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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

64 replies

5footmama · 12/05/2021 21:13

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?

OP posts:
wingsnthat · 12/05/2021 21:42

@Feelingconfused2020

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.
Lol students have been complaining about this for years to no avail. Nothing will come of the complaint

I remember when university staff were striking and certain courses at certain universities essentially ran no lectures. They had more of a claim for a refund and I don’t believe they got one

CovidCorvid · 12/05/2021 21:42

Ime of teaching at two universities and having studied at 5 universities this is common.

Lectures usually finish early. I’ve recently done yet another post grad course which was advertised 9-5 and we finish at 3pm every day. It’s done in case we over run, for room bookings purposes, in case people have lots of questions......always better to finish early than overrun.

If you have an issue with the amount of teaching/support you’re having you need to raise that via the proper channels but they won’t care about your childcare. If you weren’t at uni wouldn’t you be at work anyway? Therefore needing childcare?

If you finish early as an adult learner you need to use that time for self directed study. You could utilise the library while on campus. Remember you “read” for a degree, you shouldn’t expect to be spoon fed everything.

wingsnthat · 12/05/2021 21:43

Actually they did get a refund last year but it took them years of campaigning

CovidCorvid · 12/05/2021 21:43

@Feelingconfused2020

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.
If she’s doing a degree apprenticeship doesn’t the employer pay for the tuition fees and pay her some sort of wage?
wingsnthat · 12/05/2021 21:48

I think you should send an email highlighting your concerns and mention the financial impact this may have on you.

I’m thinking your tutor or lecturers probably have an idea that you’ll be finished by 3 latest so childcare until 5 may not be necessary as it’s unlikely they’ll overrun to that extent. So you may be able to slightly lower your costs

Biblionerd · 12/05/2021 22:03

Can you get a childcare grant from SFE? I have used them for for both my kids and it is worth up to 85% of childcare costs. YABU to expect Uni to pay though.

MintyMabel · 12/05/2021 22:09

Remember you “read” for a degree, you shouldn’t expect to be spoon fed everything.

Possibly the most pompous thing I’ve read here for a while.

There is still an expectation of teaching.

MummytoCSJH · 12/05/2021 22:13

I'm on a degree where my hours are never the same (I've not had 2 Mondays for example since I started 3 years ago that have had the same hours!) and because I didn't know if I would need the before or after school clubs on any regular days I just had to book all days and I pay for them all to hold the 'ad hoc' place whether ds attends or not. Think it's just one of those things.

Original poster
5footmama · 12/05/2021 22:18

ok. I am being unreasonable.

OP posts:
HalzTangz · 12/05/2021 22:18

I wouldn't complain to the uni, I'd use the free time to get some extra study done or housework whilst child still at the nursery, or even just have some chilled child free time

Original poster
5footmama · 12/05/2021 22:21

Remember you “read” for a degree, you shouldn’t expect to be spoon fed everything.

err...thanks for that? I'm doing perfectly fine managing my time and the course and my reading (attaining 80%+ on all assignments, exams and tests...) not expecting to be spoonfed thanks... Confused

OP posts:
BeGreen · 12/05/2021 22:21

Really? No don’t, unless you want to give the staff at uni a laugh, because you will look like a twit!

titchy · 12/05/2021 22:24

Blimey OP! You're getting a degree for free! You're being a massively CF to even think that they should pay your childcare. Good grief I've heard it all now.

MilduraS · 12/05/2021 22:28

I work at a uni and there isn't a budget for reimbursements like that. That being said, I've never heard of tutorials starting more than 5 minutes late and that's normally waiting for students. Our lecturers tend to be there 30 minutes early to set up. Lectures also only finish early if the students opt to shorten breaks. The students I look after are mostly apprentices who want to make the most of time off work now they're working from home and when they were on campus it was to beat the traffic on a Friday (they live all over the country). I'd be lodging a complaint about the missed hours of teaching but also making the most of the extra free time at the moment to get your assignment started.

CovidCorvid · 12/05/2021 22:42

Well if you’re managing 80% plus on your assignments you’re obviously being taught enough. 😁👍

Rillington · 12/05/2021 23:15

Seriously? It's your child and your responsibility to pay for childcare.

Mychitchatdays · 12/05/2021 23:20

You can apply for full childcare costs at my uni. I honestly thought this was the norm for all uni's.

Stuckhere2021 · 12/05/2021 23:23

It is recommended that online lectures are a maximum of around 30 minutes supplemented with guided study. Also as previous posters have said, the uni won’t have a budget for anything like this - are you planning on writing to Senate and asking for cash back? Not gonna happen. YABU, sorry.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 12/05/2021 23:38

The childcare you are booking is irrelevant..no they won't refund you and they will think you are nuts asking.

I would however be going mental about the late starts and missing tutorials etc

Maray1967 · 12/05/2021 23:48

Univ lecturer here . If I started teaching late and finished early I’d be on a disciplinary. Our classes cannot be cancelled without the permission of the dean and the expectation is that a colleague covers. Every single one of our sessions has run this year - all lectures recorded and uploaded to the virtual learning environment, all seminars and tutorials have run on zoom at the advertised time.
If you have had numerous sessions cancelled you need to complain about that.

Lucyccfc68 · 13/05/2021 05:23

This is a degree apprenticeship, so completely different than attending University as a full time or part time student.

I employ degree apprentices at work. It’s a full time job (9-5) with one day a week at Uni. The fees are paid by us the employer through our apprenticeship levy. My apprentices know that even on a Uni day, they are expected to work 9-5 regardless of the times that lectures start and finish, so they book nursery or childcare for the full day (same as they would if they were in work). They pay for childcare from their salary, just like any other normal job. (It is a normal job, just with the added benefit of attending uni 1 day a week and having the privilege of it being paid for by their employer).

Lucyccfc68 · 13/05/2021 05:24

@Mychitchatdays

You can apply for full childcare costs at my uni. I honestly thought this was the norm for all uni's.
They are doing a degree apprenticeship though, which is totally different. A degree apprenticeship is a full time job, with a salary and the added benefit of doing a degree part time, fully funded by the employer. You pay for childcare from your salary.
Lemmen · 13/05/2021 05:34

OP if you're still here, try looking up the university hardship fund.

And you know what, try complaining too again and specifically mentioning childcare to someone senior in the department. You do have more of a case to complain here about timetables than random younger students who don't have any responsibilities.

It is not okay that they make it this much harder for mums to take part in education.

drpet49 · 13/05/2021 05:43

* My apprentices know that even on a Uni day, they are expected to work 9-5 regardless of the times that lectures start and finish, so they book nursery or childcare for the full day (same as they would if they were in work). They pay for childcare from their salary, just like any other normal job. (It is a normal job, just with the added benefit of attending uni 1 day a week and having the privilege of it being paid for by their employer).*

^Same at my company. Essentially OP is gaining half a day for free. She should have childcare to cover the whole day just like if she was at work. YABU and actually taking the piss here.

alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 · 13/05/2021 05:58

Don't be daft.