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!

".... so I have decided to blame the school for having too much technology" 😂 😂

I would just let the school know you would prefer a phone call. They will agree and the problem will be solved.

Regarding the other information just mute the notifications until you have time to look at them. If it’s something urgent they will call you.

Schools can’t seem to win at the moment. Also, you’d find the time to go to a parents evening in school where the appointments could potentially run late and you’d need to find childcare. I don’t see why this is more inconvenient?

1. I do think that it would be helpful if schools could streamline/make very clear at start of term exactly what method(s) of communication they will be using. All of these new technologies are great especially when you can’t really talk to staff/go in the same way as pre pandemic, but schools need to be stick to one or two as it gets unmanageable.

As for your complaint about having to use your phone and a new app YABU. If you can’t afford the technology then speak to school but ultimately having children is expensive and anything to do with their schooling should be a priority.

We have had Zoom parents evenings this week, few problems. 10 minute slots and strictly adhered to. A couple couldn't get zoom to work so we arranged phone calls instead. Parents generally found the meetings easier as they didn't have to rush home from work or sort childcare out. The odd moment when the meeting was interrupted by a cat sitting on the screen or a younger sibling joining in but all added to the fun. We just had one parent who let us know they couldn't join the meeting as their internet was down- they emailed that through!

I’m a teacher and slightly dreading online parents’ evenings, but as with most things I’m sure it’ll be much more manageable than ‘the fear’ makes us think.
What this does reveal, though, is that teachers just can’t win. In March we were criticised for not having zoom/teams going to teach or speak to parents. We were told that paper worksheets sent home were inadequate in this day and age. Now the OP (and some others on here) are saying zoom is intrusive and difficult, email and electronic communication is annoying, and they would prefer paper worksheets and letters.
Whatever we do it’s going to be wrong, so I reckon we should just get on with doing what our professional training and experience tells us is best in our/our school’s particular circumstances.

@cardibach I would want to do your job at all! I agree nothing is right, just on MN I've seen not enough contact, too much contact, not enough work, too much work and in and on!

You deserve a bloody medal! 🏅

I would NOT want to do your job! 🤦‍♀️

cardibach - virtual parents eves are great. 6 min slots then they get cut off. More privacy for the parent, less opportunity for queue jumping and endless whinging. Genuinely more helpful for concerned and anxious parents. You can press "end" if they start to be abusive. I think they're a huge improvement.

Thanks @whatsyournamenow!
There have been a couple of other posters saying lovely things on this thread too - also thanks to you!
Just trying to do my job, same as other teachers. Funnily enough we went into the job because we love our subjects and want to help young people. Why some parents think we are trying to put the boot in I’ll never know.

@Maireas are you honestly telling me parents are "abusive" and you need to end zoom meetings?

So what happens to those parents, are they contacted by headteacher to discuss acceptable behaviour? Are children removed from the school if parent are abusive?

Fingers crossed @Maireas !
I really find online lessons a trial - managing the tech when lots of others are involved and the stilted mature of it - so I’m dreading it a bit. It’ll be fine I expect though. Never as bad as ‘the fear’.

If you have toddlers in the house and a partner at work how would you even attend a parent's meeting at school? For lots of people zoom is a lot easier. Most schools will arrange a phone call instead if the family don't have internet or a device which will run zoom. So you're not
unreasonable about expecting an alternative.

I really don't think you need to lurk for an hour before the zoom chat. 10 minutes should be fine - I always had to wait around outisde parent's evening for longer than that anyway.

@whatsyournamenow parents are abusive in face to face meetings, so I’m sure being virtual won’t stop them! Not often, thankfully - at least in the schools I’ve worked in - but it does happen. Sometimes a parent will get banned from site people, but we try not to disadvantage the child. It isn’t their fault their parent is an arsehole!

@whatsyournamenow From friends in teaching yes some parents do occasionally become abusive. Usually SLT will have a policy for handling it. Including a warning for the parents and if they continue the parent will no longer be able to have direct contact with the teacher. No the children are not removed from the school.

That's a good option parents banned but not the child!

Bloody awful though.

I feel quite strongly about all the the tech in secondary now. My daughters just started, and I’m amazed at the amount of tech needed and new tech. She’s got a second hand phone (we bought for the homework app) and a cheap laptop we bought for lockdown.
The phone is too old for the homework app, there’s 101 log ins for different subject websites, they have no lessons on how to use the software so are just expected to crack on. Which means parents are IT support, which is fine if your capable. But obviously not all children are lucky enough to have an engaged capable parent.
That’s before you look at costs.
So not only do you have to buy all the uniform etc (ours was in the region of £600) you need a new phone, a laptop, a printer.

It cannot be cheap for schools to be buying all this software access either.

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

This

Yanbu. I think it's pretty crap all this too. The kids get given far too much screen time also, I think it's used as a way of controlling behaviour. Unfortunately I can't afford a private or alternative education so I have to put up with the free substandard state one. Just. too many Tory's here

@whatsyournamenow - if parents are abusive in emails I usually forward it to the line manager. If it contains foul language or is threatening, straight to the Head. We have SLT present at parents eves, and we raise a hand if we need help. Sometimes they are calmed down. We have a number who are only allowed to talk to the head. If it's a joke about long holidays, cushy work etc I just roll my eyes.
@cardibach - we had problems with parents interrupting Teams lessons and complaining. If that happens, press "end".

@Maireas dear god, I cannot believe how awful people parents are!

@SecretSpAD

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

This

I recognise mine are lucky enough to have it. And a device to access it on. Not all have it, have access to a device and to a (vaguely) computer literate parents to support them.

@DrivingMo

I cannot STAND people like you. Do not start an AIBU thread and then open your first reply with "I am not being unreasonable" when people say you're being unreasonable. YABU YABU YABU YABU. Your attitude to technology is poor and ill-informed. You'll need technology to function in life. They are less reliable on technology now than they were on paper before but you didn't have a problem then. Stop being silly before your technophobic behaviour hinders DD's ability to progress properly in technological world.

I think you're being very rude and blinkered.

Digital exclusion is a very real thing. There are plenty of people who can't afford a decent smartphone with a decent amount of data, a laptop or tablet, and can't afford a landline and/or internet. There is a significant minority of people for whom their phone is their only internet access (something the DWP failed to realise and they consequently had to write a phone friendly version of everything for Universal Credit, with little time to spare).

And even if they have a smartphone contract with a decent data allowance, they may have the misfortune to live somewhere where the signal is crap on almost every network. Vodafone only works in my kitchen and EE/Orange only works at the front of the house. And it's very unreliable, calls are always dropping.

@whatsyournamenow - I get nice emails as well, and really appreciate them. It cheers me up! The negative ones recently - there's too much homework/not enough homework/should be no homework/you told him off for no reason/she wants to sit next to her friend you won't let her/your lesson doesn't stretch him/your lesson is too easy/why isn't it online/why is it online etc etc

@Topseyt

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.

I think you're right, and I think there will have to measures put in place for children whose families can't afford the necessary tech, to ensure that they are not disadvantaged by it.

@LakieLady - you are quite right. However, schools have directives. We have no choice. I do think it can be exclusive.