AIBU to think school staff should make care provision for their dogs?

[LoveTheirDogs]

Our headteacher and business manager have both got dogs in the last six months. Now they're bringing those dogs into school. They're saying that the dogs are 'school dogs' which seems to mean that they're dogs that mostly hang around in school. They've also scheduled a number of 'enrichment activities' for the kids so that they can 'learn how to interact with different species' ie their dogs. AIBU to think this is taking the piss and they should just make provision for their dogs same as any other working person rather than having the whole school have to go to these (non-accredited) 'courses' that clearly cost a fortune and are only being put on so that BM and HT can tick a box that says everything is ok with them bringing their pets to work?

@neededafart

Our school has this. Paid for by the PTA

seems only naughty kids get to see the dog as a reward for not being misbehaving twats. the middle of the road kids and well behaved kids dont get a look in.

we do however get a lovely photo every month of the dog,.

Ouch. I hope the kids seeing the kids for therapy dont have any SEN or do people still kids with ASD / ADHD etc badly behaved twats? Maybe the dog is therapy for their additional needs?

My son gets speech therapy and occupational therapy. Would you feel jealous if your child couldnt a slice of that too? One also has a blue badge and DLA. I would gladly swop all of the extra support if my child was NT and didnt need it.

Your reasons are why you should hate shitty dog owners

Again, where is the evidence that these particular dogs don't have shitty owners.

Bought in the pandemic
No plan to keep or exercise them during work hours
Have not paid for training out of own pocket

@BelleOfTheProvince

Your reasons are why you should hate shitty dog owners

Again, where is the evidence that these particular dogs don't have shitty owners.

Bought in the pandemic
No plan to keep or exercise them during work hours
Have not paid for training out of own pocket

What dogs? The school dogs? Where is your evidence they are shitty owners?

The dogs on this thread.
There is far more evidence suggesting this is two people abusing their position of power than that it's a well planned provision.

Private school?

Ours was overrun with the bloody things.

Ouch. I hope the kids seeing the kids for therapy dont have any SEN or do people still kids with ASD / ADHD etc badly behaved twats? Maybe the dog is therapy for their additional needs?

Not all naughty kids have SEN. some kids are just naughty. i didnt mention SEN on my post atall.

My son gets speech therapy and occupational therapy. Would you feel jealous if your child couldnt a slice of that too? One also has a blue badge and DLA. I would gladly swop all of the extra support if my child was NT and didnt need it.

Dont be so ridiculous. Completely irrelevent to having a dog in a school

Just aswell the teachers didn't buy horses in lockdown!

@BelleOfTheProvince

The dogs on this thread. There is far more evidence suggesting this is two people abusing their position of power than that it's a well planned provision.

Is there? I've not seen any. The op certainly hasn't provided any

There is far more evidence suggesting this is two people abusing their position of power than that it's a well planned provision.

I don’t think there is - the OP seems to have a very skewed view of things and a dislike to the headteacher. They thought a school business manager was some made up job, so I don’t think their understanding of how schools work and how they are run is quite up to date.

@saleorbouy

Just aswell the teachers didn't buy horses in lockdown!

Why? Many kids would love riding lessons and it is something that the vast majority can't afford!

Most schools if legitimately setting this up would inform the parents. It'd be on the newsletter in the run up.',This is our new purpose built space' as well as after, 'this is fluffy. She's trained specifically to x y z.

The information given, which is what we have to go on, suggests pet not planned working animal.

Please feel free to point out evidence I have missed.

And it's definitely unethical to have a horse in the office under the desk. FFS.

A Shetland pony might fit under the desk!

I taught at a tiny rural school for many years. After my senior dog unexpectedly died, my junior dog came to school with me a couple of times. She ended up being so loved that she came everyday for 6 years until l moved to a new job. She was beneficial for so many and spent her days lying in the classroom or the school office. I would also bring pet lambs to school in spring so that I could give them their midday feed and the head teacher would bring kids. A child sometimes used to ride to school and the pony would spend the day on the school field. It was magical for adults and children alike.

@shiningcuckoo

I taught at a tiny rural school for many years. After my senior dog unexpectedly died, my junior dog came to school with me a couple of times. She ended up being so loved that she came everyday for 6 years until l moved to a new job. She was beneficial for so many and spent her days lying in the classroom or the school office. I would also bring pet lambs to school in spring so that I could give them their midday feed and the head teacher would bring kids. A child sometimes used to ride to school and the pony would spend the day on the school field. It was magical for adults and children alike.

That sounds fabulous. So many children would benefit

Our school had fish, gerbils chickens and ducks. Children need to learn responsibilities and this is a good introduction.
The introduction of course needs to be properly managed and thought through. In the OP case bringing the dog to school seems to be an afterthought after the ill throughout acquisition of a "lockdown" dog without considering the longterm implications of ownership when going back to pre-covid job responsibilities.

@saleorbouy

Our school had fish, gerbils chickens and ducks. Children need to learn responsibilities and this is a good introduction. The introduction of course needs to be properly managed and thought through. In the OP case bringing the dog to school seems to be an afterthought after the ill throughout acquisition of a "lockdown" dog without considering the longterm implications of ownership when going back to pre-covid job responsibilities.

Well yes. This is dressing up an adults poorly thought out decision as altruistic. People who work in schools know that the introduction of class animals takes a lot of planning and balancing- both to ensure the children's best needs are met as well as the animals in question. Some schools may have the space and funds to carry this out properly. But it does need to be done properly and in the op this is more than likely not the case.

Personally, I find it pretty galling that heads put money into these things whilst paying their teaching assistants so poorly.

But soon someone will be along to say that a dog adds more 'value added' to education than a person. 🙄

There is a definite class divide on this, isn’t there…

Loads of posters saying how it’s normal to have dogs at naice private schools and pretty village primaries

OP with a chip on her shoulder about the middle class clique committing all sorts of crimes including bringing in a dog

Near me, there are 2 schools, one private prep, one state primary
The private prep is dog central at pick up, and has a poster of ‘dog the month’ on the notice board outside and hundreds of children all happily stroking dogs

The state primary 2 roads away has ‘no dogs near school’ signs up on the railings outside, warning they may intimidate or injure people
Seems at huge odds with the happy doggy scenes 50m away

Another wonderful foible of the strange British class system…

Nail on head @Tenbob.

Well, if by class you mean that the higher class senior staff get to bring in their dogs, whilst the 'lower class' tas have to get by like everyone else. No mention of their dogs getting this special training.

I think it's an abuse of power not a class thing.

Did you bother reading the post @BelleOfTheProvince? It was perfectly obvious what was meant - and it wasn’t your bizarre interpretation.

“Abuse of power”

MN hyperbole of the day!

What has class got to do with it?

These people could not be arsed to get proper care for their dog so brought them into school under the guise of school dogs.

Leaving aside the fact the the whole concept of school dog is open to debate, these people are abusing their positions. How many other staff have dogs and would find it easier to bring them into school? Why are only certain staff allowed to do this?

Leave your dog at hoe and do not foist it on the school.

Again I say - talk to the governors, who have safeguarding responsibilities, and also staff welfare responsibilities - why should one person be allowed to do this and not others?

There are huge safeguarding implications - dogs can be unpredictable, as can small children - a volatile situation especially en masse.

I am a school governor in a school where the head has 5 dogs - he would not dream of bringing any of them in.

Yanbu. Our extended family has increased x 3 canine babies throughout lockdown now any occasions it is guaranteed the dogs are in tow, our yearly weekend overnight has to be dog friendly, they're all anxious dogs with separation issue's. 🙄

@SW1amp

“Abuse of power”

MN hyperbole of the day!

But it is abuse of power...!