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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to think it’s poor if a Year 2 child can spell better than whoever send the school text messages?

75 replies

BlueMirror · 27/02/2018 11:29

Received a message from the school yesterday. Without being too outing it was about making sure the children have appropriate clothing for the cold weather. It was a very short message but they managed to use the incorrect ‘wear’ (they wrote were) and it’s was missing the apostrophe.
Now I’m not going to complain because it’s not going to be anyone who is teaching my child who has written it and I’ve no wish to have a member of office staff humiliated. But aibu to think they should check stuff like this as it does reflect on the school? The newsletters are littered with errors as well. Really bad ones.
My 7 yr old was able to spot the mistakes in the text message (I didn’t say it was from his school!).
Maybe some of the more able year 6’s proofreading the newsletters would be a valuable exercise?

OP posts:
Original poster
BlueMirror · 27/02/2018 11:30

And I’m aware there is an error in my title and likely others in the post. But I would be more careful if I was posting in a professional capacity!

OP posts:
zzzzz · 27/02/2018 11:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
BlueMirror · 27/02/2018 11:33

Well yeah I wasn’t suggesting that they don’t send the text in case there are spelling errors. Just that someone should check it before it’s sent out to all the parents?

OP posts:
zzzzz · 27/02/2018 11:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NancyDonahue · 27/02/2018 11:37

In an ideal world there wouldn't be any mistakes but school offices are busy places - with staff and financial cutbacks, a rush to get important info out, training new staff, doing multiple tasks at once etc -mistakes can happen. It doesn't bother me, as long as the content such as dates and times are correct.

Original poster
BlueMirror · 27/02/2018 11:40

Well maybe it doesn’t? Kind of why I posted to see what other people think.
Dates are sometimes wrong though to be honest for eg something will be described as happening on Monday 15th when Monday falls on 16th so you are wondering if it’s the 16th or the Monday. Fortunately we have SM so generally one parent will ask for clarification and let everyone else know.

OP posts:
x2boys · 27/02/2018 11:40

Is this just a boast about your seven year olds marvellous Grammer and spelling Hmm

insancerre · 27/02/2018 11:40

Its more of a time issue probably
In a hurry to get it sent out and not checking it

Original poster
BlueMirror · 27/02/2018 11:40

Nah my dd would have been able to spot it in reception 😂

OP posts:
x2boys · 27/02/2018 11:42

Naturally shes a typical mumsnet child gifted and talented etc.....

Clarabella8 · 27/02/2018 11:44

Get your 7 year old to check your posts first , or a more able year 6 .

Original poster
BlueMirror · 27/02/2018 11:45

If I needed my work emails checking I would get them checked! No problem with staff at the school spelling how they like on forums on the internet in their own time!

OP posts:
TheMadGardener · 27/02/2018 11:47

When I was teaching, I used to cringe if I was given a pile of letters to hand out from the school office and noticed they contained spelling and grammar errors. Coming from a place of education, it doesn't look good. When I composed reports and letters home I used to check them for typos obsessively!

A useless deputy head I once worked with used to put loads of errors on the school webite when he updated it. I gave up pointing these out because he never corrected them. Not the best first impression for prospective parents surfing the website. I think it does matter.

livefornaps · 27/02/2018 11:47

Your own title is wrong.

Sort your own stuff out first.

The texts are meant for you, they're not the teaching aids supplied at school.

Nikephorus · 27/02/2018 11:52

I actually think that it does matter. It may not be anyone responsible for teaching that's sending them out but it reflects badly on the school as a whole. Website mistakes are even worse - how difficult is it to have someone capable proof-read it first.
If a school can't be bothered to get that right then what else are they not bothering to do that DOES affect the children?

Buster72 · 27/02/2018 11:52

webite

TheMadGardener · 27/02/2018 11:54

I know, bloody autocorrect on my phone keeps changing website to webite! I corrected it twice as well. God knows why it thinks webite is a more likely word than website!!! Angry

PortiaCastis · 27/02/2018 11:57

There's an error in the thread title

livefornaps · 27/02/2018 11:58

WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!!!

zzzzz · 27/02/2018 13:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HuskyMcClusky · 27/02/2018 13:11

I think there are far more important things than spelling.

Yeah, that’s the spirit. Let’s bin spelling until we sort out Syria.

JustHappy3 · 27/02/2018 13:13

I want the teachers to be teaching. I want the head to be leading. I want the dinner ladies to be caring. And I want the school secretary to be accurately and timely passing on hundreds of bits of information. Frankly I can live with a typo/grammar error.

zzzzz · 27/02/2018 13:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CavoliRiscaldati · 27/02/2018 13:19

You can't manage to start without making mistakes yourself, so I would keep quiet if I were you.

SunnyCoco · 27/02/2018 13:24

I agree with you OP. It reflects poorly on the school, given that it is a place of learning and education.
Yes we all know they are busy. Many, many jobs are busy but you’d still proofread a mass communication before sending it out.