If you missed your kid's parents' night because you were on a term time holiday, would you expect the teacher to allow another appointment when you return?

[Purpleturtle46]

Just that really. Parents night same week every year and parents informed 2 months in advance.

YABU-yes the teacher should arrange to see you at an alternative time on your return.

YANBU-no, you booked and holiday and missed it so that's on you!

If I was the teacher, I would make the time

As the parent I wouldn't expect it, but I would appreciate it if they did make the time. Could literally be a 10-20 minute chat.

In my experience if there is a case of domestic violence with police/social work intervention and also a court order as you mentioned previously the school would already be aware as it affects the wellbeing of your child.

@LondonFox that's not the point. After school, teachers are busting a gut doing other things. Offering a ten minute slot when I'm trying to mark 30 English books, 30 maths sheets and 30 reading comps, phone parents, do a safeguarding form and make sure I leave on time after ten hours in school (to pick up my own child), ten minutes on a different day IS difficult. The description above was my to-do list after school today, and that was AFTER teaching the children. Parents have WhatsApp groups now, and it just takes one parent to say 'Mrs Covidwoes allowed me an appointment on a day of my choice', and others will start doing the same. Parents' evening appointments are on the same day(s) for a reason!

Omg are you joking?

No.

I might offer one at my convenience during the working day, if I had a slot at say 11.10am.

Otherwise, no.

(BTW I'm not a teacher, or a cheeky parent).

I am in Scotland and we have none of that. Nobody bothers about term time holidays here.

20 minutes.. seriously to discuss the little darling they couldn't be arsed to send to school.

Not a bloody chance

And we had a situation where a couple of parents copped on they were getting 8 minute slots during the parents teacher afternoons and suddenly they all wanted different days when they weren't constrained by time so we stopped any options at all.

No. Hell no. And as a separated parent, also no to separate meetings. Our issue to navigate

Make time…how? Do you think teachers are routinely spending time doing unnecessary tasks? Or should they stay late/be unpaid for that extra 20 minutes?

More examples here of the entitled, "it's JUST 10 minutes." Those snippets of time add up, until the camel's back breaks.
It is a pain doing a parent consultation on a different day. On the scheduled evening, you're in the right head-space and on a roll. To adjust back into that zone for just one child after a full day's teaching is much harder.

Doctors and psychologists in child services or specialist adult services (eg learning disabilities) do frequently offer 2 appointments - one for each parent. There are several patients I currently have on my caseload who have this requirement (only one where parent to parent abuse is a factor).

ETA: I agree with your overall post that if parents night is on a set date and parents arrange to be away over that time, you shouldn't be under pressure to offer alternatives.

So you'd force them to have to explain why they want seperate appointments?

And what are your thoughts on this? Surely that's a huge waste of resources and appointments in an already overstretched system!

DH and I are just back from a week in Spain and were astonished to see so many British families with school age children. We got talking to one parent and she said the difference in cost made the fine worthwhile.

Apologies makes more sense in that case.

It's called meeting the needs of the child!

My school say that separated families need to come together unless there is reported abuse.

Usually if there is domestic abuse with children in the home the school are already aware as social work and police are involved.

You would yes. What you wouldn't be aware of is any domestic violence that went un documented by police/social Work intervention or a court order.

It was becoming ridiculous. In a class of 30, the teacher was having 40 appointments.

Nope. Only if they know about it

No, it's not. It's called pandering to entitled parents.
We meet the needs of the children in our care all day, every day.
When they're in school and not on holiday, anyway.

Also the job of the parent.

They probably wouldn't have time, I'm a private school teacher and parents often want appointments and that's fine, but we have less children and my work day finishes at 6.00pm, having finished teaching at 5.00 that permits some contracted time to handle such requests.