Do you think that schools are okay?

[applejane11]

When I was in school, I remember absolutely hating school. I like learning. What I hated was the constant feeling of being in a prison, having no freedom. Having to sit for 7 hours a day and not speak. Having no say at all in most things. Constantly being controlled. I remember every morning, feeling dread when I woke up to go in.

I now actually work in a school in an admin position. Ive worked in lots of different companies. Now im in a school. I hear the teenagers say the same things all the time. They hate it, they feel like they are in prison, that it is awful, that they feel depressed every day, that all their young life is wasted. I also have to say, I definitely see school teachers abuse their power over the students. Not in a way that you could say is definitely abuse, but just in a way where you can see that they are really loving having power and control over the teenagers.

Do you think that schools are okay the way that they are? Teenagers don't have a lot of say in things or a lot of human rights, so it's adults that need to have the conversation about it.

What a lovely post. You articulated my experience so well.

I remember leaving school as being a very sad experience, and saying goodbye to the teachers. I am lucky that life has been good to me as an adult, nonetheless school was probably where I was happiest as a teenager.

A lot of the MC kids always moaned back on the first day of term, but I was relieved to get back.

Yes, either agree and totally run with what is being said, or you are abusive.

I was about to comment this too. Secondary school kids generally have little to no contact with office staff other than the odd day they have a dentist appointment and are in the office waiting to be collected by a parent during school hours, or something.
Why are you having so much contact with students about pastoral /wellbeing stuff?

And the students are probably visiting OP in the office just because she gives them time to whine about all and sundry just to avoid being in class!

No I considered the post where I was called a patronising fucker to be abusive.

Which it is and which any normal person can see it is.

Mumsnet agreed with me and have taken it down.

They don't come in when they are in class......obviously.

They do have breaks.

My 16yo daughter’s school just brought in a compulsory jacket! FFS aside from the expense are there other things they could be doing?

I work with 7-12yo, parents leaving too much rearing to crèche/school imo. We need to become more vocational to meet the needs of the children and prepare them for the world.

I'm thinking of at least three other children now on similar lines. Given the high achievers, middle of the road kids and those who just were difficult because they craved validation, it's those like that girl who stick with me most.

They are the ones who make it the most worthwhile.

Most are with friends during breaks. If they are wanting to talk to office staff during breaks it’s because they have no one else. So you hear all their woes. It’s great to provide sympathy and empathy but you’re not getting the full picture from the majority of the cohort at the school, just the ones struggling in general.

You're interested now right. I don't care if you are interested. You're the last person I want to talk to

You told me that my job is imaginary and I was talking nonsense.

Oh if only your safeguarding lead could see what you are really like. I hope your school sees what you are really like one day,as your posts are some of the worse I've seen on mumsnet. You should really not be working anywhere near a school.

What would you suggest was done differently?
I enjoyed school, learned a lot and it has set me up well for my career. Sure, no one wants to be stuck there all day but it’s a means to an end and not that bad once you get into it.

Back to the point. What is your Admin job that allows for this direct student interaction and placement on a commitee?

Well one example: a lot of the teenage girls in my school feel that they are not supported well enough on the topic of menstruation.

I have brought this issue up in school meetings, and they are now trying to bring some changes in.

Back to my point.
After harassing and abusing me, you want to know what my job is, why on earth should I tell you? Give me one reason why i would tell you, a person who has written horrible posts -anything about my life

You are so defensive.

Half of what you have written is, at best, embellished, and at worst, lies.

What you have written about what children apparently say to you is concerning when it comes to boundaries.

Best days of your life, they told us back in the 70s.

I think it's a lot more concerning that you wrote to someone that they are ' a patronising fucker'

That is very weird and concerning behaviour.

It is quite important for establishing your credibility. Especially as more posters then just me have sought to query it.

Do you actually know what abuse is? I find it alarming and insulting what you consider abuse. Someone disagreeing with you, a child wearing a blazer, neither are abuse.

Just naming the behaviour I saw.

In a classroom I'd reign in the language, "patronising human" any better?

She knows it’s her favourite word!

if you want to have a debate about this OP, why are you not engaging with us posters that had a positive experience of school because it provided us with opportuntiies and took it us away from our miserable home life?

Establish my credibility! Are you actually for real. I couldn't care less if you think I work in a school or not. Now you want me to establish my credibility to you. Honestly you are absolutely unreal.

Prove to me that you work in a school then. Go on. It's important that you establish your credibility.

Tell me your exact job title and show me proof that you work in a school.

I did a teaching practice in a school where the pupils were quite a mixed bag and there was very little control. The bullies took over in the classrooms, very little learning took place and there were serious physical and sexual assaults on staff. I was never allowed to be alone in the classroom with the pupils because the staff said it wasn't safe for me. The teacher who was my mentor had a breakdown soon after I left. The school went into special measures and then became an academy with very strict rules. The staff and pupils who went through both regimes felt safer and happier in the stricter version.

Easy going schools work brilliantly for a school full of well behaved, academically motivated pupils but schools have to take all comers.

Forcing a child to wear clothes that are too hot to wear in a heatwave, is actually abuse.