To think that the 'sitting in your school team at lunchtime' thing is stupid?

[Eniddo]

at dd1 and dd2s state primary the new head has introduced a rule that all children have to sit in their school teams (like houses) at lunchtime - therefore my dd1 is unable to sit with any of her close friends, which she doesn't like very much. They are also being given points for behaviour at lunchtime.

I don't like this (and neither does dd1) as I feel it makes lunchtime quite competitive - why cant they be left in peace to eat their sandwich fgs without worrying about eating with their mouths open.

I spoke to the head who said that I, and another mum who complained, were the only ones who had a problem with it and she was doing it as the lunchtime supervisors couldnt disciplilne the badly behaved children properly. To get this into persepective, it is a small school (100 pupils) full of nice kids, probably 5 of them in the whole school are a bit 'wild'.

AIBU?

"she also wears a lot of per una and has a dodgy perm"

yes, infallible signs of poor judgement

Hmm. Have you ever been in the school at lunchtime and watched them eat? No matter how 'nice' children are, or how well mannered they are at home, IME they all seem to turn into animals at school!

yy

it means something

although admittedly I am terribly superficial

People's choice of clothing and hair style are a pretty good guide to their general finesse d'esprit and overall judgement I find...

But BIWI, when it comes home and DD's manners go out of the window it's too much.
She has eaten with her mouth closed since she was about 2, as has DS1. DS1 (3) now eats nicer than his 8year old sister.
Heaven knows what she is going to be like when she comes back from the residential trip she is on.
Probably eating with her fingers whilst sitting on the toilet singing sailor songs.

lol @sailr songs

dd1 is very keen on manners [goody goody]

and dont get me started on her teeth

??

Not sure I get you VSSS - I was saying that manners at school might not be good, which is why this policy might encourage them. I would totally agree with you that school should be encouraging/fostering good manners and building upon what we are teaching them at home!

PMSL at the sea shanties

I agree, my DD's table manners have not been improved by meals in the canteen . But I still want her to eat with her friends and have a nice time - fortunately her class teacher also thinks this, and she does the round of tables (one per day each week) to help the children learn about table manners and conversation.

Oh no, bad teeth too?

How presumptious to impose rules of conduct upon others when one oneself does not have the propriety to dress or groom appropriately [severe]

Oh, right. Getcha.

Anna, if only all schools were like your DD's.

What are the other happy-clappy rules then Eniddo.

It's the teacher not the school and a happy by-product of the French ministry of education reducing the primary school standard week from 26 to 24 hours - the teachers can now use the extra two hours to support children any way they wish, and since this is only pre-school (so no extra help really needed) the teacher has decided to invest 30 minutes per day in table manners

DD's school has table of the day and whoever is on it gets the points.
The lunchtimes must have been a problem or they wouldn't have thought of a solution.