AIBU to say that we are not here to provide tour child's education.

[Curerofsouls]

This was prompted by the homeschooling thread and just reminded me of an email I received from a potential new attendee in our scout group. The parents have been homeschooling their children and appear quite target driven with things they would like the child to learn or cover. The parent sent me their child's learning objectives and asked how we could meet them!
I replied politely and stated that I was unable to go theough his learning objectives but would be happy to send our itinerary for the term so the parents could see. Not a happy camper the parent proceeded to tell me how I should be linking with homeschooling learning objectives. I told them I was not being paid to be a teacher so wouldn't be doing that but child was still welcome to attend. Needless to say he never showed anyway. I was discussing it with a colleague today and she thought I was mean🤣
What do you reckon...mean or not?

I used to be a Brownie guide leader.
One parent asked to visit me in advance of the first meeting ‘in my office’

DS complains (to me, not to the leaders) when scouts becomes a bit educational, and calls it "scout school". I think this is when it's sessions on knots, principles of flight etc.
His favourite scouts sessions are messing around in the woods, night hikes etc, but I don't expect the leaders to plan his preferences.

Honestly I think it's good for some parents to be told how it is! Good on you OP!

@EmeraldRaine

What is the point of Scouts etc if it's not educational though?

Having fun with your mates.

@littletinyboxes you’re teaching them how to deal with disappointment which is something the mum clearly didn’t learn.

I agree with PP's about your colleague; I've commented on previous threads, how willing people can be to generously offer your time and trouble. If they feel you were being mean, why not offer to put them in touch with the parents and offer their services? Wait for the many reasons why they can't manage that.
It's a long time since I was a Brownie, then a Guide, but one of the things that I loved about it was that it was not school (where I was thriving, to be fair); it widened my horizons in many ways, and I remember with gratitude those volunteers who gave their time and attention to us.

@EmeraldRaine
“What is the point of Scouts etc if it's not educational though?”

Really - are you for real?!!

I’m a parent of a young Scout who has also been a Beaver and I’m so grateful for the scouting family. Thank you Scouting volunteers!

Through Beavers and Scouts my son has had wonderful fun times with kids of mixed ages and done things with his peers we would never do at home.

Things they have got up to include lighting matches/candles, making fires, toasting marshmallows etc, having water pistol fights, water/mud slides (hill/plastic sheeting and hose pipe) camping, torchlit woodland walks, loads of physical games. In lockdown cooking/crafting/planting (over zoom).

I also make sure my son attends parades/services/ charity bag packs etc and litter picks etc (which he does gladly) and tell him that with rights (to have fun at water fights etc) come responsibilities (to attend the events which are less “fun” and more about representing Scouts and helping others.

Absolutely agree that Scouts is not and should never be school. It’s pure fun mixed with learning life skills and a bit of responsibility.

I am so grateful to the leaders who (often) spend all day at work and then put themselves out to help other peoples kids. Thank you for all you do x

As an ex Brownie leader this makes my blood boil. I'd have told them that their ideas sound great and told him that I assume he will be volunteering to help implement them in the group. The absolute fucking cheek.

I run a volunteer project that takes a lot of DoE candidates. Generally the kids are fine but the parental expectations that I redesign a large-scale support service for the benefit of their little darlings is infuriating.

I was one of the leaders at a Beavers group, I think we found parents were a mixed bunch. We were a very inclusive group and local SENCOs were known to point parents towards us as we had quite alot of success with children with special needs. The annoying thing was those parents often seemed to be the ones who would refuse to help out at all. We asked all parents to do one evening a term, not alot you might say, but I can remember children being pushed in the door and parents running so we couldn't remind them it was their night.

Being regularly late for collections was another thing that would annoy us. It can happen to anyone occasionally but the ones who were regularly 45 minutes late did try our patience, particularly after a St George's Day parade when it was raining.

The kids were great though and we did do it for them.

I'm not sure about it not being linked to education, as a home schooler I was often told, "they won't learn to mix, they won't learn to share, they won't learn to work as a team." and actually Beavers/cubs/scouts was great for all that.

Common joke amongst Scouting leaders... 'its only 2hrs a week'

You can spend longer than that just risk assessing one activity especially with Covid precautions...

It depends how you define "educational" though doesn't it? DD is 16 and a helper/young leader at Rainbows. The girls are 5 or 6. Very little.

At that age, everything they do is educational. Last week there was an activity about emotions and feelings, and how it's OK to feel sad/happy/angry. And about tools for dealing with emotions. That ticks the emotional wellbeing box.

They did running about active games like duck duck goose.

And a craft activity where they made a worry monster to feed their problems to.

But often the programme will change at short notice and we'll get a text saying bring a jacket we're going on a nature walk as it's nice or send your daughter in old clothes as we're junk modelling or whatever.

I see no issue with leaders giving parents a rough programme detailing what will be happening during that term or month. All fine. But Scouts/Guides/Cubs/Rainbows is NOT SCHOOL and there are no learning objectives or assessing of children. Some parents are batshit crazy.

Massive thank you to all Scouting and Guiding volunteers you do an amazing job with very little reward, my kids all got so much out of the organisations and now DD is trying to give a little back too.

Absolutely not mean!

It sounds like your colleague and the parents haven't got a clue what scouting in! Not the colleagues fault if they have no children/interest in it.

The parents should know better but I doubt it given some of the stories some of my scouting friends tell me. You've probably had a lucky escape if that child doesn't attend your group

Madness, truly.

If she feels so strongly about it maybe she'd like to volunteer to support. Or maybe she cba like everyone else but is massively more up her self than most.

@EmeraldRaine

What is the point of Scouts etc if it's not educational though?

It is educational in lots of ways. But it's a GROUP with lots of different activities. Not tailored for one child.

Jesus…. Brownies was just a mess around with my mates and was fun…

Isn’t it free babysitting?

Ha!!

DH runs a very similar group and has exactly this problem but also the parent demanding the price they’re willing to pay for the sessions. Then there was the not turning up now and again without any notice and not wanting to commit to a set number of sessions. I’m sorry to say that the organisation he runs groups for won’t advertise to the home ed community anymore because of this, which is a real shame.

Sounds very odd. I home ed my kids and they go to scouts and cubs, I would never do this!

@EmeraldRaine

What is the point of Scouts etc if it's not educational though?

It is educational, it's also fun for most kids and a different way to learn from school.

The point is that these parents appear to have confused the scout leader with a qualified teacher and private tutor that will accommodate a "curriculum" peculiar to their child. Scout leaders are volunteers who give up their time for no pay to provide fun activities. They don't accommodate any "curriculum".

I suspect op that they were of the entitled type that thought they could accuse you of some kind of discrimination/unfair treatment of home schoolers...

What’s weird is that there is no set home educating objectives(assuming you are in the U.K.?) so they are either from a curriculum they have chosen to use or they have made the objectives up themselves.

Another friend whose children attend our group is a home edder. Send her kids for the skills and d socialisation. Her theory is that she is responsible for their education .
I was actually really looking forward to this other child starting he is funny smart and kind. I know him from another club.

@Thesearmsofmine totally made up apparently their children are working to years ahead of their same aged peers. The parents have admitted that they set out the objectives

We are in the UK

Ridiculous. And how would that work with a group covering an age range between 10 and 14.

We once asked if the group would be covering something specific as DD needed to show a specific skill for a seperate certificate and we just hoped we didn't need to cover that ourselves. But it was something we knew her group had planned anyway, we weren't just sure of the timing.