to be annoyed what the school has done?

[Tistheseason17]

My DD5 has come back from school today and her book bag, which had a discrete label on the back with her name/class on it, now has her name written in full in big black marker pen across the top of it.

No consultation or contact from the school. They just defaced our personal property without consideration for child safeguarding or respect for personal property.

The school has a strict policy on social media posting of photos of children but they are showing everyone as we walk to school her full name easily visible across the top of the bag.

I am fully prepared to be flamed! That is the point of AIBU so I will acknowledge if everyone thinks I am over reacting!

That would annoy me. How can you sell it on or give it to a younger sibling now.

I also agree that walking around with your name on display isn't fantastic, but then we have had several vans approach girls outside our school and have had a police presence there as a result.

YANBU to be annoyed. I will admit I regularly write names in things without checking with the parents, because playing which child does this belong to is really annoying and I get fed up of parents whinging about lost property they didn't bother to name, but I wouldn't use huge letters on the outside, it looks scruffy and it's a bad idea safety wise, I generally write on the label.

And yes, 30 identical book bags is annoying but that doesn't excuse huge letters, most book bags come with a little label you slide in, it takes no longer for me to look at that then it does huge letters, because I know its there and automatically pick them up that way round now.

We put keyrings on ours so the children can identify their own.

It is definitely a new thing as I have older child where this as not done.

I work in a school. That's not right and you should complain.

I’d be really cross that I couldn’t pass it on to any other child to use as well

I really wouldn't mention GDRP.

I would be really unhappy if my child's personal property had been defaced, not only because it looks dreadful but the presumption that they had the right to do so. Would the teacher appreciate her property being written on in such a way?

Yes to it being a safeguarding issue as well.

My DC's school, the book bags come with the child's name written on in permanent marker. Its never occurred to me to be annoyed or concerned about it. Can you put it in a back pack with their lunch box, or people kit?

My dc1 still manages to come home with another person's.

Our dcs book bags (school regulated ones) have a square in the back it says name & class. It's a very small, discreet square the size of rectangle fridge magnet.
So silly for the school to highlight so clearly your child's name and school.

My DC went to a school where the PTA paid for and wrote all the names on book bags in lovely glittery pen. I didn't really like advertising our name in public as DP had a job which made us potential targets for shitheads. I made sure DC carried the bag with name facing inwards. I am not sure what that school does now, it was a while ago. I think it is a good idea to politely say something as I expect it was done with good intentions.

As a parent, I've always believed sending children out wearing headbands with names on, or any other way of identifying a child by a stranger, to be stupid. Trust me, I'm not being precious, Andy if the name had been written large inside the flap I would have applauded the teacher, but not in the front, no way. It leaves children wide open to being approached by random strangers. Might never happen, but is a risk we shouldn't be taking. I'd point out to the class teacher, and the Head of the bad choice here. And I'd expect a new bag.

This is why identical compulsory book bags piss me off. In my step kids' school they had a choice of about 5 different colours of bookbag, which meant that it was easier to identify in a class.

I'd be annoyed too, OP, it wasn't their property to scrawl all over.

Regardless of safeguarding I agree that writing all over someone’s bag without permission is out of order. My older DC pass stuff on to their younger ones and I’d be cross if someone took it upon themselves to deface something I’d bought with my hard earned money. YANBU

Maybe the name sticker was so discreet the school couldn't see it.

I have worked in schools. If they have a name and class on the back on the little slip I'm not sure what schools issue is.
I wouldn't be happy it can't be reused and passed down.
I wouldn't be happy that my child's name was on display fully. It takes ones time for a parent to be late and someone use their name to persuade them Mummy has sent them.

I would suggest you send someone unknown to the school to pick up your daughter quoting her full name of you want reassurance about just how dangerous it is. In my sons school they need written consent in the morning for a person from your safe list (which includes photos) to do pick ups. It really wouldn't present as a danger.

Not all schools are the same. DD's school don't even have a safe list, let alone photos.

I'd be annoyed, op.

It is absolutely a safeguarding issue.

I wouldn't mind about the book bag being 'defaced' but the safeguarding issue needs to be brought up with them.

It is highly presumptuous if a teacher to take a marker and write on a child property like this. How did she know it wasn’t just borrowed for the day? Or if you intended to hand it down to a younger sibling.

There should have been clear instructions form th school to parents on how to label property.

No consultation or contact from the school. They just defaced our personal property without consideration for child safeguarding or respect for personal property

Oh FFS. I know MN's like to get the buzzword safeguarding into any discussion of children and/or schools, but get a fucking grip.
Oooh, people will know your kids name! It's the end of the world! Its not as if everyone she or you have ever met already know her name....

Oooh, people will know your kids name! It's the end of the world! Its not as if everyone she or you have ever met already know her name...
I am also a bit surprised by this. If someone had evil intentions and was targeting a particular child, it would have sufficed for them just to follow the child with the parent / minder for thirty seconds to hear the name - or I start feeling like a bad parent for constantly repeating "DSname please don't lick the road", "DSname please use both feet for walking", "DSname please stop hitting DDname" etc.

@silvercuckoo - I only use my DD's first name and the bag has full name on it nice and big!

YANBU. If you want my kid’s name on a bag, ask me to write it neatly in my own handwriting. I’d write it neatly, in a style I think looks nice, probably on a removable label. I don’t want someone else’s scratty handwriting all over my child’s possessions.

If you paid for the bag YADNBU - it is not school property to write on.

I'm a teacher and would never do anything like this.
You should definitely complain and if it was me, I would also like the bag replaced tbh.

@BoBro - yep, we paid for the bag. Would have been nice to be able to donate to the school once finished with but can't do that now, either.