WIBU to ask for Uni to pay for my childcare in this scenario?

[5footmama]

I am a Degree Apprentice and have a small child (18m).

usually I am at Uni 1 day a week (9:30-12:30) and child is in nursery when i am at work (mon-fri 9-3pm are nursery hours - except Wednesday morning when dd is with her auntie. She is able to do this because she is free to look after dd until 2pm)

I am due for a block release in the middle of June. This will be Mon-Thurs 9-5.

So I will have to put DD into nursery 8:30-5:30 for M,T,T. and including the wednesday afternoon. So an additional 3 hrs each day - or12 hrs for the week. This will be around £108.

all fine - happy to pay the child care.

BUT

These past to semesters, the lectures have been advertised for a start of 9am and supposed to run until noon. but have actually started at 10am and finished around 11:30. This hasn't impacted me as Auntie looks after DD anyway - even though it's annoying to only get half the allotted time...

So my AIBU is: IF the lectures/tutorials start late and/or end early for the block release (eg if lectures start at 9:30, finish at noon and the tutorial is non-existent, as per previous semesters...) WIBU to chase the uni for ''refunding' the additional cost of childcare that I had to secure prior to the course starting that wasn't needed?

Tell them before what your situation is and ask what the exact hours will be.

You will not be refunded childcare, there’s no budget for that, so get the info beforehand.

I'd be basing a complaint more on the basis of lost teaching time than on the childcare fees.

And why would they? Childcare is your responsibility not university. Surely you treat uni like work and pay for 9-5 childcare.

Are these group tutorials? Is no one turning up?

but they will just say "lectures and tutorials are from 9-5 mon-thurs"

I know deep down, in my bones they won't be 9-5

But it remains fact that the last modules all started late and ended early this academic year mostly due them being remote sessions... so why would the block release be different?

Sorry but wtf? They’re not doing you a favour by allowing you to attend, they don’t owe you childcare costs. They’re not a charity. You enrolled into university knowing childcare might be an issue so there isn’t a basis for your request

By all means ask, but it’s a goodwill gesture you’re fishing for rather than a refund that you’re entitled to

@Hankunamatata

Are these group tutorials? Is no one turning up?

every apprentice turns up to all lectures and tutorials, attendance is compulsory - students can lose their jobs and be kicked off the course if they don't attend without good reason.

it's the lecturers that are starting late/ending lectures early and not providing tutorials. (which we have complained about btw)

I think you need to accept that’s the way it is. Nurseries won’t usually just charge by the hour anyway, so would you really make a saving?

Maybe take advantage of the free time to do coursework/reading or just have some time to relax.

Presumably if you want to make the most of the childcare that you’ve paid for, spend the extra time studying in the library, or do whatever you usually can’t do with your child in tow

Lecturers always do that though. I graduated in 2019 and starting late or finishing early would happen regularly enough to not be shocked by it

Are you eligible for the childcare grant from SFE?

Why on earth would it be the university’s responsibility to reimburse you for this? Your childcare arrangements are your responsibility.

As a current lecturer at a university- I can’t see this ever happening/ don’t think it’s actually possible. There may however be a hardship fund you could apply for to help with the costs if you meet their criteria.

@wingsnthat

Sorry but wtf? They’re not doing you a favour by allowing you to attend, they don’t owe you childcare costs. They’re not a charity. You enrolled into university knowing childcare might be an issue so there isn’t a basis for your request

By all means ask, but it’s a goodwill gesture you’re fishing for rather than a refund that you’re entitled to

I have NO ISSUE paying childcare for the advertised times as needed. as i said at the beginning of my op. happy to invest that... BUT they haven't been following those times. It already cost me money when I organised additional child care at the beginning of the year because there was a COMPULSORY induction on a Monday 9-3pm. So I arranged and paid an additional 1hr for the Monday... and guess what, induction started at 10 and ended by 1... yes it was "only" £9, but it's the principle.

and yes i used "refund" in the loosest sense, because i couldn't think of the right word.

It's a bit like if you had a zero hours contract and just knew that at some point during those hours you'd be asked to work. I wouldn't expect the uni to pay you for the childcare you're best off complaining about lack of tutorial time or using the time to do study/assignments by yourself.

Are they not expecting you to use the time to do independent study?

@TheUndoingProject

Why on earth would it be the university’s responsibility to reimburse you for this? Your childcare arrangements are your responsibility.

because they are saying that my compulsory lectures are from 9am - 5pm.But based on past experience this year, they have not been the advertised times. They advertise 9-12, but actually only run 10-11:30 or similar.

so I wondered that if they tell me lectures are definitely 9-5, and then it turns out they weren't... I was asking would I be unreasonable to ask for some sort of refund/goodwill gesture in that case.

i am not asking them to pay for my childcare IF the lectures and tutorials actually run from 9-5...

There's no way they will refund your childcare. Surely most nurseries charge per half or full day anyway - will yours really give you a discount for turning up at 10 instead of 9?
Uni will just tell you to be available 9-5 on weekdays - they are not bound to stick to particular times within that. Can you use the extra time for study?

@Silvercatowner

Are they not expecting you to use the time to do independent study?

no. that is expected for us to that around our working hours and lectures/tutorials. the lectures and tutorials are just that... they are not "independent study times" and compulsory.

Do it, you’ll give the office staff a laugh.

so I wondered that if they tell me lectures are definitely 9-5, and then it turns out they weren't... I was asking would I be unreasonable to ask for some sort of refund/goodwill gesture in that case.

No, because you should have budgeted for 9-5 and it falls within that. I can see the logic of asking for reimbursement if lectures over run past the hours stated and you incur extra childcare costs (although they still wouldn't give it to you).

You have no loss. You paid for childcare thinking it was needed 9-3. Ultimately it was only needed 10-1. But that simply means you’ve gained to the tune of having some free hours to study. You have no loss.

Now if it was supposed to be 9-3 and then turned out to be 9-6 and so you had to get emergency childcare you would have a loss (but I still wouldn’t expect you to be able to claim from them - your childcare your responsibility)

If I'm contracted to work 9-5 and I book childcare for that time, I don't expect my employer to refund me part of the childcare if they let me knock off early.

Agree with PP you need to address the non-delivery of teaching commitments, and meanwhile take advantage of the childcare time to get on with your studies.

My DD's university lecture blocks are Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm. These are the scaffold they are booked within but individual courses may only have 8 hours! Lectures and seminars can be rescheduled within those times at a moment's notice

I think you should complain. You pay tuition fees I assume so cutting short the tutorials and lectures on a regular basis seems wrong. I don't think you should use childcare as the basis of your complaint although no harm in mentioning it. Your complaint is that you are supposed to be receiving X hours of tuition and that hasn't been happening.