Is this school newsletter too rude?

[RudeHead]

NC as obviously outing to other parents. This week's primary school newsletter had the following from the head^^ about parents' evening...

Thank you for all the positive comments that teachers received yesterday. They all work so hard for each child in their class. Though I have noticed that there are too many parents not attending the parents meeting and making individual appointments with teachers before and after school This will not be allowed. We start at 1.30pm and finish at 7pm so whatever job you have, you can still make the consultation. I have to keep the workload down for our teachers. If there is a reason why you cannot meet on the designated parent consultation, which is dated in September, then please write to me.

AIBU that this is unacceptably rude? I feel like I should write in or something. I get her point but surely there's a better way to make it?

Not at all rude. The rude ones are the parents who think arrangements do not apply to them.

With parents evening you always been told in advance as you can get your time off.

All these people who are too Busy and Important to create time off to discuss their child's education; when do they manage to fit in actually spending time with their kids at all, with these inflexible and lengthy working hours.

Do you think the staff should work even longer hours just to fit in with you???

Well, YellowFish's dh clearly does. And he also expects his staff to market the school, do office admin and God know what else in their spare time. All dressed up as career progression, whilst on a shit salary.

Not rude at all, why should the teachers have to make so many concessions to parents who feel they're too special to attend on the night?

It's not rude. Or blunt. Or presumptuous. It's letting everyone know that unless there's a legitimate reason you cannot plan that far ahead (which may also involve taking a half day annual leave), you are expected to attend at the designated time.

7 months notice. Plenty of time to make arrangements to speak about your child's education, progress etc.

I think it’s fine. As a one off we all have to make sacrifices, so think ab6 hour window is extremely generous.

No, not rude. Good for the head, thinking of the well-being of his staff for a change, rather than pandering to the parents!

“No it isn't. My husband isn't home until 7.30 assuming trains on time. How would he magically manage a slot between 1 and 7.30?

And don't say "take time off", it's not always that easy.“

What’s stopping you from attending. I’m sure one parent could attend.

It depends on the school too- a lot of schools have a lot of stay at home mums. I know some parents just want to make it difficult for everyone. If you genuinely can’t attend, write to the headteacher.

OhDearGodLookAtThisMess and threatmatrix and zingally

Brilliantly said! My thoughts entirely! And you put it so concisely and to the point! Thank you! Excellent!

Tiredand. Oh for more Bosses like you! So well said!

@Differentcorner. celticprincess and Kolo have given you excellent answers. Kolo's experience is not an isolated one. Teachers are under pressure to over-perform and work way beyond their hours. This has a seriously deleterious effect on their physical and mental health.
I looked at one webpage among many, viz:
www.theeducator.com/blog/teacher-working-hours-many-hours-teachers-actually-work/

A study published by the Education Policy Institute last year found that teacher working hours in England are longer than almost anywhere else in the world.

Findings by the Guardian’s teacher network and Guardian jobs survey in March of last year backed up these figures, with a third of the survey’s 4,450 respondents claiming to work 60 hours or more a week – a figure that is illegal under European Union law
A 26yr old Primary School Teacher said:
“I work through my lunch every day and end up having about ten minutes where I try to stuff down all of my food whilst setting up for my next lesson.
“At my new school, I have to do about 17 pages of planning a week, much of which I don’t end up using. It really does start to wear you down when you’re in work every morning at half seven and don’t leave until six because you have to do so much planning and marking.” “I can say with some confidence that I won’t be in the profession in ten years’ time…I’m about done now.” She added.

How do Teachers' working hours COMPARE WITH OTHER INDUSTRIES?
Last year, a person in full-time employment in the UK worked an average of 37.4 hours a week according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Over a course of a year, that would mean that teaching working hours are an extra 90 hours compared to their counterparts in other industries.

RosieFree. Thanks! If only people could see what you have said: "If you genuinely can’t attend, write to the headteacher."

I know that schools will go a long way to meet the needs of parents who really do have very demanding jobs and difficult hours. I used to let a little boy sit with me in the classroom from 8 a.m. He had cerebral palsy so the cold was very bad for him and his mum was disabled and his dad was working and had to drop him off. I took responsibility for him until the time when we as a school let the children come on to the premises and they were covered by the insurance. I am not saying that a Head Teacher would say yes to this today, but we are people who love children and want to help parents.

I think the Head who wrote this letter had become frustrated by some parents, probably quite a few, who were taking her Staff for granted and making demands on their time and not bothering to try and get to the Parents' evening. From time to time a school gets a wave of Parents who are opinionated and think they can run the school without being qualified Teachers. I have seen it when I was with the Inspectorate. It was particularly prevalent in certain areas. I felt very sorry for the Head Teachers and Staff. Some Parents can be very threatening to young Teachers when they come in and throw their weight about sounding off about their opinions. I was very much in favour of protecting Teachers from this kind of thing. I feel there is a bit of this in this letter. The Head has given people a very long time to get organised too.
I have written about the special circumstances that some parents' professions have, often in Health Care, which make it impossible for them to know far in advance what hours they are working and even then they can be called in for an emergency. Schools are very sympathetic to this. We always felt like we had something a bit in common. Our respect for Health Care Professionals was always extremely high. I always found these parents to be the loveliest, most understand and helpful people actually.

Sorry to derail

A 26yr old Primary School Teacher said:
I work through my lunch every day and end up having about ten minutes where I try to stuff down all of my food whilst setting up for my next lesson

This was probably my ds’s teacher (similar age) who kept him in every break and lunch time because being unable to read and write he couldn’t do the 10 sentences that was set for the homework each day and would shout at me because she missed her lunch each day.

Those hours are not all inclusive and it is incorrect that whatever job you have you can make an appointment in that time. However it doesn't really matter. The school cannot cater for every single person's schedule and they need to have cut offs to keep the workload down. If someone has something really urgent that they need to discuss then they just need to take a day off to sort it, that's part of being a parent unfortunately. So I think this letter is just being honest and to the point.

@YellowFish123 - don’t forget to link to the school, will you? When you’ve got a moment?

This thread for weird 😂

I still don't understand where all your children are while you and your oh so important husbands (Mnetters talk about their DH jobs more than they do their own!) are working till gone 7.30 everyday with no ability to take annual leave or even a half day 6 months in advance.

*Oliversmumsarmy8. Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that! Of course there are bad Teachers, just as in any Profession. I can tell you of two really bad nurses I met last time I was in hospital. But I know that the vast majority of Nurses are exceptionally wonderful! There is no excuse at all for bullying a child like this and this Teacher was in the wrong in a big way. There was a case recently in another school where a child with Asperger's was also treated cruelly, by the Head Teacher! It was a small Church School. We do know that bad Teachers exist and I do not deny this. Part of my job used to be to weed them out and to promote best practice.
However, working all your lunch break is normal for Teachers, especially in a Primary School. I know this is true and has been so for a very long time!

No need to take offence at the tone of the letter. And if you can't get there between 1.00 and 7.00, what time would you expect to make a private appointment with the teacher?

But a 'this one date or nothing' rule on consulting your child's teacher is ridiculous.

GOT weird, ffs

Jinglejanglefish. Me too. I have been trying to avoid saying it but to those people with such long commutes and full workloads - that if you can't make it once a year in those times, and obviously can't write and make an alternative reasonable appointment time - not one of the two of you, Then when do you see your children? Who does the child care for them? Maybe that person, as their vicarious parent, would be better going to the Parents' evening? Maybe they could adopt the children and relieve you of having to slot them into your oh-so-full work calendars?

Ahhh. That feels good.

Oliversmumsarmy. Sorry about the rogue "8". Hope you saw my message. Do hope your DS is ok. It can affect a child so badly. It makes me so angry!!! Don't be scared of getting a reputation for being fierce or pushy or any other negative title, stick up for your son and if this school does not do the right thing by him, find another school! I have assumed you have taken him for tests for dyslexia. Poor little chap. This is just appalling! I am not above telling a child that the Teacher was wrong, btw. She was. Very very wrong. And bad. And horrible. Nasty. Uncaring. A Let-down. Get rid of her!

Mnetters talk about their DH jobs more than they do their own!

I know, it's depressing, isn't it? The worst are the ones who talk about their husband's job like it's their achievement.

I had a parents' evening last night til 7pm and ironically my DH had to take a half day leave to pick up our children after school.