To think the school hasn't thought through how unfair this is?

[CreakyBlinder]

DD is 7, and was voted to be the Class Rep on the Pupil Council this year. They've had one meeting because the teacher running it never has the time.

However - now they've decided to have 'Activities Time' each Friday afternoon for an hour. The children can pick from sports, chess club, library visit, etc. Maybe half a dozen different activities to choose from. DD got a chess set for Christmas and is actually really good at it; she'd heard there was a chess club starting and was keen to go.

BUT - the school has decided that the Pupil Council will run at Activities Time. So she'll never get to do any of the other activities, just go to a meeting each Friday while her friends do loads of other fun things of their choosing.

AIBU to think they really haven't thought this through? And would you contact the school to point out that they might want to have a rethink?

If it is monthly, as per your update, then I don't think the school IBU. She will only have to miss one session a month, in order to be on the school council and hopefully get to influence some fun decisions on there, along with the serious ones.

As it's monthly I don't think it's unreasonable at all. Your dd gets the best of both worlds for her chosen activities.

At dc's old school, they would have a monthly meeting at lunch time. Those on school dinners would have their hot lunch brought to them in the classroom while packed lunches brought theirs, so it was initiation into the 'working lunch' from the tender reception year!

But the children who wanted to do it got a lot out of it in terms of helping shape how certain things happened at their school.

We always warn children who put their names forward that meetings will inevitably be during play time or activities time because the rest of the time is learning time. If they are not prepared to give up that time they should stand down.

In practice, the meetings are unlikely to last the whole hour.

Yes I think as it's monthly we'll leave it as it for now. DD misunderstood!

They're calling it a pilot though, so if it were to go further and be made more frequent, or a permanent thing, we'd rethink.

There'll only be 5 before the summer holiday anyway!

I’d still drop them an email and ask if it couldn’t be half an hour every second Monday lunchtime (or whatever) that way they’re not missing out on lunch, the fun or lessons.

If they won’t change it, I would give DD the option of ‘resigning’ from the school council. It hasn’t been run so far, so it gives the impression the kids would be wasting their time anyway.

They asked her to take on the responsibility and she accepted, but she didn’t know when she accepted that she’d have to miss out on organised activities, so ‍🤷🏻‍♀️

Good points @Iloveautumnleaves

Pupil Council is their chosen activity. If they don't want to do it then they don't be a class rep

That's what I would have thought. It's one of the choices. Some might like Lego 'and' Chess, but they'll have to choose just one.

I would ask DD if she still wants to do it. If she doesn't, to tell her teacher she wants to resign and do the chess activity instead.

But she didn't get any choice @SherbertMelon

None of the other activities are open to her because she was voted onto the PC 2 terms ago. That's why it's not really fair.

You’re fighting a battle that doesn’t need to be fought.

Maybe her first point on the meeting should be that school council members want to do activities too and how can that be arranged?

Good thinking, although I'm not sure a 7 year old should have to (or have the confidence to) point out the flaw in their plan.

I've just fished the letter out of DD's bag and it turns out it IS only monthly. Sorry!

That seems completely reasonable to me. If she wants to be on it, she has to be willing to go to the meetings once a month.

When discussing PC elections teachers always point out that they will have to give up some of their free time to go to meetings. They can't be removed from lessons so this has to happen at other times. Teachers are not obliged to work over lunch breaks so choosing time seems appropriate

It's once a bloody month.

God, apologies I wasn't aware we weren't allowed to discuss monthly things!

Also if you had read the full thread you'd know I realised that halfway through.

'Dropping an email' to see if the school will move it...etc etc. Bet the teachers would love all this helpful advice about how to run things. Lunchtimes will be spent marking/prepping etc. The arrangement has been made because a) it gives pupils a voice and b) it fits with the rigours and demands of a busy curriculum.

Maybe save the email sending for important school stuff?
She's 7. The OP has another 11 years to send emails.

I wouldn't make my team at work sit in a boring meeting while everyone else got to go for ice cream @agapanthus1979 never mind little kids!

Tbh there's little that's more unfair than these elected class reps. Popularity contest for children, fabulous idea.

Bloody hell. This is what is meant by 'that parent'. I think there's a lack of perspective here.
I'm sure school council won't be a 'boring meeting', and the other kids won't be indulging in fairy-dust-sprinkled ice cream.
Jeeze.

I bet you were as chuffed as chips when dd got voted in, weren't you? And now, because it's going to be held during her moment to show off her grandmaster skills you're having a strop.
When would you like it to have happened?
Dinnertime? Playtime? Storytime? Lesson time? After school? Sunday morning at 6am?

Yeah I'm that parent. The one who said upthread that she wasn't going to contact the school.

But keep embarrassing yourself by not actually reading the thread before posting @agapanthus1979

I actually gave not a fuck @BookMeOnTheSudExpress but there you go. Another person and their stupid assumptions.

Sorry I just reread your post. Grandmaster skills!? What the actual fuck are you on about

I'm not embarrassed