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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

School chores?

134 replies

LyricalBoudicca · 13/10/2021 17:08

At my daughter's school the y6 children have various jobs allocated to them on a rota. One of the jobs involves scraping all of the half-finished lunch plates of all the younger children into the bin. She is now looking for excuses not to go in on the day on which this job is allocated as it makes her feel sick. Pondering on this and assessing if she was being 'precious' I seem to remember picking up litter/tidying up the library as jobs I used to at primary school do but nothing as yukky as what her class is being made to do. Apparently, she is not the only child disgusted by this but she wouldn't want to be the only one to complain. Part of me thinks a few chores is a good training for life but there are yuk limits at that age. Is this fairly standard in schools or is her school asking a bit too much?

OP posts:

MakingM2 · 13/10/2021 17:53

I'd be expecting all of the children to scrape their own plates tbh - that's a reasonable expectation and a good habit to develop. I seem to recall being expected to scrape my own food waste into the bin at school and at home.

I don't see why one child should have to do that for all of the children, no. That's not a chore to prepare them for life...unless they are planning on working in hospitality.

CoronaPeroni · 13/10/2021 17:54

I wouldn't have a problem with it (my own dds did this 20 years ago) if the jobs are on a proper rota regardless of sex. If girls are doing canteen duties and boys are doing games equipment duties I WOULD have a problem!

Skysblue · 13/10/2021 17:54

Some children have extremely sensitive noses and find it difficult to lean over a bin full of rotting food for more than a few seconds without feeling sick. Certainly J knwo children like that and was that way when young myself, I still hold my breath when scraping plates.

I would not accept this as an appropriate job for a child, anymore than I would accept her having to clean the toilets. Some jobs like tidying are appropriate, and some are not. If this is causing her anxiety and distress regarding her school experience then her school has made an error of judgement which you should ask them to correct.

DriftingBlue · 13/10/2021 17:55

At my DD’s school, kids aren’t even allowed to approach the trash at lunch anymore. An aide brings it around and kids place the trash in the bin one by one, being careful not to touch anything and keeping socially distanced. Not a chance would I let my child be touching the used lunch trays.

whatsthecraic91 · 13/10/2021 17:59

I wouldn't want my child doing this. Why can all the children not scrape their own plate? I remember doing my own at school primary & secondary. Usually the lunchtime supervisors helped the younger ones.

itsgettingwierd · 13/10/2021 18:00

@Rocketpants50

Yes I remember litter picking to, we didnt have any of those fancy litter picker things either. Not nice. Plate scraping, why can't the younger ones do it themselves, surely that's how they will learn how to do it. Maybe a y6 could monitor to encourage and guide them instead - worth suggesting? All children do it themselves at my DC's school. I think there are a few broken plates!

This.

Although I wouldn't have a problem with it there is no reason each child cannot scrape their own plate and be supervised.

Same with litter. I don't think having people to pick it up is a good lesson for others - having people supervise them pick their own dropped litter however is!

DroopyClematis · 13/10/2021 18:12

New YrR children often have no idea of what scraping a plate clean means as they often don't do it at home. An older pupil can help them. And why not?

Why do some people find plate scraping disgusting?

LaetitiaASD · 13/10/2021 18:19

@BluebellsGreenbells

Aged 10 my grandmother was sent to the yard to select a chicken - strangle it and then pluck it.

She’d laugh at scraping plates.

Bring back the cane, that's what I say. Fucks sake, the kid should be grateful she's not shoved up chimneys from 6am to 10pm 7 days a week.

FFS

sammylady37 · 13/10/2021 18:22

Because it's not just one plate of food. Its hundreds

So? That doesn’t make it grim or gross. It’s a simple chore, just on a larger scale than at home.

HowardNoir · 13/10/2021 18:23

I think it's great they're involving older children in tasks around the school, but I understand why she doesn't want to do this one. Either ask for her to have a friend help so it gets done quicker, or ask her to be moved to another task. I do agree that it shouldn't be a child's job, and if the school should have a member of staff to do it or encourage all children to do their own. And surely it takes up a fair chunk of her playtime too?

DelphiniumBlue · 13/10/2021 18:25

Why can't the younger children scape their own plates into the bin? I understand that many schools are short-staffed and if children can do jobs then there's more cash in the pot for things like books and teaching staff, but I don't see why the younger children shouldn't scrape their own plates - they do in my school.

DreamingofGinoclock · 13/10/2021 18:36

Definitely ok about jobs ...I remember having to do them in yr6 ...think I would be ok with the food scrapping but it would probably make me stop and think.

On a slight de rail I remember the job me and another girl had (as we were seen as responsible) ...was to go to the newsagent and pick up the TES paper ! ....I doubt this would be a job nowadays due to safeguarding ... although not sure how they got away with that job as it was only 1999/2000...(the newsagent was literally just outside the gate)

Ijustreallywantacat · 13/10/2021 18:44

I'm voting for precious. She doesn't have to use her hands. Use a fork or a knife to push the food in to the bin. Sorry, I think she needs to suck it up. Not every job or chore in life is going to be pleasant. She's not being asked to scrape skids off the toilet!

missingvowelround · 13/10/2021 18:46

I work in a school and have a DD in another school. Very standard job for year 6's in both.

In my school, the year 6's only need to help the year 1's and reception. They only help the ones who need it and are supposed to encourage them to do it themselves if they can. They do it in pairs and for 10 minutes at most.

I imagine you'd be topic of the day in the staff room if you ask her to be exempt.

lazylinguist · 13/10/2021 18:50

Because it's not just one plate of food. Its hundreds.

That doesn't make it disgusting, it just makes it take more time or more people to do it! Honestly - why are people teaching their children that a normal domestic task is disgusting and beneath them?

twobarnsmammisonthebus · 13/10/2021 18:52

YANBU - not appropriate, that is the kids’ breaktime, their downtime. They shouldn’t be spending it doing chores at all, and personally I don’t think this particular chore is appropriate at all, not least because it seems like a very efficient way to spread all the kids’ germs around to all the other kids.

sjxoxo · 13/10/2021 18:52

I think it’s yuk! I wouldn’t do it 😆 I agree each should do their own plate.. I don’t think it’s reasonable to do this in their lunch hour either. It’s meant to be some sort of breaktime. Is this meant to prep them for working through their lunch break when they start work.. ! I think they should each do their own and I think dealing with mass food waste is a job the school should pay to do not use pupils. If it’s a chore at home with family I think it’s different but not for the entire school. Also I’d be concerned it’s upsetting her to the point of not wanting to go in for the whole day! Let us know what you decide to do, I’m curious to know! Xo

Confrontayshunme · 13/10/2021 18:56

My DD's Infant school has a table monitor chosen each day who scrapes the plates of 7 people and their own. It is great, and they take real pride in doing it, as they get a special afternoon tea with the head at the end of term. If you don't volunteer or aren't polite enough to be chosen, you aren't punished, but you miss out on the party, and the cake is epic.

backtolifebacktoreality · 13/10/2021 18:59

@GinIronic

If my DC were still at school - it would be a firm no from me. Kitchen duties are not part of the curriculum. It’s not up to children to fill the kitchen/cleaning vacancies.

This!

DroopyClematis · 13/10/2021 19:03

@DelphiniumBlue

Alas , at my school, young children are often flummoxed by things like scraping plates. All too often, YrR children can't even use cutlery as they're so used to finger foods. I'll even extend this comment to Yr2 and even above.

BinglyBong · 13/10/2021 19:07

I remember doing this for a year as a Year 6.8 children to a table with two Year 6. It was our job for a year, after everyone at our table had finished, to scrape the table's plates, wipe the table and stools, clear all jugs/cutlery/plates and sweep the floor. It has not adversely affected me!

I worked at a school 8 years ago where a Year 6 child had the job of taking the food waste bucket from the staffroom outside to the compost heap.

They're not terrible jobs and children won't be harmed doing them. Although, how many plates are they scraping? Anything more than half of one class for one child is too much.

madisonbridges · 13/10/2021 19:13

When I was at school we sat on tables of 8. Two people used to go and get the food and plates and then they served everyone. At the end, plates were collected and uneaten food was scraped onto one plate and the 8 plates carried back to the washing up area. I really don't see the problem. It's just the same food that's she's eaten that someone else left. How do you dispose of the waste at home?what does she think happens to the food she leaves if you go out?

toocold54 · 13/10/2021 19:18

Kitchen duties are not part of the curriculum.

Shouldn’t it be?
I never understand why core subjects trump life skills, when life skills are way more important.
Surely it’s more important to learn how to cook and clean rather than how to name all of the parts of a plant - and I say that as a Science teacher.

If your DD had plate scraping duty all of them time whilst someone else had something nicer than I’d think it was unfair but if they’re all taking in turns learning different skills then I think it’s an excellent idea.

Smartiepants79 · 13/10/2021 19:28

@Mybalconyiscracking

I would not accept this as a task for my child. They can pay someone to do that. Our yr 6’s used to water plants and empty and rinse water bottles.

With what money are they paying people to do that job? We can barely afford teachers. Personally I think it’s very precious to think your child is above a little bit of tidying, helping and cleaning. This falls under the ‘teaching them about responsibility’ umbrella. Helping out the little ones and the staff. I’d support I completely unless my child has some form of recognised issues and then I’d have a sensible discussion with school to find her a suitable alternative job.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 13/10/2021 19:30

First of all it's temporary, and it's not going to be forever.

Secondly, check exactly what it's involved. At my school 99% of the time it's pick tray, bang on the side of the bin, stack tray up. It's rare even as adults that we need to physically scrape food off plates.

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