To not allow DC to go on work experience?

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One of my dc is 14 and is year 9. Because of the school set up (first year they have had year nines and only a handful of them) all year nine and year 10 are all being sent on work placement the same two weeks. DC will do work experience twice again due to school set up.

They have been told ten weeks before the work experience date about it (we did not think dc would do it until next year) and it is blooming nightmare as they are NOT helping them find anywhere or even helping with contacts, the kids have to do it themselves.

I have NO issue with this apart from the fact that from experience you have to apply months and months in advance for anywhere decent and dc knows what they want to be so I resent sending them somewhere irrelevant when dc is struggling academically in some core areas at the moment due to endless supply teachers in a couple of core subjects and some sen.

Soo is it a right of passage to be sent somewhere crap and miss two weeks of school or should I stand my ground and help her find somewhere proper for next year?

My understanding - I'm probably half a generation older than you - is that those who went into the workforce at 14 / 15 were not necessarily have the type of life that teenagers today do, but were considered 'mini adults' with work, wages and responsibilities. My parents - who passed through their teens in the 1950s - had lives in that decade which seem in some ways much more childish, and in other ways much more adult, than my children, though they went on to further education and therefore didn't enter the labour market until their early 20s.

However, none of this is relevant to this discussion - the fact is that 14 year olds AREN'T common in the labour force now associety does regard them as closer to children than adults, and this influences how a 13 / 14 year old being sent into a workplace for a week / fortnight is viewed.

We normally take 6th formers or undergrads for work experience but a few years ago I had a year 9 boy who was the most fun, interested and charming young man. Never answered so many questions before, he just kept firing them at me! The older ones just sit there bored to tears but he loved it. If you get the right placement your child will love it and like others have said apply for next year now if no success this year.

Finding a work experience placement for your DC is such a PITA, however it can be such a worthwhile experience, do what you need to, don't rob them of the opportunity because it was inconvenient for you to make it happen.

Well ironically I have had an email reply back this evening with offer of a placement vaguely connected to what dc wants to do if school can get in touch with them so yeah...

And to confirm although I have helped with the message it is dc who has been sending the emails in their name.

Thanks all

Glad there has been a positive outcome, op. I hope all goes well for your daughter on her work experience .