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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

that school should offer lunch time detentions?

1000 replies

ljs22 · 02/02/2022 14:40

Regular poster, NC for this post,

Firstly, I completely agree with the concept of detentions. If my dd (15) has done something wrong, she needs to be punished. That's fine. Thankfully she doesn't get them often - just the occasional one, usually for not doing homework on time.

But (here's the AIBU). After school detentions mean that she misses the school coach, which I pay £60 a month for to bring her home. I work 4 days a week and my partner works long and unpredictable shifts, so we are invariably not available to collect her when she has an after school detention. We have no family locally who can help out.

We also live a 40 min drive away from the school and public transport is a pain as we are in the back end of nowhere and she'd need to get 2 (sometimes 3) buses, one of which runs only every hour, so if she misses that she has a really long wait. Hence why I pay for the coach in the first place as it brings her right to the street we live on.

I've been informed today by email that she's been given an hour detention tomorrow for not doing homework. I've contacted the school to request a lunch time one instead in the circumstances.

But .. AIBU to request this? I'm not sure if I am or not, but I honestly don't know what to do. I can't take time off work to collect her from school, neither can my partner, and I don't want her stranded for ages waiting for buses either when I pay a company to bring her home for precisely that reason.

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 02/02/2022 17:41

[quote ljs22]@JustLyra

Yes I do believe her. She's quite open about things and jn the past has just outright said to me "I didn't do it because I couldn't be bothered, I hate geography/maths" (etc). This time she's actually made an attempt (which I've seen). She said the teacher looked through it and said "what happened to the last question?" DD replied I didn't finish it as I didn't understand. Teacher apparently said "well you need to be consistent, that's an after school detention I'm afraid". That's DD's version. I'm backing her on this one. I don't think that's fair. [/quote]
If she's absolutely telling the truth on this then an hours detention isn't fair because it doesn't fit the crime.

However I stand by my previous post that if she doesn't do homework at all then she has to deal with the consequences.

ljs22 · 02/02/2022 17:42

[quote ljs22]@nationwde

She doesn't want to do any of those things, so it works out OK. If she did I'd have to maybe pay for her to get a taxi home on that evening? I don't know, it hasn't come up, so we've never needed to think about it. [/quote]

Or I'd have to hope the after school activity was on my day off!

OP posts:
Fuuuuuckit · 02/02/2022 17:43

@Askawayyyy

Could to instead ask your dd to stop getting detentions… seems the easiest option to me
Yeah... Then you wouldn't be in this predicament.

Detentions are supposed to be a pain in the neck. That's the deterrent. Make your dd pay for a cab, or manage 3 busses. A few times doing that should help her to remember to do her homework.

You signed up to the school knowing it's policies (or you should have read them before applying). It's up to you to make arrangements for her to get home.

That said, I would perhaps work with the school to request dd do the detention on a day when you can collect her.

Allywill · 02/02/2022 17:45

I sympathise as I had similar issue with my youngest. School bus paid termly. She was “banned” from the coach for one week for messing about - nothing very bad just acting stupid and kept swopping seats whilst the bus was moving which was not allowed (quite right). She had to ask her grandad to pick up for a week as I was at work and she had to pay him her pocket money for petrol money. He didn’t want to take the money but I told him it was necessary him to teach her a lesson. Never did it again.

Staryflight445 · 02/02/2022 17:48

They’re putting her safety at risk. I’d tell my daughter to get the coach and organise a meeting with someone senior at the school myself.
Safety comes before punishment. No 15 year old should be left to get home so far away in the dark, alone with only public transport at her disposal.

BlueRoseInBloom · 02/02/2022 17:48

I don't get why quite so many people support evening detentions that leave children vulnerable to all sorts.

To take it to the extreme conclusion, do people really believe getting raped, assaulted or even murdered is an acceptable punishment for not doing their homework properly.

These things might be rare but they do very much happen. I have personal experience of being sexually harassed and physically threatened at bus stops after school as a teen and that was at normal home time because my bus came after everyone else's. After 4pm is a shockingly desolate time of day to be out on buses. This is often when buses shift from day to evening timetables with much longer gaps between buses. I don't think most adults would often notice as most travel by car. I am middle aged and this time of day feels eerie when waiting for a bus when dark nights are with us.

Why is the notion of lunch time detention so difficult exactly.
Surely a school is capable of hiring someone especially to supervise lunch time detentions as their actual job. No teacher really needs to lose their lunch break. It would be worth the funding if all detentions were set for lunch time.

Evening detentions are to punish the parents really which absolutely sucks. In OP's case, it's even worse. Unrelated sick people get punished if she has to leave work to pick up her child from detention. Kids don't care. It does not change their behaviour in school as teens barely register the details of the daily lives of the adult's around them. Some children are unusually sensitive and do notice but it's damned rare. Being a teenager is to be utterly self absorbed and unaware of parental inconvenience.

PrivateHall · 02/02/2022 17:48

OP I would calmly seek further detail from school. The email said she was late with the homework, are you sure she didn't hand it in late? I know you say you believe her, but I wouldn't just jump straight to blaming the school. I don't think teachers would hand out detentions for no reason, its bound to be a pita for them too!

Indigofig · 02/02/2022 17:48

You're the parent, why not check she has done her homework? Teacher here. I had a 5 period day, staff meeting in the morning before work, running a club after school, duty at break and what I should give up my 40min lunch so your daughter can have a lunch detention? Hilarious! Parents get a reality check. I mark every weekend and have no life. Hence going part-time because teachets need to bend over backwards for entitled parents who can't parent. Go figure.

RedHelenB · 02/02/2022 17:49

Organise a taxi and take the cost of it out of any spending money you give her.

Indigofig · 02/02/2022 17:49

*teachers

Staryflight445 · 02/02/2022 17:51

‘ Parents get a reality check’

No… teachers, get a reality check.
So what if said child didn’t do their homework, so you think making them get home unsafely after a pointless detention is going to improve her relationship with the school and her work?

🙄

SunshineCake1 · 02/02/2022 17:51

@NorthSouthcatlady

Cool, then a staff member gets to have no lunch Hmm. The easiest fix is your daughter not getting detentions, why should the school schedule them at times that are convenient to her. That’s not the point of punishments
I doubt that is an issue since my sons school gave my year 7 child got five lunch time detentions in one week for forgetting to sign in at an off site school event Hmm.
diddl · 02/02/2022 17:52

@ljs22

Well if the rural bus stop is the issue can't you just meet her off the bus?

Not when I'm at work an hour away, no.

Perhaps she could pay for a taxi then?
Graphista · 02/02/2022 17:52

Gah! Wrote a post and it's vanished

Basically YABVU

Your daughter and her behaviour IS your responsibility (your plural I am very much inc her dad in this!)

It's happening often enough it's bothering you enough to start a thread.

I see NO indication that you ARE doing all you could to ensure she is doing her homework in a timely manner to the best of her ability. None.

Indeed a few of your comments show this to be true.

Are you sure the homework was done before hand in time and not after to try and escape detention.

Entirely possible I think.

One question may seem petty but if as it seems this is a regular occurrence I can understand why the school/subject teachers concerned are fed up! It's as pp said "straw that broke the camels back"

Even in your op you come across as blasé re her even getting a detention.

My dd managed to make it all through high school without getting a single detention!

My own rule (single parent) was homework was to at least be started if not completed the day it was issued. If dd was stuck she asked me or another pupil or if there was time between issue and due day then the teacher, if she asked me and I didn't know I'd do my own research to get an answer.

In your (mum AND dad) shoes I would be

Checking her homework diary daily

Making her do the homework in my presence

Checking it

Making sure she placed it in her bag.

Quite frankly she'd be getting grounded for a month too - home and school only, no phone, no calling friends, no friends around, no screentime aside from joint family viewing, no pocket money if she gets it.

Enough is enough op. She needs to learn and it is her parents responsibility to teach her. Your methods haven't worked this far have they?

IF she is genuinely struggling in certain subjects then speak to the school about reassessing her streaming position, possibly additional tuition needed

But IF as I suspect it's just she doesn't like these subjects - tough! That's life, we all have to do stuff that isn't fun!

@RegardingMary you are WAY out of touch as to how education and educators are being massively underfunded and unsupported by this govt.

A lack of a spare pen IS an issue as they're often not even getting enough money for BASIC supplies to the point many are relying on charity and even teachers themselves buying BASICS like pens out of their own pockets!

She says she did it last night.

But she has lied before so as you didn't see her do it or check it you can't possibly know, you need to at least check with the school

I’m really firm with my kids - if they’re wronged by school I will back them to the hilt, but if they lie to me and make me look stupid then a one off detention will be nothing in comparison to the loss of tech/privileges that will occur when it tumbles out (which it always does).

I was the same. I'm not a "school is always right" person but I'm also not a "the child/parent is always right" one either.

The content and tone of ops posts leads me to believe the dd has been getting away with murder homework wise at home for some time.

I'm also of the belief this is occurring on a fairly regular basis despite ops denials on this

Yes I do believe her. She's quite open about things and jn the past has just outright said to me "I didn't do it because I couldn't be bothered, I hate geography/maths" (etc).

And now you're backpedaling/contradicting yourself

Upthread you admitted you've asked her if she's done her work and she's lied!

It can't be both!

Wow! Yea you're that parent - your child can do no wrong in your eyes

You aren't doing her any favours here

WHEN was the homework issued?

(I'm not necessarily expecting an honest answer to this, given it's Wednesday and high school I suspect at least as long ago as Monday, possibly as long as a week ago depending on subject plenty of time to ask you, dad, other pupils, teacher etc)

I seriously doubt this detention was given 'because of gaps in her knowledge'. It will have been given because she didn't do her homework.

Me too

I think if there was an ongoing issue with my DD I'd have been made aware by now.

I think you have been - or should be your own comments show there have been repeated issues with homework not being done. It's your job as parents to resolve this

Initially it was, until I saw that she has in fact attempted the work. Now I think it's disproportionate.

1 you don't know WHEN she wrote that and that it really was only 1 question missed

2 you've admitted this is a repeated problem

3 she didn't try that hard considering she clearly hadn't asked anyone for help!

So you've made it OK for her and if she doesn't feel like doing homework again she knows there will be a chauffeur to take her home, almost worth doing the detention for.

Yep and not a single mention of any discipline or steps to prevent it happening again happening at home

and deduct his fuel money from her allowance. But after seeing her attempt at the so called "lack of homework", I'm less inclined to do this. I don't agree that she has done anything wrong in this case. She's made an attempt, and struggled with one question. I don't think that's punishment worthy.

And therein lies the problem!

Getting a clear message works just the same as it did 40 years ago

Damn straight!

The message this 15 year old is getting is she doesn't have to do her homework if she cba! (From parents)

That is not a lesson that will serve her well in life. In 3 years she will either be at uni (and having to manage a lot of independent study and self motivating herself to do so) or working (where she will be expected to arrive for work prepared as required)

Time to stop mollycoddling her.

FrippEnos · 02/02/2022 17:53

BlueRoseInBloom

Schools don't have the money to get staff in for lunchtime detentions.

As an incentive to stop getting detentions maybe the OP could take her DD to work and show her all all the unrelated sick people that are suffering due to her behaviour?

Staryflight445 · 02/02/2022 17:53

I don’t understand it either @BlueRoseInBloom especially for something like not doing home work.

They’re at school every bloody day bar the weekend, their home time is their home time and shouldn’t be dictated by schools. I think homework is disgraceful and should be completely student choice, being forced to do it just because builds such a negative connection to the subjects you don’t enjoy.

Schools are there to teach, not discipline. It’s not prison for god sake.

HugeAckmansWife · 02/02/2022 17:54

Teacher here - how long did she have to do the homework? If it was more than one night, she should have done it the night it was set and then gone to see the teacher to clarify what she didn't understand. We do do lunchtime detentions because we have a long lunch time - an hour, which is fine to get something to eat and then supervise, but my DS's school only gets 30 mins so they really can't do it - or if they did parents would complain their kids didn't get lunch. Personally, if a taxi is the only option, I'd do that and she pays you at least some of it back.

iwantmyownicecreamvan · 02/02/2022 17:55

I'm still a bit confused - did she hand the homework in and get it returned to her with a comment that it wasn't done then? Has the teacher seen her attempt?

cansu · 02/02/2022 17:57

You need to tell your dd to not get detentions. The detention inconveniences your dd and you as parents. You are annoyed so you support the homework more. Why should the school be chasing around after her at lunchtime? Teachers have other things to do at lunchtimes than supervising your dd in detention.

zoeFromCity · 02/02/2022 17:57

YANBU. Schools are totally ridiculous with the way how the impose themselves on family life. If parent says that the child is leaving by the only safe way to get home, the child is leaving.
Definitely ask for alternative arrangements, as the one they propose means she would commute by several buses and compromising her safety isn't an acceptable punishment for forgotten homework.

es, purpose of detention is to make life harder for the offender, but the level of hardship should be reasonable and comparable among students.

iwantmyownicecreamvan · 02/02/2022 17:57

Schools are there to teach, not discipline.

How I wish I could have just taught and not disciplined - life would have been so much nicer.

Staryflight445 · 02/02/2022 17:57

‘ Quite frankly she'd be getting grounded for a month too - home and school only, no phone, no calling friends, no friends around, no screentime aside from joint family viewing, no pocket money if she gets it. ’

I’m sorry but this made me laugh out loud.
She didn’t hand in her homework, she hasn’t been a bully, had a fight, been homophobic or racist.

She didn’t do her homework.
What a ridiculous reaction as a parent and a sure way to get your child to hate you, and school.

booplefloof · 02/02/2022 17:58

@Indigofig

You're the parent, why not check she has done her homework? Teacher here. I had a 5 period day, staff meeting in the morning before work, running a club after school, duty at break and what I should give up my 40min lunch so your daughter can have a lunch detention? Hilarious! Parents get a reality check. I mark every weekend and have no life. Hence going part-time because teachets need to bend over backwards for entitled parents who can't parent. Go figure.
Came in to say the same thing. Detentions are there as a consequence for the students actions, and it is up to you to communicate that with your daughter. It is not up to the school for them to rearrange consequences so that they impact on you less. That's the opposite of what they are trying to achieve. It is up to you to demonstrate to your daughter that her actions have consequences that affect more than just her. I say this as a teacher who has never ever given out a detention because I don't feel that they are rarely warranted.. But, I was the teacher who did this, I would not give up my 30 mins (which is ALWAYS interrupted or spent multitasking) to suit the family.

So for your original AIBU, yes, you really are BU.

However, it does seem a disproportionate reaction given that it seems she simply needs a bit of extra guidance over one question. You have stated here that this is not the first time a detention has been issued. I would go in and discuss this with the school in person, and find out if there is more to this situation than meets the eye.

Theworldspinsonmyhead · 02/02/2022 17:58

We always had lunch time detentions because many children went on school buses who otherwise would find it very difficult to get home. What about children who go on SEN transport too? They really should be giving these at lunch time, especially for something like missing homework.

I would be raising a complaint regarding the teacher giving her detention for not knowing something, that is awful.

cansu · 02/02/2022 17:59

She will not be at risk getting home because it is the OP's responsibility to get her home. That might mean a taxi, a lift from a friend of the parents or one of them leaving work early to collect her. One might then expect her dd to hand her work in on time.

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