she must bake the dish at home (biscuits) and take a photograph with a name label shown in the picture. What is the teacher going to gain from this? What is dd going to gain from this?

Now - if it was an academic subject I would feel there was some justification for catching up on the missed class content. But to complete a practical she missed?

She cooks competently at home -bolognese/chilli/soup/cakes/biscuits all from scratch and with minimal input from me.

AIBU to think that this task is unnecessary?
AIBU to politely email the teacher and explain that I feel this is unecessary.

[BoulevardOfBrokenSleep]

But... it's not work, it's biscuits.

Would it be OK if she'd missed PE and the teacher told her to video herself running round a field in the rain multiple times? Or whatever they do nowadays?

[LegsOfSteel]

Sounds like you have no respect for the course - as it's not "academic".
If it was an 'option' could you have not suggested to your DD that she choose a more worthy course.
What's wrong with getting children to catch up on missed work? Maybe the teacher doesn't know your DD already is a good cook.
Also if she is Y9 why would you have to clear up after her - that is part of cooking.

[Mulligrubs]

I think it's weird and my child wouldn't be doing it.

[HmmAnOxfordComma]

I'm on the fence with this one.

When ds misses school, he is expected to copy up the class work and do the missing homework.

But he's never missed food tech, and it certainly doesn't extend to PE (per pp comment), so, who knows if YABU?

[MillionToOneChances]

My 9 year old likes to cook, which is fine with me. The deal is he cleans up any mess I haven't yet got round to and then cleans up again after he's cooked. Never an issue. Just send her into the kitchen to do her homework. I'm confident the teacher won't notice if you didn't have a lemon to use.

[Mulligrubs]

Boulevard has it:

it's not work, it's biscuits

[LegsOfSteel]

Boulevard we were only supposed to be allowed to go on the school camp if we were fit enough. We has to be able to run (jog) a total of something like three miles. To evidence this our parents were supposed to watch us run each night over a week and sign it off.

[Mehitabel6]

Why can't she quickly make a few biscuits? A lot less arduous than a lot of catch up work.

[Mehitabel6]

She could do it in the time spent arguing about it!

[flashfalshflash]

What a load of absolute bollocks.

I am with you Edwina.

Just say no.

Lot of sanctimonious creeps on here.

[MackerelOfFact]

If there's extenuating circumstances meaning she can't make the biscuits (can't afford ingredients, oven on the blink, don't own scales, someone in your family is allergic to citrus and you can't have lemons in the house, etc etc etc) then tell the teacher that.

if there is no actual reason why she can't do it, then it is a bit petty to refuse. It's not a punishment or anything, it's just catching up with some work - which should be quite fun, really.

[Mehitabel6]

Has anyone bothered to ask DD what she thinks or is it completely down to what her mother thinks?

[blackeyedsusie]

I think it is odd. I think it is an imposition on families, could have financial implications. (certainly would not be putting the oven on for just biscuits. so it would have to wait until I was cooking something else.)

[Mehitabel6]

She would be paying to make them at school-what is the difference? If you don't want her to put the oven on specially get her to cook the evening meal at the same time!

[EdwiniasRevenge]

I'm saying she can't do it. I'm not even saying she won't (within the constraints of me next getting to the shops).

I'm asking should she be expected to do it?

(I'm not clear on her feelings as she's just text me from school; but I will talk to her later and even then dds opinion doesn't change my question of should she be expected to do it)

[EdwiniasRevenge]

She wouldn't be paying at school - her ingredients are provided for her.

[Mehitabel6]

A load of fuss from one text and not knowing the full facts! Wait at least until you have talked about it.

[MillionToOneChances]

Mehita, she wouldn't be paying to make them at school.

OP, I don't think she should have to do it, but I don't think it's worth making a fuss about if she can do it. Plus, of course, there'll be biscuits!

[Mehitabel6]

You are lucky if ingredients are paid for-we had to buy them all and send them in on the day! (and that wasn't always convenient!)

[Dudurama]

YABU Don't be so miserable. :P

Make some biscuits with your child, it'll be fun.

[Mehitabel6]

The joy is that you don't have to make them with her-just leave her to it!

[IBelieveInPink]

Could I have the recipe please? Lemon biscuits sound yum!

[Vitalstatistix]

The teacher asking her to is not in itself a reason why she should?

I can see that you are asking what's the point and many of us are saying what's the problem and that's probably frustrating.

Reasons why she should
the teacher has requested it.
it is part of the course.

Reasons why she should not
It costs you money that you would otherwise not have had to spend, given that the school pays for ingredients if she does it during lessons

I know you are saying that it isn't an academic lesson that she must catch up on in order to be able to learn the next thing, it's not like she cannot learn bread unless she first learns biscuits, and so giving her homework is like her pe teacher telling her to do 50 laps of the garden cos she missed pe.

But the teacher wants her to do it and does it matter enough to not do it and to actually email the teacher to in effect say your class is pointless and your instructions irrelevant, justify yourself?

I can't answer that, it depends how you feel. In your shoes I'd feel well, it's only biscuits, what the hell.

You're looking for a good reason why she should and really the only reason is that the teacher has asked it and there's no reason why she shouldn't.

[OwlCapone]

I think it's odd to have to cook but I would expect my child to catch up on all other school work, including practical stuff like art, so it does make sense to do the baking.

[HSMMaCM]

DD had to catch up at home with hot cross buns. Think yourself lucky.

You could ask the school for the ingredients maybe?