Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Just shut the bloody school!?!

279 replies

Chikeletta · 02/05/2023 07:53

1 class open in the whole primary school, NOT Year 6. For the sixth time this year, my DC has to go to school while most of the school is off. I'd much rather have an extra day with my DC.

Is it fair on the other years that one class has 6 days extra attendance and education. Equally, is it fair that my DC class have missed out on upto 6 extra days with fanily, benefitting from off-peak price days out and some extra downtime?

AIBU to think school should just offer 30 spaces for families who really need it, rather than having one class in!?
I know lots of parents are struggling for childcare, give them by DC place!

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 02/05/2023 08:06

Chikeletta · 02/05/2023 08:04

On a personal note, we would. DC attendance already low due to two bouts of Covid and a tummy bug - attendance being monitored and threat of a fine so have to keep attendance up.

Show quote history

Then you should be happy they are in getting an education if they have already missed so much through illness.

Alargeoneplease89 · 02/05/2023 08:07

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 02/05/2023 08:07

@Chikeletta then you should be happy they're still getting an education seeing as they've had so many days off!

nofusspot · 02/05/2023 08:08

So because some kids aren't getting an education for 6 days you want your kids to miss out too? Do you not like your kids?

itsgettingweird · 02/05/2023 08:08

Get on the side of teachers.

Write to your MP explaining that you are concerned that by the time your primary aged child gets to secondary they'll be being taught GCSE science and maths by people teachers and languages by geography teachers. Or taught in groups of 90 in the hall supported by TAs and only 1 qualified teacher - if your lucky in the actual subject.

Explain that funding needs to be there. Not only to support the pupils education and to cover the pay rises they've offered teachers.

Then no child needs to miss a day of education and when they can actually attend school it'll be to be taught by highly professional qualified teachers who aren't providing the pens and pencils out of their own pay packets and who can't scarcely afford to do so anymore with CofL crisis and many years of pay freezes.

Pinkflamingopants · 02/05/2023 08:08

So your kids have had loads of time off for illness and yet you want to keep them off for off peak family days out? What do you think working parents would do on these days? I certainly wouldn't be able to take my kids for days out

SunnyEgg · 02/05/2023 08:09

Nordicrain · 02/05/2023 07:58

Equally, is it fair that my DC class have missed out on upto 6 extra days with fanily, benefitting from off-peak price days out and some extra downtime

This is rdiculous OP. Your DC is receiving the education he is meant to have. Don't make out like they are doing your a disservice.

What a thing to complain about

nofusspot · 02/05/2023 08:09

Chikeletta · 02/05/2023 08:00

I'm not unsympathetic to childcare issues which is why I think it would be better to offer the spaces to families that need it. I will be penalised of my child misses school even on a strike day.

And you think there are only 30 kids that will fall in this category? And what sort of education will they get in a class of mixed age groups?

Nah you're being ridiculous

MrsHerculePoirot · 02/05/2023 08:09

This can’t be a serious post surely?!?!

YABU

Hamburgerandchips · 02/05/2023 08:10

So you think that hard working teachers should do extra work trying to sort out which children to bring in for the day?? Doubtless you'd be unhappy with their choice! It's a no win so needs to be sucked up while industrial action plays out

Greywhippet · 02/05/2023 08:10

Strikes aren’t there to give family days out. They’re industrial disputes.

ScratchSniffWuff · 02/05/2023 08:11

YABU to complain OP.

OTOH, We LOVE strike days. It gives everyone a well deserved rest and downtime. I'd support 4 day weeks for work and school.

Also I support teacher who strike 100%. They are doing it for our dc.

arethereanyleftatall · 02/05/2023 08:11

Chikeletta · 02/05/2023 08:00

I'm not unsympathetic to childcare issues which is why I think it would be better to offer the spaces to families that need it. I will be penalised of my child misses school even on a strike day.

Seriously - how do you imagine this would work? Do you really think office staff have time to send out an email, and then work out which 30 families are most deserving from the responses, then work out how they will teach an all ages class. How do you think that would go down to the ones who miss out?

Cooknook · 02/05/2023 08:12

I'd be thrilled if DCs class were able to go in rather than feel aggrieved, how strange. I agree with others, just another example of teachers not being able to win.

DeathMetalMum · 02/05/2023 08:16

Dd2 is in school two days this week. With bank holiday, strike day today and the school is shut due to local elections on Thursday. It's a PITA as I have a colleague off work and would usually do overtime while DC are in school. But I support the strikes.

Dd1's school (secondary) haven't shut for any strikes. I'm certainly not planning to keep her off school one day next week to make up for it.

WheelsUp · 02/05/2023 08:17

Yabu

Since you don't work during school hours, have you considered home educating ? You could have off peak fun days and do learning during peak days.

Very strange that you think a non-striking teacher and her class should be sent home. There is an extra bank holiday and half term this month so plenty of extra downtime.

Pinkflipflop85 · 02/05/2023 08:18

DonnaBanana · 02/05/2023 08:03

YABU thinking that a school should rearrange its classes when industrial action is taking place. However, I do think it’s a bit grim one teacher is holding out and refusing to strike. They should be supporting their coworkers.

We have one colleague teaching their class today. They aren't in a striking union. It has bugger all to do with refusing or not supporting coworkers.

DustyLee123 · 02/05/2023 08:19

You know that kids don’t only miss out on education by not being in school ? They miss out on the multiple agencies that assist kids in school.

GreenWheat · 02/05/2023 08:19

Good grief. Strikes are not designed around your wishes and conveniences.

Poopoolittlekitten · 02/05/2023 08:19

jeffing hell, poor teachers! Just tell the school you made other plans on the assumption that the school was closed if it bothers you that much! Personally, I'd love for my DCs to be able to go in today, and when one DC was able to have their class in last week was happy with that. The other DC got a day 'off'

CMZ2018 · 02/05/2023 08:20

Blame the bone idle teachers

hoophoophooray · 02/05/2023 08:22

DonnaBanana · 02/05/2023 08:03

YABU thinking that a school should rearrange its classes when industrial action is taking place. However, I do think it’s a bit grim one teacher is holding out and refusing to strike. They should be supporting their coworkers.

You can't strike if you are not a member of the relevant union. I am in Unison, but colleagues of mine are not. If Unison called us out on a legal strike, I wouldn't go to work and wouldn't be penalised for it, but if non-union colleagues didn't turn up then they would be subject to disciplinary action for unauthorised absence. It's not as simple as "one teacher is holding out...."

Hellocatshome · 02/05/2023 08:22

WheelsUp · 02/05/2023 08:17

Yabu

Since you don't work during school hours, have you considered home educating ? You could have off peak fun days and do learning during peak days.

Very strange that you think a non-striking teacher and her class should be sent home. There is an extra bank holiday and half term this month so plenty of extra downtime.

Ah yes but thats not the off peak down time that OP is so jealous of other families getting. When in reality most kids will be stuck on a games console while their parents try to work from home or sent to Grandmas or in a lot of cases of the older ones left home alone.

Hersetta427 · 02/05/2023 08:23

Then don't send them to school - if you want to spend a day with them so badly (having just had a long weekend anyway) keep them home. Do you generally feel like that on a Monday as its not really normal.

TheKeatingFive · 02/05/2023 08:24

Keep them off if you feel so strongly? 🤷‍♀️

Swipe left for the next trending thread