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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Or is the school?

66 replies

schoolissues · 28/11/2019 16:23

Name changed for this

DD had parents evening the other day, she's in year 10 and goes to a Welsh school. DH and I don't speak any Welsh but we want to be able to help her with physics because she's struggling. We asked the school to give us some translations of what they've been learning and they said no because she'll be sitting her exams in Welsh. They said that if she needs extra help she has to give up her lunchtime. AIBU to think that she shouldn't have to give up her lunchtime when we could easily help her at home?

OP posts:
NeedAnExpert · 28/11/2019 16:24

Can’t you use one of the many welsh language translation apps to translate it? That’s what DD’s welsh medium school recommends.

Topseyt · 28/11/2019 16:26

How much Welsh does DD speak?

What exam board is it? Perhaps look up on there and see if you can find what the course books are. You may be able to get them in both Welsh and English versions.

TeenPlusTwenties · 28/11/2019 16:27

Could you get an English CGP guide and get her to show you the relevant topics? Surely there won't be too much difference in topics between the Welsh board and the England ones?

Sirzy · 28/11/2019 16:29

I think if your child goes to a school which teaches in a language which you don’t speak then the onus should be on the parents to make the effort to learn that language not to expect the school to act as translators (beyond early settling in point for those new to a country)

Original poster
schoolissues · 28/11/2019 16:29

@Topseyt she's fluent in both Welsh and English but can't translate science and maths words as she's never learned them in English

OP posts:
NeedAnExpert · 28/11/2019 16:29

How much Welsh does DD speak?

She should be pretty fluent if she’s at welsh medium Secondary!

NeedAnExpert · 28/11/2019 16:32

I think if your child goes to a school which teaches in a language which you don’t speak then the onus should be on the parents to make the effort to learn that language not to expect the school to act as translators (beyond early settling in point for those new to a country)

Take it you aren’t in Wales. Hmm

It’s absolutely normal for parents to be non-welsh speakers. Many schools are very helpful with providing translation, others less so.

DH, who is from northern England, has been learning welsh for years but having not grown up with it it is exceptionally hard.

leghairdontcare · 28/11/2019 16:37

I speak very good Welsh but would struggled to translate science terminology. It's technical and beyond 'normal' translation.

Obviously the school wouldn't be able to translate everything as they won't have the skills/resources either. However I think requesting again for some science specific crib sheets or recommendations for online translation tools is fair.

I use ap geiriaduron.

BritInUS1 · 28/11/2019 16:37

YABU I wouldn't expect the school to provide translations - use Google or similar

iolaus · 28/11/2019 16:47

My children were/are educated in Welsh (one of them did science A levels - another plans to do physics A level - its his GCSEs this year) neither my DH or I speak Welsh.

I would not have expected them to translate the technical phrases into English (and the 17 year old said it would have confused her even more)

She also advised your daughter to go on the Bangor university site for the GCSE revision guides they have on there (in Welsh)

WhoCaresWins01 · 28/11/2019 16:50

The WJEC website has powerpoints and notes on every subject in Welsh and English - all you need to do is look up the topic on the English site.
Schools have enough to do without having to provide translations of coursework for parents.

spacepyramid · 28/11/2019 16:52

If you choose to send your child to a Welsh school when you don't speak the language then you need to find a way to help your child, there are many translation sites out there.

You can put scientific words on here geiriaduracademi.org/ and get an English translation, I think you can also buy their dictionary..

Is the exam board WJEC? They also do exams in English (my DCs did/will do WJEC exams) so may have some useful resources if you/the school ask them.

Selfsettling3 · 28/11/2019 16:53

Teacher are offering to give up their time for free to help your child and you think they are being unreasonable.

Wolfiefan · 28/11/2019 16:56

You could always pay for a tutor if you don’t want the teachers to help for free?
If it’s a rural school then lunchtime is the only chance they have to help if students travel by bus.

churchandstate · 28/11/2019 16:57

When do you expect her to get the help, if not in her own time?

Scapegoatforlife · 28/11/2019 17:34

Dont think op will come back after this roasting 😭😂

PineappleDanish · 28/11/2019 17:36

You chose to send your child to a welsh speaking school. She will sit her exams in Welsh. They probably don't have materials available in school in English, given that all teaching is in Welsh - why would they?

They have offered help.

YABU.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 28/11/2019 17:47

If she doesn’t know the technical terms in English, is you having translations and helping her at home going to help much? Extra lunchtime classes might be more useful.

ilovesooty · 28/11/2019 18:06

The teacher is offering to give up their lunchtime to help and you're moaning?

AlpacaGoodnight · 28/11/2019 20:47

I think YABU the teacher is giving up their (upaid) lunchtime already. You are asking them to spent hours (possibly days) traslating subject materials. If you choose to send your child to a school where you don't speak the language you need to find a fix for the problem yourself, send her at lunchtimes or pay for a tutor

tillytrotter1 · 28/11/2019 23:55

If you choose to send your child to a Welsh school when you don't speak the language then you need to find a way to help your child, there are many translation sites out there

Words that would only ever be said to an English speaker, schools are forced to bend over backwards for non-English speakers, at the expense of the majority.

Original poster
schoolissues · 29/11/2019 07:28

Don't think I added enough details before

  • we didn't want the whole course translated, just some key words
  • she won't go at lunchtime because she doesn't care about her science grades (we tried to explain how important they are, she didn't listen)
  • it's not a problem with the course itself, she just has a bad teacher

I assumed the school would give us words because there aren't many situations where she'll need to know the words in Welsh, she'll need them in English. We wanted her to go to an English secondary but she insisted on staying with her friends from primary. DD2 (year 7) will be moving to an English school before the start of year 8 as this is just ridiculous.

OP posts:
GiveHerHellFromUs · 29/11/2019 07:35

Why don't you ask her to translate what she can then google translate the words she gets stuck on?

user1480880826 · 29/11/2019 07:45

Out of curiosity, what would happen if a child who had been taught in Welsh wanted to continue studying to degree level at a university that doesn’t teach in welsh? (Which is probably all universities including those in wales, right?). If your daughter only knows the Welsh versions of all of the words associated with that subject how would she cope?

FamilyOfAliens · 29/11/2019 07:51

it's not a problem with the course itself, she just has a bad teacher

This is a completely different issue. If you have concerns about the abilities of the teacher, you need to share those concerns with the head.

I’m also amazed that the teacher has offered to give up their free time to give your DD extra help and yet you’re still complaining.