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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Headteachers should drive to the homes of absent pupils and get them into school

346 replies

Amuseaboosh · 14/07/2023 07:54

Headteachers "have a duty" to drive to the homes of absent pupils and bring them into school, the education secretary has said.

Gillian Keegan said levels of absence in schools were now "a crisis," with recent figures revealing that 125,000 pupils spent more time out of class than in.

I know how very lucky I am to have never had to cope with any of my children not wanting to go to school.
However, I'm not so ignorant that I believe that all the parents dealing with this issue haven't tried absolutely everything to get their child into school. Where is ANY member of teaching staff supposed to find the time to attend to 125,000 pupils in person to get them to come to school?

AIBU in thinking Gillian is out of touch and ignorant? Or can someone see wisdom here that I cannot?

OP posts:
SouthCountryGirl · 14/07/2023 15:52

Mariposista · 14/07/2023 12:46

My teacher cousin has had to go to truanting pupils' houses and get them into school (in his free periods, think they rotate this task).
I also know of a woman who is not allowed to make the judgement on whether her child is ill enough for be off school after refusing to send her back in after covid, so if her child is apparently 'ill' someone has to come round and verify it. Never known the HT do this though.

What qualifications does this person have?

Florenz · 14/07/2023 15:53

Stop their parents benefits and kick them out of their homes. Kids need to go to school. It shouldn't even an option, or a question. Your kids go to school, end of.

Mojoj · 14/07/2023 15:58

Aye, Gillian, maybe think about properly funding schools and addressing the epic mental health crisis affecting our young people before opening your mouth and demonstrating your complete ignorance of what's behind these poor attendance figures.

Howls · 14/07/2023 16:01

Florenz · 14/07/2023 15:53

Stop their parents benefits and kick them out of their homes. Kids need to go to school. It shouldn't even an option, or a question. Your kids go to school, end of.

Read the thread why don’t you 🙄

Mariposista · 14/07/2023 16:05

SouthCountryGirl · 14/07/2023 15:52

What qualifications does this person have?

Show quote history

My cousin? He's a teacher.
As for the case of the covid zealot, couldn't tell you - someone from the school's safeguarding team. Think in case of doubt it would have to be followed up by a GP (yep, waste of resources, but she couldn't be trusted so the court ordered this).

Howls · 14/07/2023 16:06

Phos · 14/07/2023 14:49

Yes but that's just standard MN isn't it.

Show quote history

Who are these chaotic families?
Living in chaos is a sign of SN - either from a medical perspective or a mental health one. Either way these families need support.

My family is chaotic because of my children’s diagnoses and the trauma they suffered in school - we were judged to the hills and back because we were clearly to blame - except we weren’t, we were struggling hugely just to get through the day.

Judgement and punishment exacerbates situations like this.

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 14/07/2023 16:07

Florenz · 14/07/2023 15:53

Stop their parents benefits and kick them out of their homes. Kids need to go to school. It shouldn't even an option, or a question. Your kids go to school, end of.

And that would have improved my DS' MH issues how? You think he'd be less anxious and depressed (highly likely he's got undiagnosed ADHD too).
I'm sure being homeless and unable to feed him wouldn't have made that go away.

Tanith · 14/07/2023 16:08

And will Gillian Keegan defend that headteacher if an allegation is made against him or her? Hmm

PTSDBarbiegirl · 14/07/2023 16:09

JudgeJ · 14/07/2023 15:28

Bliar. The naivity on this site is so amusing!

Show quote history

Sadly there are still plenty of people like you who prefer to apologise on behalf of greedy, selfish political leaders. I couldn't care less about Blair the war criminal, Labour or any Tory. They all shaft services and funding for children, young people & families which is the point but Tories have taken the damage to a new level.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 14/07/2023 16:13

*Florenz · Today 15:53

Stop their parents benefits and kick them out of their homes. Kids need to go to school. It shouldn't even an option, or a question. Your kids go to school, end of*

My Dd self harmed because of school. This was highlighted by a psychiatrist and a pyschologist. She has situational mutism and a teacher would not accept this and kept pouncing in her to answer questions. She became so terrified ( year 12) that she refused to go to school.

Just try and kick me out of the home l own with no mortgage! Maybe if the school was right for her she could attend. But it isn’t.

Such an ignorant unknowledgeable comment. 2-3% of the school population are refusers, the majority of these are ND. What does that say about provision for these children?🙄

3BSHKATS · 14/07/2023 16:23

Mariposista · 14/07/2023 16:05

My cousin? He's a teacher.
As for the case of the covid zealot, couldn't tell you - someone from the school's safeguarding team. Think in case of doubt it would have to be followed up by a GP (yep, waste of resources, but she couldn't be trusted so the court ordered this).

Show quote history

So you’re non-medically qualified cousin teacher is going round to somebody’s house to decide whether or not that kid is sick ?

Why do people put themselves through this crap? I would just a register my child, if that was even being muted by the school.

orangeleavesinautumn · 14/07/2023 16:24

Tanith · 14/07/2023 16:08

And will Gillian Keegan defend that headteacher if an allegation is made against him or her? Hmm

and is she offering to pay the petrol and insurance? or is she expecting the school staff themselves to pay? ( which I| think is generally what happens)

3BSHKATS · 14/07/2023 16:24

*deregister

edwardcullensotherwoman · 14/07/2023 16:29

HeBeaverandSheBeaver · 14/07/2023 08:16

Some children will never be able to fit into a regular school. We need to re look at provision for those 125k. I willing to bet most are struggling with mental health. No coincidence this has risen since covid.

Many will be ND as well.

They just can't do it.

We need small schools for these kids maybe even online based classes too with highly trained teachers that understand the issues they face not these Victorian values

If Mumsnet had a Like button! I 100% agree with this. School is a "one size fits all" which doesn't fit all!
Our secondary has sent a letter from the LEA about attendance, with a 'useful' webpage with tips on improving attendance.
The problem with all these 'tips' and the drive to boost attendance is that the don't seem to be recognising (or maybe just refuse to acknowledge) the reasons behind a lot of poor attendance. Yes there are parents who just cba (I know at least 1) but forcing a child to go to school who mentally just cannot cope with it is not a good strategy. All it does is make the figures look better, but what are the long term repercussions on that child's mental health? On their ability to trust people?
She needs to focus in on what can be done to make these children want or able to go to school, not just getting bums on seats.

Mariposista · 14/07/2023 16:45

3BSHKATS · 14/07/2023 16:23

So you’re non-medically qualified cousin teacher is going round to somebody’s house to decide whether or not that kid is sick ?

Why do people put themselves through this crap? I would just a register my child, if that was even being muted by the school.

Show quote history

No, two separate cases and schools . Cuz just deals with those who don’t bother showing up. The other case was elsewhere. The mother decided she would make up her own rules RE returning to in person education so ALL absences from her daughter have to be verified. Don’t think she has missed much school since haha

3BSHKATS · 14/07/2023 16:47

Blimey

Conkersinautumn · 14/07/2023 16:49

Ha ha ha ha ha. My teen has pushed me down the stairs to avoid school. But sure the education secretary wants to be paying headteachers danger money as well now, why not?!

PeggyPoggle · 14/07/2023 16:58

BluNomad · 14/07/2023 08:06

Teachers should stick to teaching rather than worrying about the schools attendance record, they couldn’t give a f about the education of a single child or the issues a parent might face getting a child to school. If the head or any teacher turned up at my door they’d get it slammed in their face

Well aren't you pleasant.

BluNomad · 14/07/2023 17:28

PeggyPoggle · 14/07/2023 16:58

Well aren't you pleasant.

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If you knew the amount of problems that have been causes by teaching staff at dc school you’d understand why I feel that way

statetrooperstacey · 14/07/2023 17:40

Deputy head asked us if he could have our permission to come to the house, we said yes. He came round and went up to his bedroom, ( with DH as chaperone) questioned him about the holes ( he’d punched ) in his walls, spoke to him etc didn’t make any difference but it did show that we were willing to try anything and everything and fully supported the school . Also showed that the reasons we were giving were true , that he was just refusing rather than being locked up and abused I suppose. Dd was however horrified to be woken up in his lair and lectured by his teacher while he was in his pants .

Howls · 14/07/2023 17:55

BluNomad · 14/07/2023 17:28

If you knew the amount of problems that have been causes by teaching staff at dc school you’d understand why I feel that way

Show quote history

At many of our dc’s schools.

I can only see how bloody awful teachers were to my older dc because my youngest is now at a school where they’re doing everything they can to make him feel comfortable going in.
Of course there are some teachers that aren’t great, but at my older dc’s school it was just an onslaught of shit from start to finish.
I ended up deregistering 2 of them because of it.

unicornhair · 14/07/2023 17:56

Florenz · Today 15:53

Stop their parents benefits and kick them out of their homes. Kids need to go to school. It shouldn't even an option, or a question. Your kids go to school, end of

i don’t receive benefits and we own our own home. I was a professional who gave up my career when DD had a breakdown and became unable to attend school. What would you do to us then?

crazyBadger · 14/07/2023 18:41

I would literally spend hours getting DD into school (secondaryr9-11) then the school would phone me to come and collect her ... 10/20/30 minutes later they would never keep her the whole day wouldn't say they couldn't meet needs so the cycle continued... Ruined my mental health, and out relationship were still in recovery now

Florenz · 14/07/2023 18:54

How are these kids going to cope with life beyond school? What jobs are they going to do? Are they going to be on benefits their whole lives?

CactusDreams · 14/07/2023 19:01

Florenz · 14/07/2023 15:53

Stop their parents benefits and kick them out of their homes. Kids need to go to school. It shouldn't even an option, or a question. Your kids go to school, end of.

How does this work for parents who own their homes and don’t claim any benefits?! Or will those families have another separate punishment ?