To think schools have got to reliant on technology

[Jelllytotss]

When I was primary school a very long time ago now. We were sent home a report on paper for parents evening and then they saw our parents on the bigger parents evening later in the year. Our kids school have decided they want to do parents evening on camera through zoom this year because we can't go into the school. I have no more room on my phone for this app. But my partner will have to download it. There's 30 seconds in between every ten minute call and you can't be a second late. They've advised you lurk for an hour online or something to ensure you are ready.

I have toddlers in the house. A partner who works often until 7pm and I just wish she could email across some basic details about the first month at school or arrange a phone call if there's anything serious to discuss.

All homework is done now on a seperate app on phone too. Plus parent mail is constantly pinging throughout the day with loads of stuff about online this and that. Setting up accounts. Etc etc.

Do they not realise parents are busy working, caring for other children and only have so much space on phones for the required stuff.

My daughter's 5 and it's already this technical.

Well aware of the situation. But surely a message on parent mail to each parent is enough!

Yabu you cant complain on one hand you spent a fortune on paper and pens during homeschooling then complain it's all now online

Actually I think it's great that the schools have embraced this. Our parents evening is on Microsoft teams as well and it's far easier to do it in the evening rather than tote the DC up to the school as in years past (it always ended up being that way due to childcare need ).

An email is always right I need to talk to the teacher about ds2 reception settling in and I have that 10 minutes to do so.

Honestly you are making a huge amount of excuses , delete another app and reinstall afterwards, you seem to be being deliberately awkward and obtuse. Nothing you have said there does not apply to my household either but we are not winging about it. Just get on with it.

The world has had to quickly move on im afraid. My daughter is currently in the other room and is having her lesson on Teams. She is in year 4 and on her second 2 week self isolation, without technology she would fall behind.

We would never be able to do this at the school i work at as the parents are not "technical enough" and in about 30 children, 3 would turn up. There has become a digital divide and those that have fallen behind for whatever reason, whether that be lack of skill or lack of technology, are at a disadvantage. I know this is a parent meeting but the school is trying it's best to make it as personal as possible. I live in lancashire and have just been put into tier 3, no doubt most of the country will follow on. Having to self isolate twice in a six week term will probably become the norm, schools have to be ready for this.

Most parents would prefer an actual conversation rather than an email or written report at this stage in the year. YABU. If you aren’t interested in talking to the person who’s responsible for your child’s education then don’t book a time slot, it’s not compulsory.

[quote Jelllytotss]@DrivingMo

Your ignorance to people having jobs, less money to buy I pads and laptops and the fact people are juggling enough without having to work out how to make accounts and download pdf readers etc because they don't have the latest phone.

You are ignorant. You are rude. I can't stand people like you who THINK everyone is in the same boat and can afford the internet and laptops.

You are very very very unreasonable and over privileged. You have lived a sheltered life if you think everyone has the luxuries you have.[/quote]
I never said anything at all about anything to do with ANYTHING you have just said.
I said you shouldn't start and AIBU thread and then say "I am not being unreasonable" after exactly TWO people say YABU. Why did you post here? You're not genuinely asking AIBU, you're just ranting and getting angry that no one agrees with you (because you're wrong).
If you want to live in the 1800s forever then you can request paper from the school.

You're exactly the sort of parent who would start a thread saying "school isn't doing parents evening because we can't meet face to face"

For gods sake just grow up.

If you've got an issue, just call the school and say you'd prefer a telephone conversation.

YABVVVU

I actually cannot believe there are parents like you.

Actually, I can, because you produce the children I teach who feel very entitled and think their way is always the only and best.

@ScarMatty

You're exactly the sort of parent who would start a thread saying "school isn't doing parents evening because we can't meet face to face"

For gods sake just grow up.

If you've got an issue, just call the school and say you'd prefer a telephone conversation.

YABVVVU

I actually cannot believe there are parents like you.

Actually, I can, because you produce the children I teach who feel very entitled and think their way is always the only and best.

In my experience of teaching, parents like this produce children who are embarrassed beyond belief by their parent's behaviour and absolutely dread any interaction their parents have with the school. ...for obvious reasons.

@Jelllytotss

The middle class kept women are out today hahahaha

It's a fairly reliable yardstick in my view of the quality of an argument that if someone resorts to name-calling generalisations they know their argument is sinking like a stone.

I can't speak for others on this thread but I've never been "kept" in my life by anyone. I am and always have been a sole breadwinner.

And anyway what has someone's financial status got to do with this?

Bit rich to complain on the internet about having to use the internet

It's not really a school specific issue. They are just moving with the times. These days it's online banking, virtual tickets, WhatsApp to keep in touch with friends and family, using a qr code to access a menu in a restaurant... I could go on.

School will do a phone call if you ask them. A written report for everyone would take ages and doesn't give you the opportunity to raise questions or give extra info to about your child. Also the meeting is a good chance for you to get to know the teacher which is mutually beneficial.

Technology isn't going to go away. Like it or not. It has to be embraced.

I think the time will come (if it hasn't been creeping in already) when all school homework will be set online and the paper and pen system we grew up with (70s and 80s schoolgirl here) will be considered archaic.

With regard to your parents'evening, speak to them and explain that you have only your phone, which isn't the latest model, and no other technology available. Therefore it will be best if they could give you a phone call instead.

@Jelllytotss

The middle class kept women are out today hahahaha

Your chip on the shoulder is showing.

We nearly lost everything due to lockdown , we are barely subsisting some weeks. Last month due to a particularly unfortunate week DP and I ate less to ensure the food lasted for DC to payday so how dare you arrogantly assume people who disagree with you are over priveliged. We are not middle class and certainly not bloody privileged and I still think you are being precious and ridiculous.

You are being precious and picky because you want to , we are working our backsides off to keep our heads above water but somehow we manage not to winge about things where other people are doing their best. If you can't admit that other people might have a different perspective and rely on a jumped up class accusation there is something truly concerning about your ability to function.

I'm not being unreasonable.

Don't ask in AIBU then

[quote Jelllytotss]@DrivingMo

Your ignorance to people having jobs, less money to buy I pads and laptops and the fact people are juggling enough without having to work out how to make accounts and download pdf readers etc because they don't have the latest phone.

You are ignorant. You are rude. I can't stand people like you who THINK everyone is in the same boat and can afford the internet and laptops.

You are very very very unreasonable and over privileged. You have lived a sheltered life if you think everyone has the luxuries you have.[/quote]
But your problem isn’t that you don’t have the right technology or the internet, you clearly do have access to those things.

If you are too busy with too many other things to do to spend ten minutes any time you like getting it set up and then ten minutes talking to your child’s teacher, then that’s a problem with you. The problem is not that the school wants to be available for parents to actually talk to.

The reason for using Zoom and not a phone call is because the school won’t have the phone line space for all the teachers to call at once and it’s much better to have a dialogue than just a few words on the email. Zoom takes up less bandwidth than Teams so it is easier for more teachers to use at once. However if you said you can’t make it work, then by all means ring the office and ask for a phone call instead. They’ll happily oblige.

It would certainly sound as though your husband's mobile may be more suitable and would resolve some of the issues for you.
You may find that adding a memory card will increase your memory and allow you to transfer some of the apps to it, and have your photos store to it as default.

The pp suggesting using a browser presumably meant a browser on your phone which together with the Internet access you obviously have would solve the Zoom or Teams problem.
If your dc has just started school then you won't appreciate how different things are to this time last year. It was face to face parents evening where you sat and waited until your turn even if the teacher was running 20 minutes late. Being able to get on with other things while in a virtual lobby is far better imo.

I doubt OP will return

You clearly don’t view supporting your child’s education as a priority. It’s more important than anything else you need to do in the evening. And downloading and learning how to use a few apps is hardly an onerous task,

Providing children with the things they need for school are the basics really. Can’t believe you’re complaining about the cost of pens and books over lockdown. I spent a fortune on printer ink, but it was a necessity to allow continuous learning.

Just buy an SD card for your phone to increase the memory.

Turn notifications off.

My phone only pings for text messages and rings for phone calls.
Everything else I actively go and check myself at a time to suit me.

Start saving for a computer, your children will need one.

Please recognise that while secondary school are very used to communicating with both parents and pupils using computer Apps, primary school really were thrown right into it in March and it's been a massive learning curve for them.

They don't mean you have to stair at a blank phone for an hour, just have the app installed, and don't be at a yoga class / driving or anything that would stop you answering. It's less effort than going in to school for the 10 minute appoint (which would involve just as much waiting around).

To be honest them problem doesn't seem to be the tech, it's that your "too busy" (can't be arsed) to give up a little bit of time to see how your 5 year old is getting on at school.

YABU (and ridiculous)

Just tell them you can't do Zoom calls, so arrange a telephone call instead. If they have work etc they want to show you, ask them to email it to you ahead of the call.

How dare school trying to keep in contact with parents, and using the best option to teach children! how dare they!
some parents will always be offended, you are one of them

So presumably you don't have to do all of this if you don't want to but schools are trying to provide education & communication with patents in very difficult times.

Virtual reduces the covid risk & means teachers can do it once not send 30 separate messages.

You need to be in the waiting room for your zoom slot - I think that's fair enough to help them keep to time. You don't need to be in an hour ahead.

If you don't have the IT at home to support all this by all means tell the school but you may miss some of the comms. If you asked for a phone call instead surely that would be acceptable to the teacher. You'd still have to be on time to pick up the call though.

I’m a teacher and can see your point. Like you have said not everyone has access to up to date technology and even if they do, they might have to share it with multiple members of the family. I appreciate it can be very difficult, indeed, I’ve been on a huge learning curve myself with figuring out all of these new apps and how to communicate safely with parents and pupils who may be isolating.

However, all of these things are necessary in the current climate. An email is very one sided and can potentially be taken the wrong way without the facial expressions/ tone of voice to accompany it. Phone calls are not always practical for every school. I work in a secondary school and in my block of 20ish staff there are three phones. Staff can see up to 40 parents in one usual face to face parents evening. Providing feedback on work completed at home is essential and so for this to happen in a timely manner, if the child or teacher is isolating, doing this digitally is clearly the fastest option.

But, schools are not unreasonable. If you have not already, please contact your school and say how difficult you are finding this. I’m currently providing a lot of work online for a class who are isolating and also delivering face to face teaching on teams. However, I also have a list of pupils from the class who do not have access to the technology (parents have informed us of this) and so I organise paper copies of the work to be sent to them and call them as necessary if pupils needs things explaining. The same thing with the parents evening. As a teacher, if I know you want feedback and cannot access the technology to do so, I will of course give you a call. However, we need to be aware if this is the case.