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Original poster

To think Brooklyn Beckham should be at school

151 replies

fj3568 · 19/05/2016 23:17

He's 17 - why is he gadding around LA with an actress when he should be in school. Isn't it compulsory for kids in the UK to be in education until they are 18 and is it not a civil offence to take your kids out of school ( to gad around LA) during term time. Shouldn't he be doing AS exams like my 17 year old

OP posts:
NeedsAsockamnesty · 19/05/2016 23:49

He is just as entitled as any other young person to flexi school,be out of school when the school allows it,be out of school for work, be medically unfit to attend or the many other reasons he could have for not being there.

Post 16's only have to stay in education if they are not working or training.

Do you think he really needs to fret about it?

Cleo1303 · 19/05/2016 23:53

It's all very well saying that the children of celebrities don't have to work too hard at school because they will be fine because of their connections, but that isn't always the case.

I worked many years ago for two different "Hollywood" families. One father, Oxford-educated himself, sent his son to a very tough academic public school and expected him to work hard there. That son is now a multi-millionaire film producer.

The other father is a Hollywood superstar but the children went to a more easy-going public school, didn't bother to work hard and were thoroughly spoiled rich kids. They went off the rails.

The Beckhams seem to be a close-knit loving family and their children seem polite and grounded, but it's a shame if they have coasted through school thinking they'll never have to really work for a living, and they will have missed so much.

BillSykesDog · 20/05/2016 00:02

He is still at an arts college. Rocco Ritchie is at the same one. I would imagine he's probably on study leave as the AS Levels are due after half term. Given that it's an arts college I can't see that there would even be much of an exam component TBH. And given the sort of parents they have there and the fees they pay, I would be extremely surprised if the school didn't have facilities in place to allow long distance learning from time to time. It's not like it's 1980 and being in LA would mean being utterly out of contact.

BillSykesDog · 20/05/2016 00:04

it's a shame if they have coasted through school thinking they'll never have to really work for a living, and they will have missed so much.

By most accounts Brooklyn had to work in a coffee shop for his pocket money!

Dontlaugh · 20/05/2016 00:04

I would have killed for his privileges but absolutely do not begrudge what he has, he has been born lucky and that is a fact of life.
He is intelligent and is borne of intelligent parents. Well, savvy, at any rate.
I do begrudge him not using his privilege/connections/wealth to make life better for those who are not as lucky as him.

He is 17, he deserves a childhood and young adulthood free of aserbic criticism. Who amongst us was deserving of a Nobel prize at that age?
Not me, for sure. And I didn't have 20 paps tracing me every day when I opened my front door.

AndNowItsSeven · 20/05/2016 00:06

You do have to be in education until 18 in England, school, college or education/ approved apprentiship.

Hydroshield · 20/05/2016 00:07

Dacre, I was accused of both gadding and gallivanting as a teenager! Thread reminds me of my mum. Smile

Bolingbroke · 20/05/2016 00:07

treacle Grin Grin
I should take those courses, my selfies are very poor.

WriteforFun1 · 20/05/2016 00:14

Cleo "and they will have missed so much "

What important things have they missed? If you're born into that much money, then I reckon you don't need to learn half the shit I learnt in life.

Some people work really hard and still go off the rails. By the time I retire I'll be such a shell of a person I'll probably not have the chance to have the fun he has.

Agree with a pp about these contact loaded people getting those jobs. And they don't need the money either.

BennyTheBall · 20/05/2016 00:14

I have a son about his age who's welded to the kitchen table under a pile of revision and has been for weeks on end.

Brooklyn in comparison, definitely seems to be gadding.

BillSykesDog · 20/05/2016 00:24

Is your son taking arts subjects with little or no examineable component though benny? Looking at the subjects he's doing there is going to be minimal revision involved because they're not academic.

Incidentally I had a quick look at his school's website. They don't sit AS Levels at his school, just GCSEs and A'Levels. So he will have no exams at all this year.

iPost · 20/05/2016 00:26

I was reading about the change in the law last week on a HE group.

From what people were saying the responsibility for compliance is on the young person, not the parents. If the young person does not comply with the law no action is taken.

If that is correct then the Beckhams are not committing any offence. Young Beckham might be, but even if he didn't have all his connections nobody would do anything about it anyway.

BillSykesDog · 20/05/2016 00:28

Agree with a pp about these contact loaded people getting those jobs. And they don't need the money either.

They're kind of damned if they do, damned if they don't though aren't they? If they're successful then they're exploiting nepotism and using Mummy and Daddy's connections. If they're not successful they're freeloading failures and layabouts living off their parents.

It's not like it's just the very top people who do it anyway. I'm a lot of jobs like the fire service, construction, heavy manufacturing, it's often been a closed shop with only family and friends getting an in.

Iknownuffink · 20/05/2016 00:37

Couldn't give a flying fek, tbh.

He does not exist on my radar.

BreakfastLunchPasta · 20/05/2016 00:38

Damned? Really? Damn bloody lucky more like, and I'm sure Brooklyn would be the first to admit it.
I'd be gallivanting and gadding about if I were him too. As long as he's happy, that's all I'd really care about if I was his parent.

I actually have the funeral of a 17 yr old to attend in the morning, so my perspective is a bit skewed. She'd have been doing her exams in a few weeks.

BillSykesDog · 20/05/2016 00:44

I mean damned in the sense of the way people view them. I'm sure he's very happy, having a lot of fun. But I just mean that for a child in that position, whatever you do you're going to get criticised for. If you're successful it's nepotism, if you're not you're a lazy free loader.

The only middle way I can think of is if they go off and do something very ordinary like being a teacher or an accountant or something. But I'm not even sure how feasible that would be for a child with that level of fame.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 20/05/2016 00:46

The connections thing has always gone on in society: the doctor's sons were doctors and your Da got you a job down the pit next to him.

Google virtually any famous musician or actor and you'll find they have family connections. Years ago they tended not to be so obvious about it. Nowadays they are quite blatant.

BreakfastLunchPasta · 20/05/2016 01:11

Sorry Bill, I knew what you meant but I think I read your tone slightly wrong.

BillSykesDog · 20/05/2016 01:18

No worries. I think the Beckhams have been kind of foolish because they have exposed them to the press at every opportunity. Brooklyn in particular was OK! from birth and I remember him on the pitch at Old Trafford in his Man U kit when he could barely walk.

Doesn't seem to have worked out too badly with Brooklyn and Romeo who seem to be happy to be showbiz, and Cruz I think is going the same way and is said to want to sing. But what if Harper wants to be a doctor or a solicitor or a nurse or something where every blimmin' person in the country knowing who they are wouldn't really help?

I dunno, not what I'd choose to do anyway. They seem like nice kids though, and they didn't pick their parents obviously.

cupidsgame · 20/05/2016 03:11

I really dont think hes had a very grounded upbringing at all. Hes been brought up in the media spotlight, as have all his siblings. It hasnt been a normal childhood at all, thanks to his publicity hungry parents. He seems rather awkward and thats probably because his personality hasnt been allowed to develop in a normal way. Fame and money does have its downside and im afraid families like the Beckhams often have offspring that dont turn out like they'd hope. Getting things too easy isnt always a good thing imo.

cupidsgame · 20/05/2016 03:38

By most accounts Brooklyn had to work in a coffee shop for his pocket money!
That seemed to me like one of their publicity stunts, one of those " look at us we're just a normal family" type ones, but also got Brooklyn in the spotlight.{something they've always done with their kids} It was never meant to be a serious attempt at working was it. How long did he last there, about 4 weeks? They must think we're stupid.

IfItsNotOkayItsNotTheEnd · 20/05/2016 04:06

Brooklyn didn't do very well in his GCSEs. So I think they've accepted he isn't very academic and that building up the Brooklyn 'brand' is the way forward.

CheerfulYank · 20/05/2016 04:21

Well regardless he seems like a nice enough kid, and I always liked the cut of Chloe's jib.

BigGreenOlives · 20/05/2016 05:06

I'm not sure what the right route is. Richard Branson's daughter was a very hard working academic teen who went to med school and qualified as a doctor. She isn't in practice now and is working within the Virgin group. Should she have gone to med school? I'm sure there are other doctors who aren't practicing who are a similar age but was she ever likely to?

NickiFury · 20/05/2016 06:14

He seems rather awkward and thats probably because his personality hasnt been allowed to develop in a normal way.

On what grounds do you say this? Show me a teenager who isn't awkward. Only they think they're being cool and edgy and doing it all oh so differently. He seems like a completely typical teenager to me, along with his mate Rocco Ritchie who has the most appalling dress sense I have ever seen but then it's not supposed to be for my age group.

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