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AIBU?

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Original poster

queen's birthday party at school

185 replies

prepschoolinsanity · 30/05/2016 13:47

my son's school is having a party for the queen's birthday. The children have to make bunting with a picture they have drawn themselves of something to do with the queen - a corgi say, or a crown.

I'm debating whether our picture should feature a flea or a hookworm...

OP posts:
Egosumquisum · 30/05/2016 15:33

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Egosumquisum · 30/05/2016 15:35

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Silvercatowner · 30/05/2016 15:35

"British values" feature in part 2 of the Teachers Standards. Celebrating the queens birthday is a great way to evidence this.

Citizensmith1 · 30/05/2016 15:36

write out the lyrics to the Red Flag, photocopy and distribute and when happy birthday starts playing sing that instead :-) :-) :-)

Egosumquisum · 30/05/2016 15:37

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Fairuza · 30/05/2016 15:42

Silvercatowner - how on earth does it evidence British Values? I think maybe you've misunderstood the term.

cupidsgame · 30/05/2016 15:44

I don't understand why any school should have a party for a 90 year old woman they don't know and who doesn't give two hoots about them. Apart from anything else is it not offensive to those who don't believe in a monarchy. Lots of other "offensive" things seem to get banned, I don't see why this should be any different.

SenecaFalls · 30/05/2016 15:45

I'm not sure how United we are anyway at the moment.

Same here in the so-called United States, Ego. Come to think of it, if Trump is elected, he may push for a monarchy. Or at the least, our national day will be his birthday instead of July 4.

BadDoGooder · 30/05/2016 15:48

Once put it perfectly....

Celebrating a pampered family who have inherited vast wealth whilst others are sleeping on the streets is grotesque

^^THIS

I just do not understand the increasingly royalist tendencies of the nation, alongside increasing poverty and inequality. It must be one of those odd psychological paradoxes - the poorer people are the more they scrape and bow to those they are encouraged to think of as superior.

^^^AND THIS

And I think KC225 has the answer nailed!

BadDoGooder · 30/05/2016 15:51

I would love to know why the values of an entire nation of vastly different people can be measured by how much of a shit we give about the biggest benefits claimants in UK.

No one objects to Kate M and her vast array of Nannies/help etc, but god forbid some skint couple should but a bottle of wine at the weekend.

cupidsgame · 30/05/2016 15:52

I truly believe we'd get even more tourists if there were no monarchy, as do France. Just a family of leeches.

SenecaFalls · 30/05/2016 15:57

But isn't the Queen's birthday celebrated as a sort of unofficial national day for the UK? If schools were in session during the summer in the US, I'm sure that they would have observances around the Fourth of July.

TSSDNCOP · 30/05/2016 15:59

If you object so vociferously OP, why don't you write to have your child sit it out, I expect you'd be pleased if they spent the time in the library learning their spellings and tables.

Egosumquisum · 30/05/2016 15:59

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Egosumquisum · 30/05/2016 16:00

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KurriKurri · 30/05/2016 16:12

I also think there should be debate. The trouble is that people who are pro monarchy can't see that anyone has anything to object to and therefore see their objections as silly or 'trying to be cool' or whatever. It is possible to have a legitimate and thought out objection to an institution just as it is to have an objection to a political party for example.

If there were 'formation of the Labour Party anniversary' parties or'200yrs of Toryism' parties I'm sure people would object and no one would criticise them for doing so.
I think political affiliation should be kept out of schools - fair enough to discuss the monarchy and as an institution, but there should be no aligning with a particular side of the argument.

It's not 'fair enough' to celebrate it though, because school is compulsory so the children have to go to the celebrations.

It's not being a killjoy to not want your child to attend a party celebrating something you have moral or political objections to. The assumption that everyone is happy with the monarchy and want to rejoice in it is arrogant.

Confine the celebrations to out of school community events then people can go or not as they wish.

IPityThePontipines · 30/05/2016 16:16

"British values" feature in part 2 of the Teachers Standards. Celebrating the queens birthday is a great way to evidence this.

Indeed. Dd's school have made the Queen's birthday the centrepiece of a week-long British Values fest, no doubt with a big eye on Prevent too, sadly.

YANBU OP. The Monarchy are a contentious topic, people do have differing views and that should be respected. I can think of many more people worth celebrating instead.

LunaLoveg00d · 30/05/2016 16:19

Woah OP, you're so cool.

This. With bells on. It's your son's homework, not yours so just let him get on with it and keep your ideas to yourself.

Egosumquisum · 30/05/2016 16:20

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Egosumquisum · 30/05/2016 16:20

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Silvercatowner · 30/05/2016 16:20

Indeed. Dd's school have made the Queen's birthday the centrepiece of a week-long British Values fest, no doubt with a big eye on Prevent too, sadly.

As are many schools that I work with. Lol Fairuza did you mean to be so patronising?

Egosumquisum · 30/05/2016 16:23

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Fairuza · 30/05/2016 16:24

Much as I dislike the whole concept of "British Values", they are democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and respect and tolerance.

Nothing to do with monarchy, red buses, or cups of tea.

Silvercatowner · 30/05/2016 16:25

The EU referendum is a bit of a gift British values wise, too.

insancerre · 30/05/2016 16:25

Fairuzza
The idea came from the children
One had been to Buckingham palace and knew it was her birthday
Ir was another child's birthday and they made cards for her and then made a card for the queen
they are in to birthdays and parties at the moment. My budget seems to be going on sellotape and wrapping paper for the workshop area so they can wrap up their presents they have made for their friends and family