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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:
ChazP · 04/09/2020 22:06

Thank you! My daughter always put so much thought and effort into her school council speech and always lost out to the class clown or the popular kid, who ended up not taking the role seriously. I’m so glad that you were looking out for the ones that so often get overlooked.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 04/09/2020 22:08

Yes, you rigged it.

No, you weren't unreasonable.

The trouble with many things nowadays is that they are decided on style over substance - the popular kids (and adults) get ahead - even thought they are useless and don't even attempt to apply themselves. Yjey sail through unaffected by their own ineptitude, while others are left floundering in their wake.

It's about time we all started thinking about the aptitude of the people we vote for - not just whether they are popular, or can go down a zipwire waving a flag.

Good for you OP - maybe you've made the Smartypants think twice about relying on their surface charm in future, and you've definitely given the "also-rans" some hope and something to aim for.

TheEC · 04/09/2020 22:08

Well done OP! I can only assume those saying YABU are prom queens or parents of popular kids.

The middle of the road kids NEED this. Popular kids putting no thought into it do not need the boost.

mrsBtheparker · 04/09/2020 22:08

Think every teacher had done this sometimes!

Really? Surely not! We used to hold back the tickets for the more attractive prizes at the fete, the 0 or 5 type of thing, to go on selling tickets.
When the Head always judged the art competition, the Colonel's child always won, much to Mrs Colonel's embarrassment. The year that he just had numbers and no names he wasn't a happy bunny.

SweetPetrichor · 04/09/2020 22:08

Probably the right decision...although I still remember the disappointment when in p7, I expected to be assigned as house leader or whatever they called it. Typically the role went to the smartest most responsible member of the house and that was me.I didn’t get it cause my mum and her friend (my mum was a teacher in the primary school and her friend was my teacher in p7) chose one of the less able children instead. My mum explained how I would have many opportunities in the future as an academically capable person while this other child wasn’t so academic so it’d be nice for her to get the house leader role. I understand it, and it was a nice thing to do...but I’m still a bit salty about it!

notso · 04/09/2020 22:09

If the system doesn't work then you should change it, not rig it.

ancientgran · 04/09/2020 22:09

I wonder if this is how my DD got on the school council? She wasn't one of the popular kids, in fact she got bullied to the point of saying she wanted to be dead when she was 10. She wrote a really good speech and my heart bled for her as I knew she didn't have a chance. The joy when she was not only elected but became chair of the council. I feel a bit sad if she didn't really win it although I'd have been even sadder if she lost.

Thinking about it her class teacher was one of the bullies so probably not unless the Head did the count.

PenguinIce · 04/09/2020 22:11

Depends if you rigged it for the ‘overlooked child’ or the ‘teacher’s pet’ - we only have your word for which one it was 🤷‍♀️

OhDear2200 · 04/09/2020 22:11

Me and my friend always sit together at Christmas/Easter/harvest festival etc. And have a chuckle to ourselves as the SAME children are picked to have the main roles. As a parent with SEND it used to drive me f’ing mental but now I just laugh. It’s so blatant it’s ridiculous! What drives me utterly crackers is the concept that someone not quite perfect might be chosen for a role; god forbid we might have to show some understanding or support for someone who struggles a little rather than project an image of of perfection.

cherryblossommorningstoday · 04/09/2020 22:11

Well done op

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 04/09/2020 22:13

Well done OP. I think that more schools should follow the example of the infant school my children attended. When I expressed delight that one of my children had been chosen for something special the teachers assured me that they always pulled a name out of a hat - but they were selective about which names went in!

BigBlondeBimbo · 04/09/2020 22:14

@PenguinIce

Depends if you rigged it for the ‘overlooked child’ or the ‘teacher’s pet’ - we only have your word for which one it was 🤷‍♀️
Kind of what I was thinking, as this is how it would have been in my school Hmm. Definite sometimes slightly creepy favouritism at our school. But, it doesn't sound that way from the op. You're right that we only have OP's word for it, but that's AIBU I suppose 🤷‍♀️.
Nomorepies · 04/09/2020 22:14

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on the poster's request.

Happygogoat · 04/09/2020 22:14

I would have said YABU if not for the fact that this kid thought that was all it took to win the vote?! It's no respect for the process.

Being popular isn't a bad thing but being entitled like they were is.

They've all witnessed a valuable example there when the winner is announced and Id hope teachers do this at my kids school in the same situation (be they the popular kid or the winning kid!)

happylittlechick · 04/09/2020 22:14

What's the point in letting the students vote if you're just going to decide who wins anyway?

adognamedhog · 04/09/2020 22:16

DD once got selected for this when she was small. She worked really hard to make a poster etc but I'd hazard a guess her teacher did what you did:) She was pleased though!

At her high school the form tutor chooses a pupil of the month each month. He picks the same people all the time and the kids are so fed up with it. Not directly relevant at all to the post. Just my Friday night musings...

MysweetAudrina · 04/09/2020 22:18

I think that was really wrong. I would never interfere with a process. I might bring forward a proposal to change a process to make it more accessible to a wider range of talent but think it was really wrong to interfere. I'm actually shocked that a teacher would do something like this and it disappoints me that so many think it's ok. Why have a system that gives the wrong result. If you don't think the children are capable of giving the correct result then don't have the vote or change the selection criteria.

PamDenick · 04/09/2020 22:22

So you rigged it that the hardworking, sincere, intelligent but slightly unlikeable Jeremy Corbyn character won over the smug, arrogant, buffoonish Boris Johnson type who would rather hide in a fridge than do any real work?

Then I think you have done them a massive disservice as the British public like to vote for incompetent but popular nitwits…

BigBlondeBimbo · 04/09/2020 22:28

@PamDenick

So you rigged it that the hardworking, sincere, intelligent but slightly unlikeable Jeremy Corbyn character won over the smug, arrogant, buffoonish Boris Johnson type who would rather hide in a fridge than do any real work?

Then I think you have done them a massive disservice as the British public like to vote for incompetent but popular nitwits…

😂😂😂

But yes, the thing about elections is, one person isn't supposed to decide the outcome, even if they are the best educated person there. Because, if that was the case...yeah, we wouldn't have the joy of Johnson or the delight of the Donald Hmm. But you know, strictly speaking, if you really want to "teach them a life lesson", you have to let them make their own mistakes. So let them vote in the popular, less hard working one, but then they have to live with that decision. Unless popular kid hires a SPAD, then it will be spun to make it look like it's someone else's fault Grin.

Devlesko · 04/09/2020 22:31

What a lovely thing to do and for all the right reasons.
I'd be really pleased if I was one of the parents. Thanks

cheeseychovolate · 04/09/2020 22:32

You did the right thing,

Earslaps · 04/09/2020 22:32

I'll just leave this here...

m.imdb.com/title/tt0126886/

FreekStar · 04/09/2020 22:33

YABU! You are failing to teach the children that popularity IS what gets you votes. Since when has the quiet nice middle of the road person become successful in politics?

Relocatingtohome · 04/09/2020 22:41

My daughter's school has a lovely system.

Each girl writes a manifesto -and they are NOT allowed to put in identifying information. They tick the box to say if they want to stand for election. But each girl writes the manifesto regardless.

This year 10 girls put themselves forward. The teacher reads each manifesto in turn. The girls vote. Teacher also has a vote.

Seems to work -each year someone new does it.

Feckitimbuggard · 04/09/2020 22:44

I'm really sorry but I actually had to join to comment on this after about 15years of just reading. I have a son who was overlooked for school council places as he was classed as popular and the stupid thing was I got to see the count but the teachers done what you did and lied. I never told my son and trust me he was not clased as the cool kid by his peers only by certain teachers. He buggered up once in the whole time he was at school, when he let someone 3 years above him punch him to protect a girl in his year. But talking to his year group, as it is a political campaign, he did figure out what happened and would no longer help certain members of the faculty

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