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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to expect a bit more from school

247 replies

MuminMama · 16/06/2020 12:01

The work the school is setting my year six child is dire. It's not nearly enough to fill the four school hours we are aiming for. It takes me half an hour to work out what they want us to do. Half the downloads are empty files. So little care has gone into it, and there's so little appreciation that working parents may need something that's fairly easy for them to administer. I feel that I'm supposed to be immensely grateful to these teachers but really they are hardly breaking their butts. This is ten minutes of work for someone to throw together. To an extent I'm just venting, but I'd love to know how much help others are getting.

OP posts:
Bottleup · 16/06/2020 22:33

"He’s your child. Educate him yourself."
Okay, but isnt that what her child's teacher is being paid to do? Whilst she is being paid to do her own job.

maddening · 16/06/2020 22:41

My child isn't yr 6, his teacher is not teaching Yr. 6.

ChloeDecker · 16/06/2020 22:44

@Bottleup

"He’s your child. Educate him yourself." Okay, but isnt that what her child's teacher is being paid to do? Whilst she is being paid to do her own job.
But the teacher is in school teaching Year 6, which the OP has admitted they chose not to send him in. Honestly, you couldn’t make this up Grin
likeafishneedsabike · 16/06/2020 22:48

Hang on a minute!!!! The OP has chosen not to send her child in and then I’d complaining that her child isn’t getting taught?? What tube was that drip feed to end all drip feeds?

likeafishneedsabike · 16/06/2020 22:49

Bloody phone. What TIME was the drip feed?

ChloeDecker · 16/06/2020 22:53

@maddening

20ChloeDecker - for example, rather than an English worksheet asking questions about English language/writing /grammar that ds has not been taught, requiring me (actually doing a full time job) to explain the concepts required and trying to find on line resources in between actual meetings and actual work so ds understands enough to complete the work (and am not sure that I have explained it properly as I am not a teacher) the teacher could have a group on line to talk them through and point them to the online resources before they break off to do their work. Later on they could have a 30 min maths lesson and break off again instead of me having to help ds work through something he has not been taught. Today I was having to try and find appropriate geography info for ds and explain politics between countries that he read about while trying to answer a badly put together worksheet. Again teacher could go through this with them online. I should not be trying to teach in tandem with my own work when the teacher could do what many other teachers are doing and teach on line.

Fed up with what amount to whining excuses when their counterparts are proving these excuses to be lies. It is possible to hold on line lessons. Ffs do some teaching.

If I had a penny every time a pupil claimed to have ‘not done something before’ when they have and rather than put the effort in to do the work at home set-I wouldn’t need to work for a living! Grin

Still, we have different viewpoints but it doesn’t necessarily mean your child’s school has done anything terrible. I too am a working parent and I too have had to choose what my child does and when and certainly have not had the luxury of ‘four hours a day’ as the OP. It is what it is and have done what I can (mostly at the weekend) rather than blame my child’s teachers for not providing a personalised learning experience.
I’m not sure how old your child is but if they are of an age where they can be left alone for a bit to do some work, then they are old enough to work on worksheets such as your English or Geography ones. If they are not old enough then you would have had to spend some time learning with them anyway.
Live videos are not the nirvana to home learning that you think they are. Those who are passive with with own learning will still be passive on Zoom.

louisthetrumpetswan · 17/06/2020 04:53

likeafishneedsabicycle info that school is open for Y6 to attend but op chose not tp send her child because she wasn't happy about the safety atramgements was at 12.43 yesterday.

Although op says that the school ignores all contact, so presumably this was all communicated via telepathy.

echt · 17/06/2020 05:14

Live videos are not the nirvana to home learning that you think they are. Those who are passive with with own learning will still be passive on Zoom

This.

And every whining parent who's posted about this ever needs to remember that the chances of their child's teacher actually not having to fund their own laptop/broadband, etc. to allow any online learning to happen will be vanishingly small.

Seriously, STFU and if you don't like what you get, be the parent and do something about it.

I say this as a teacher who is loaned the laptop they're expected to use from day one of service, can claim broadband on taxes, was given startup money by the government when lockdown started and paid an additional sum weekly to offset increased bills at home.

peppapigisscottish · 17/06/2020 05:53

Obviously I've tried talking to the school. They ignore all contact. So, you don't know why.

How is posting on here going to help ?
Teachers at the school are not psychic and won't know it is their school you are talking about. We have no idea what is going on even if this is true and you are not a shit stirring teacher basher so can't help you anyway.

MsTSwift · 17/06/2020 06:01

The aggressive responses and references to “whining” and “STFU” demonising parents at the end of their tethers who dare to criticise any teacher anywhere does make you appear defensive and unprofessional. Despite the protestations you know this is inadequate.

I am simply saying the consensus here (including from parents who are teachers themselves) is that it would really help if an explanation were given with new content or link to someone explaining new maths content. It takes me a considerable amount of time googling and tracking down explanations every day. Of course I am delighted to help my child and I do so but I have to work at the same time. A little more support (15 minute pre recorded explanation) would really help us.

The teaching from my elder dd secondary is brilliant as the teachers are engaged and they have a strong SLT The contrast with the primary is therefore stark.

ChloeDecker · 17/06/2020 07:09

@MsTSwift

The aggressive responses and references to “whining” and “STFU” demonising parents at the end of their tethers who dare to criticise any teacher anywhere does make you appear defensive and unprofessional. Despite the protestations you know this is inadequate.

I am simply saying the consensus here (including from parents who are teachers themselves) is that it would really help if an explanation were given with new content or link to someone explaining new maths content. It takes me a considerable amount of time googling and tracking down explanations every day. Of course I am delighted to help my child and I do so but I have to work at the same time. A little more support (15 minute pre recorded explanation) would really help us.

The teaching from my elder dd secondary is brilliant as the teachers are engaged and they have a strong SLT The contrast with the primary is therefore stark.

The problem is, is that the constant threads and posts from posters like you gets responses that are more and more aggressive because it is not as simple as what you are wanting here and it’s frustrating. Mainly because, in your case, there are vastly more teachers to spread the work around at Secondary, they usually have more money than Primaries and the equipment and Primary teachers have fewer teachers to choose from regarding their keyworker rotas and Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 going back. It is not as simple as ‘they are a good school’ and ‘they are not’.

From vast differences in budget and size I mention alone, between Secondaries and Primaries, coupled with the fact that what you would like isn’t what others would necessarily like, to the poor guidance provided by the government, culminating in the fact that you will not get your outcome by posting on all the schools threads as infinitum. You just won’t.

All that happens is that other teachers see it and it grinds them down unfairly. Even if you are completely genuine, others are not (another thread on this topic was deleted by MNHQ again last night). It’s relentless. The problem with the ‘whining’ (and it was a parent on this thread who mentioned this first) is that it does lead to teacher bashing. If a thread was started with a genuine question about a specific issue to that poster, it would go a very different way (as many do).
It is the generalisations that are the problem and it is a shame you and others cannot see that.

So when posters keep saying that they are receiving nothing from their schools, it is rarely the case as this shows but the damage caused from these statements is vast. A poster may want specific resources but that can only be solved by either asking for them at their school, finding something yourself or skipping that task. None of these choices warrants the amount of vitriol on Mumsnet that teachers are receiving currently.

I’ll end by saying again, that if it is video explanations that you want, put your child in front of the Oak National Academy lessons. You will find you can do more of your own work then and happiness all round. It is was the government decided to fund, after all.

showmewhatyougot · 17/06/2020 07:09

Are people not getting bored of moaning about teachers yet? Biscuit

If it's not up to your standard there is literally millions of free easy to find online material that you clearly have access too.

ChloeDecker · 17/06/2020 07:16

I say this as a teacher who is loaned the laptop they're expected to use from day one of service, can claim broadband on taxes, was given startup money by the government when lockdown started and paid an additional sum weekly to offset increased bills at home.

Fair play to the Australian govt on that one (or your school if it’s just your school!) Interesting to highlight the budget issue further!

user8558 · 17/06/2020 07:18

Op, look at doodlemaths/english

Appuskidu · 17/06/2020 07:19

You have had enough contact from the school for them to offer him a place and you to refuse it, but you couldn’t possibly ask a question about the work being set?

Rightio.

Daffodil
echt · 17/06/2020 07:21

The aggressive responses and references to “whining”

Thread after thread, post after post by parents who do NOTHING, don'y follow up just piss and moan.

and “STFU” demonising parents at the end of their tethers

Not sure how this demonising, more of an admonition.

who dare to criticise any teacher anywhere does make you appear defensive and unprofessional

I defend teachers where they are attacked.

Unprofessional? I'm not at school now.

Despite the protestations you know this is inadequate

Please don't tell me what I know. Inadequate to point out that teachers supply teaching out their own pockets? It's entirely relevant. Until teachers are entirely funded in their work, everything you get online is a bonus.

Daffodil
echt · 17/06/2020 07:33

I say this as a teacher who is loaned the laptop they're expected to use from day one of service, can claim broadband on taxes, was given startup money by the government when lockdown started and paid an additional sum weekly to offset increased bills at home

Fair play to the Australian govt on that one (or your school if it’s just your school!) Interesting to highlight the budget issue further!

It's the Victorian government and doesn't come out of government school budgets. The laptops are standard, but the home expenses top-ups were as a result of lockdown. The latter continues for staff who have to WTF for safeguarding.

  1. I was a bit amazed the DET did this, though they are not the colossal arseholes of the UK ( though trying to at times)
  1. We have one union, though I have no idea to what extent they influenced this as the money was announced within days of the lockdown, which, as in the UK, was at pretty short notice.

I mentioned it as a corrective to the entitled UK parents who infest MN who never ever acknowledge the way teachers literally put their personal money back into education. How many of them give money back into pocket of their clients? It boils my piss to read some the posts. I taught for 25+ years in the UK, so know of what I speak.

echt · 17/06/2020 07:35

WTF!!! :o

WFH. Long day.Smile

ChloeDecker · 17/06/2020 07:39

@echt

WTF!!! :o

WFH. Long day.Smile

I bet! Put your feet up, you deserve it Grin
SD1978 · 17/06/2020 07:43

There is a huge descreoency between schools- but you'll be slammed for saying it because any negative comment is decried as 'teacher bashing' regardless of the content- which is ridiculous. You are allowed to be disappointed, and some schools are failing to provide adequate work and others are excelling. Unfortunately your experience if this hasn't been positive, many people's haven't. And many people have found their kids have learnt much better. It doesn't detract from you feelings- you're just not allowed to have those feelings here.....

Tink88 · 17/06/2020 07:52

Mumsnet love a teacher bash thread. No wonder admins don't delete 🙄

ChloeDecker · 17/06/2020 08:02

There is a huge descreoency between schools- but you'll be slammed for saying it because any negative comment is decried as 'teacher bashing' regardless of the content- which is ridiculous.

Of course there is descrepency-no two schools are the same in terms of size, budget, pupil demographic and staff demographic. No one denies that. Just that a lot of posters know there will be reasons for those discrepancies and allow for that.

You are allowed to be disappointed, and some schools are failing to provide adequate work and others are excelling.

Of course a parent is allowed to be disappointed but no two situations are the same and in the OP’s case, the school is both providing adequate work (just not daily 4 hours worth) and teaching the pupils physically but the OP has chosen not to take that up.

Unfortunately your experience if this hasn't been positive, many people's haven't. And many people have found their kids have learnt much better.

This doesn’t make sense. Do you mean better with videos? Plenty of children haven’t learnt better that way. This is fair enough as children are not a one size fits all.

It doesn't detract from you feelings- you're just not allowed to have those feelings here.....

No one has said the OP can’t have feelings. If you are referring to other posters (there are many) on this thread who post the same thing on so many of these threads and never seem to want to listen to the advice given because they just want to have their ‘whinge’ and are not interested in a solution, then yes, that does seem pretty futile does it not?

Davincitoad · 17/06/2020 08:02

Do we really need more criticism.

Why not instead ask people of useful places for resources or learning activities.

TheHoneyBadger · 17/06/2020 08:15

I love that it never occurs that maybe the teacher doesn’t have a decent, or any, computer at home. Maybe they’re even trying to set work on their phone.

Must have own computer with web cam and mic, be able to produce videos and have quality broadband that can upload a video in less than 24 hours isn’t on the job description.

It’s a pandemic that has closed schools. Teachers, most of whom would be better off
furloughed until they can return to the work they’re contracted to do, have been forced to suddenly be able to work from home.

MPs got how many thousands extra to upgrade their home offices for lockdown?

Many teachers are balanced on the edge of a kitchen table in a little house with small children and a crappy laptop that may not be able to connect to the school network where their resources are trying to set work.

Also bear in mind schools are prioritising vulnerable kids. Honestly if you have the time, motivation and the literacy skills to be moaning on mn you have the resources to google oak academy or bbc bite size or go on YouTube and type ks3 balancing equations. You are ok. Schools need to focus the bulk of their attention and resources to families that don’t have the resources and/or motivation to do that.

And please don’t say your school has done literally nothing then in the next post moan about the worksheets they’ve been sending. It gives the impression that your posts are lies, exaggeration and misrepresentation

Davincitoad · 17/06/2020 08:22

@SD1978 the issue on here is everything thinks their experience = all teachers and are incredibly nasty about it.

If you went to the dentist and had a bad experience you would say all dentists are crap.

It’s sad that people can’t see beyond their own school/child’s school experience and trash the profession.

Swipe left for the next trending thread