Given detention for lateness on tube strike day

[Longingdreamer]

My child was given a detention today, despite there being a tube strike in London, which has caused travel chaos. They early but were apparently still late: roads are almost at a standstill it seems.

They get very upset by detentions, due to underlying neuro diversity.

Aibu to think that the school shouldn't give these on a strike day for minor lateness?

They usually give them, even if a child is only 1 minute late, but it seems wicked when it is out of their control.

They early but were apparently still late

good question!

I assume 'left early but were still late'...?

I think the missing words are, "They set off early". It's pretty clear from the OP's posts what she meant.

Use of the word “apparently” would indicate the op even doubts he was late

That can routinely happen in a longer journey, regardless of the person's occupation. Alternative routes become condensed, replacement buses fill up fast.

The child is female.

🤷‍♀️ makes no odds

Have you made your views known to school. Is there a school parent liaison group?

DD’s Maths teacher didn’t make it in for the first two periods.

Well you were being pedantic about the use of the word “apparently” so I thought I’d point out your mistake

I wasn’t being pedantic
I was pointing out the op is questioning whether her child was late by using the word “apparently”
so maybe there is even doubt around whether he was in fact late

but I’m sure OP relieved to have you by her side

Being in the North can have it's own problems! Teaching in Leeds in 1970 there was a bus strike due on Friday, my form were asking what they could do, many lived in the outer suburbs, and I said 'You can leg it, won't hurt you for once!'. There was a look of incredulity, 'Are you serious Miss, we can leg it?'. To cut a half hour discussion short we discovered that on the proper side of the Pennines where I was from, 'leg it' meant to walk, on the wrong side of the Pennines where we were it meant the truant! I quickly clarified what I meant.

Poor kid. London has been a frigging nightmare so far this week and won’t get better. If the school won’t exercise any discretion OP, I would go option 1 with DC but very frankly. Sometimes schools are populated with great caring and decent teachers. Sometimes they are populated with power crazy, idiotic, computer says no despots. And your DC will meet both types throughout his life. As any other institution, sometimes there are petty and pointless rules which matter hugely to some sad inadequate individuals and the best thing to do is shrug, recognise it’s their problem, their personality shortfalls, not his. Be beatific, smile and let it go. Deep down he knows it bollocks, and his mum knows it too.

I was trying to keep it gender neutral for anonymity but clearly failed. Anyway, this might explain more why I don't want her leaving before sunrise or taking an Uber on her own (not that it's even reasonably possible to get one during a strike)

How did you know given the op kept the thread “gender neutral” until final post

Do you have any other children op? Did they get to school on time?

Yes, but they are primary aged and their school is around the corner. They are always in on time.

Not that I know of. I have written to them asking for discretion.

This issue aside, do you view the school and its approach etc positively?

They don’t have to be so inflexible about this - there is even an official government attendance code Y2 for ‘widespread transport disruption’ especially for things like strikes.

If he is being marked as ‘late’ and sanctioned, you might put it to them that their attendance data is seriously inaccurate!

But the tube strike has been on the national news - it's not some random excuse of dubious authenticity.

We've had lots of people disrupted by it at work and no one is in trouble for it.

I live about 300 miles from London and I'm well aware of the impact it's had.

Schools should make allowances. If someone is late every week with random excuses, that should be dealt with as a separate issue with that individual - as would happen in most reasonable workplaces.

I think it is too rigid. This just leads to resentment from pupils (my daughter's friends have said the same). They do not consider fairness when applying their punishments.

Agree the detention is unfair. London is chaos at the moment. My daughter had to wait for 4 buses before she got one she could get on this evening - she normally gets the tube. Even if you're factoring in extra time, you can still get scuppered by the amount of traffic.

Ok so on a broader level you don’t regard the school positively

I failed to quote, but my post was in response to the PP saying a surgeon friend had stayed in London to make sure they weren't late