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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Was I unreasonable to rig the school council election?

352 replies

Coffeeandteach · 04/09/2020 21:33

I can tell you who will win when I look at the list of candidates. Every year it annoys me that some lovely, often overlooked, somewhere in the middle child will put themselves forward and read a thoughtful speech (written all on their own, at school) but never wins. They lose out to either the most popular or the most able child.

The child who got the most votes today had a speech that consisted of only, "I should win because I am the most popular."

I broke. I rigged it. The lovely, overlooked, somewhere in the middle child was announced the winner and she was delighted (and will do a great job).

YABU- You are the Putin of teachers. Shame on you!

YANBU- Sometimes you have to help the little guy

OP posts:
Whatthebloodyell · 04/09/2020 21:51

Of course you are not unreasonable! I think it’s madness that a school
Would allow the pupils to decide with no teacher input. And pupils should not be able to enter if they don’t take it seriously!

pallisers · 04/09/2020 21:52

@HotPenguin

The only way you are being unreasonable is by continuing to run a school council based on a popularity vote. Why don't you ask the head to scrap it? Do the children with SEN ever get chosen? The shy children? You ought to be giving out opportunities like this on a fair basis instead.
I agree with this. If the system throws up the same bad leaders every year then why not change the system rather than rigging it.

I'm not sure what democratic process allows one person to decide on the winner despite the votes going to someone else.

This is such small potatoes in the scheme of things. But surely as a teacher there are loads of ways you can "help the little guy" without resorting to this.

Original poster
Coffeeandteach · 04/09/2020 21:52

@pastabest

The way to deal with these things in the future is that there is a 3 way vote and candidates have to do an A4 page outlining why they are bets for the job.

Student vote
Teacher panel vote
Independent 3rd party vote (mayor, local celeb etc).

Interested to know how you rigged it though Grin

It was a very sophisticated process of me counting the voting slips and binning the votes for popular kid.
OP posts:
TinySleepThief · 04/09/2020 21:53

@1busybee

I don’t think you’re unreasonable but equally the popular child can’t really help being popular and being popular isn’t a bad thing. Will be interesting to see how it pans out.
In this instance though it's not so much that they are popular as it is that they think that being popular is all it took to win. I'm sure the OP wouldn't have rigged it if they had put in any effort and actually made any attempt at taking it seriously but it sounds like this child thought that being popular was all the effort required. Someone with that sort of attitude winning is absolutely not to be encouraged.
nonicknameseemsavailable · 04/09/2020 21:53

I hate things where it is only the kids vote, you end up with some very unsuitable house captains and prefects and some who would be amazing get completely overlooked just because they aren't cool or popular

Anordinarymum · 04/09/2020 21:53

After having endured years of watching popular children and their bloody mothers always being pushed forward at the expense of really nice people I loved reading this.

Waay to go OP :)

nonicknameseemsavailable · 04/09/2020 21:53

half the time the ones who are popular get jobs they actually have no interest in putting any work into

JoanJosephJim · 04/09/2020 21:54

I am glad you did this, I hate the popularity vote unless they have to stipulate a reason why this child should be in the school council such as organised or thoughtful rather than has the latest smiggle pencil case or the best pens. Grin

pallisers · 04/09/2020 21:55

are you the entitled kids mum by any chance ? the voters in this class are children who will follow the popular child /outcome as they want to be seen to be on the 'winning side' if asked.abit like on here sometimes, a sheep mentality.

No. and none of my now grown children were the popular kids. Mind you neither did we think "popular" was a prejorative. I don't like a teacher rigging an election. How about if the nice middle of the road kid won but the teacher thought the child of the school governor was a better choice? Would that be ok too?

Loads of ways for teachers to deal with this -creating other opportunities for the overlooked kids, scrapping the school council, making it my appointment only? This was a pretty lazy solution imo.

foamrolling · 04/09/2020 21:55

Funnily enough, I was just saying to my (lovely but middle of the road and always ignored kid) that these primary school elections should always have a candidate voted for by teachers to account for this stuff. She's nearly done with secondary now and over it all but she never ever got picked for anything at primary and I remember her crying to me that she 'was no good at anything'. I thought it was completely shit that she got that impression from school. Absolutely fine to celebrate the talented, the clever and the popular but I think it's worth schools looking out for the well being of the quieter, less popular and able kids too.

binkyblinky · 04/09/2020 21:55

Well done OP!

Dogsaresomucheasier · 04/09/2020 21:55

I put restrictions on ours; if you’ve got more than 10 demerits by half term you can’t stand and votes are discounted if you don’t vote for a boy and a girl, (lower end of secondary.) That tends to keep it a valid election they respect and make sure viable reps are chosen.

You are supposed to be teaching them to use the democratic process. I bet the “popular” lass actually irritates the crap out of a lot of them.

Lindy2 · 04/09/2020 21:56

Don't say you rigged it. Say you taught them a lesson about hard work being rewarded.

As the mother of an overlooked child I think you made a good decision today.

BigBlondeBimbo · 04/09/2020 21:56

@nonicknameseemsavailable

I hate things where it is only the kids vote, you end up with some very unsuitable house captains and prefects and some who would be amazing get completely overlooked just because they aren't cool or popular
We had this at school, but I have to say that, unfortunately at my school, the teachers also had clear favourites. I think the op was acting out of kindness and irritation at the injustice, but sometimes teachers also do this to get their favourites into special roles too. I mean, how often did the same kids get the lead role in EVERY school play? The same kids got to be sports captain etc. That, in our school all came from the teachers.

This isn't about the op, I hasten to add, as, based on what she said here, it isn't just that she didn't like one pupil and did like the other, which is what happened in my school. Small town, fancy girls school, everyone knew everyone, you know how it is.

foamrolling · 04/09/2020 21:57

I should have added though, that I think it should all be an honest and clear part of the process. I don't think it's entirely fair to tell kids that they control the outcome of an election when they don't actually.

Watermama · 04/09/2020 21:57

I hope the kids are young enough not to work it the numbers. Otherwise they will realise you are dishonest and not to be trusted, that will do them far more harm than the popular kid winning.

reader12 · 04/09/2020 21:58

Only problem will be if they all discuss who voted for who and relies it was rigged. I agree child only votes for school council are not good. The thoughtful kids who would take it seriously & benefit from it never get anywhere near it.

toomuchlikemyusername · 04/09/2020 22:01

As a mother of a lovely, middle of the road child, I say thank you OP.

tiredanddangerous · 04/09/2020 22:01

Bloody well done op! I wish more teachers would do the same.

Longdistance · 04/09/2020 22:01

Op you’re a legend! I hope the ‘loser’ learns a lesson. Vote for me because I’m popular 🙄 the arrogance.

pinkprosseco · 04/09/2020 22:03

Well done!

sunshinecounty · 04/09/2020 22:03

I'm a teacher too and did exactly the same thing last year. Well done!

Haffdonga · 04/09/2020 22:03

Was Ms Somewhere in the Middle actually middle ranking in votes too, or would she have come second to Mr Popular if you hadn't rigged it?

BlackSwan · 04/09/2020 22:04

I hope popular kid learns a lesson here - or at least questions their popularity. Bet they don’t though, and they’ll glide easily onward and upward...

Rigamorph · 04/09/2020 22:05

Agree with PP.

Not unreasonable to want the overlooked child to win, but need to change the voting system for the future so its a combination of student/teacher vote and also preferably some measure of suitability for the role (although exactly what that would be I am not sure!)