Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

WIBU to complain to school?

23 replies

WhataMistakeaToMakea · 20/03/2015 19:48

So we checked with school last week if the children would be seeing the eclipse. The answer was 'Yes yes of course just got to figure out what the plan is. '

We checked do you need help?- nope they didn't

Dd1 is space mad and has been watching all the news etc about it all week, and was so excited about it.

Today she tells me the teachers came in and said 'we've made a decision you're not going to watch it'. Dd1 who is pretty reliable said they didn't say why but let then watch a video about it instead.

Dd2 who was too young to be bothered but is in the same school got taken out with glasses by her teacher to see it.

Dd1 is really upset that she was told she would see it and was so excited and not only didn't she get to with no reason, her little sister did.

I would have booked the morning off and taken her out myself if I had known. I'm so cross. Would I be unreasonable to tell the school I think they were unreasonable to backtrack and that they upset her (and some of her like minded friends) and that I want to know why?

Or am I just being precious because Dd1 is so upset?

OP posts:

Morelikeguidelines · 20/03/2015 20:00

Yanbu.

We had no eclipse to see where I am though.

littlejohnnydory · 20/03/2015 20:02

YABU, I'd be very cross. I kept dd home then took her in when it was over with the full support of her teacher. I checked whether they could watch it in school. I'd have been v cross hadI been told yes then plans changed, especially if some got to see itand not others.

Jennifersrabbit · 20/03/2015 20:02

Not a bit unreasonable. Ours took the whole school out to watch it from the playground and am so glad they did.
As you say, if they'd been clear you could have made arrangements.

Lorialet · 20/03/2015 20:04

You don't live in Southall, do you?

Original poster

WhataMistakeaToMakea · 20/03/2015 20:12

No Lorialet why did it happen to you too?!

Phew I'm not being precious!

OP posts:

Cleanbean · 20/03/2015 20:15

YANBU. At DD's school not only were they not allowed to watch it but they closed all the blinds so that they couldn't see out at all then let them watch it on the television!

Theas18 · 20/03/2015 20:18

DH school watched coverage in the hall. It was decided that the risk of thrm deciding to just go ahead and stare was too great.

Probably right I think. I'd not want to take a bunch of 7yrs olds out even with glasses - one or two fine, but a whole class- you can't keep them all on track.

WorraLiberty · 20/03/2015 20:19

YANBU but why didn't the kids ask why there weren't allowed to watch it?

Original poster

WhataMistakeaToMakea · 20/03/2015 20:21

Their Friday teacher (split days) is a bit strict and moody (another issue). They probably would have asked the Monday - Wednesday teacher. I will certainly ask the Monday teacher

OP posts:

APMom · 20/03/2015 20:23

YANBU. I kept my 12 and 8 yr old at home to watch it and when we arrived at school at 10 all the children were at assembly. I chatted with the secretary and she even thought it was ridiculous the principal called assembly, the kids couldn't even watch it on the pcs in the classrooms then. 12yr olds friends were quite envious of him getting to see it.

VelvetRuby · 20/03/2015 20:27

Same thing happened at my Dd's school. There wasn't a huge amount to see but it was quite dark and cold. Such a shame about the clouds. I was very surprised that they didn't let the kids watch it.

Eebahgum · 20/03/2015 20:29

Did all the children watching it in school have protective glasses provided by school? I'd assume they didn't have enough glasses so sent the oldest children outside to watch and let the younger ones watch on Internet live feeds. Our whole school watched on live feed. We'd been circulated an email warning of the dangers of allowing children to watch with the naked eye and advised this was a safer alternative.

seriouslypeedoff · 20/03/2015 20:38

Yanbu dds school told them they could watch it. Then decided one from each class could go. So 6 children in the school saw it. I was so annoyed.

Original poster

WhataMistakeaToMakea · 20/03/2015 20:40

The younger ones watched with glasses the older ones told no and kept inside.

They should have told us they had changed their minds - at least that way I would have not spent the morning talking it up with Dd1 for her to be let down. Also I could have done something myself with her or gone in and helped/ taken in card or glasses etc. Anything would have been better than saying they would do it then telling the children right before it started that they wouldn't.

OP posts:

Scholes34 · 20/03/2015 20:41

Don't worry. Not much you can do about it now. There'll be another chance in 11 years.

Jennifersrabbit · 20/03/2015 20:43

Ours sent home a letter with instructions on how to make a pinhole camera or to bring own glasses in. Kids had to watch a video on safety and were told anyone trying to look directly would be taken straight off the playground and supervised indoors. Parents had to return a slip giving consent for them to watch and confirming we had talked to child about not looking directly.

Seemed good. Lovely photos at pick up of 300 odd children standing on playground with their pinhole cameras :)

EveDallas · 20/03/2015 20:46

We gave parents the choice whether to keep the kids at home or watch it at school.

Some still complained.

todayiamfat · 20/03/2015 20:59

I'd be furious too.

My reception dc managed to use a pinhole camera (of some description) to view it. I was over the moon!

I am rather proud to say I organised 1000 pupils to watch it on the playground. And yes with glasses. It was an amazing experience for them and they have been excited about it all day.

I would complain. But unfortunately there isn't a lot they can do now.

Karoleann · 20/03/2015 21:21

I don't understand why you would want to put your children at risk of blindness, unless they have 1-2-1 supervision i.e.. someone who checked their glasses beforehand, made sure they kept them on a didn't look round the sides and/or stood there watching to make sure they didn't take them off or look at the sun whilst using a pinhole camera....its too risky.

After the last eclipse we had 30 people sitting in our waiting room who thought they had retinal damage. Three did and one still had a visual scotoma similar to someone who has macular degeneration 3 years later.

Your school did the right thing.

The advice from the college of Optometrists and the College of Ophthalmologists is that that the eclipse is only viewed safely on the TV.

Longworth · 20/03/2015 21:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

littlejohnnydory · 20/03/2015 22:07

Sorry, OP, typo - I meant YANBU.

karoleann, they let some of the children watch it. And promised the others in advance then changed their minds on the day. That's the unreasonable bit, not saying it's too much of a risk. If they'd said that from the start, for all pupils, fair enough.

Billabong21 · 20/03/2015 22:29

Schools...Can't do right for doing wrong.
Blahh, blahh , blahh, , 'Let my precious out to view eclipse........eye damage, etc"
' refused to let my child out.....eye damage etc...

Original poster

WhataMistakeaToMakea · 21/03/2015 11:38

I think some people just enjoy missing the point!

They said yes- refused parent help - kids expecting it and excited - last minute said no but let others out.

That is what annoys me. If they had said no all along fine, I would have got dd excited about watching the TV or some other alternative.

OP posts:

Flip