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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed that yr6's taking their SAT's...

70 replies

SOLOisMeredithGrey · 12/05/2009 15:39

are not allowed a drink during the whole of the morning tests?

Yesterday Ds told me that they weren't allowed to take drinks in with them and when he asked for a drink during the tests(and the teacher was about to give him one)they were told that 'according to rules and regulations, no drinks are allowed', so he didn't get one. They then went outside(after an hour of testing according to Ds)and were put on the green, so didn't have access to drinking fountains. I'm really disgusted by this, but it had slipped my mind today as I meant to go up to the school to ask about these so called 'Rules and Regulations'.

I think it is totally unreasonable to expect children doing tests like this to go without a drink throughout them. Kids that are dehydrated are not going to work well.
Will also be asking Ds if the same happened again today.

So! am being unreasonable to be annoyed about this?

OP posts:
pinkstarfish · 12/05/2009 15:42

YABU, if they were allowed to drink, it could open up the problem of children wanting toilet breaks during exam time. I can see why they don't allow drinks.

nametaken · 12/05/2009 15:42

YABU - send him into school with an extra drink and tell him to have a drink before and test and after the test, aftr all it's only an hour.

Tamarto · 12/05/2009 15:45

YANBU - Especially in this weather, if the trust them to do a test they should trust them to be careful with a small water bottle.

GypsyMoth · 12/05/2009 15:47

ours were told to take water bottles in? must be for afterwards then......oh,and they are all given a sweet to suck before test starts.

Original poster
SOLOisMeredithGrey · 12/05/2009 15:47

Not according to Ds, it was an hour plus the break, then back in for more testing. He is a bit of a thirst monster anyway, but I am stunned that anyone would be expected to go several hours with nothing to drink.

I can see your point re toilet breaks etc psf, but dehydration is not good for the brain and schools are so hot.

nametaken, yes, he will have done that today I'm sure, but they should IMO, be able to drink at the very least during the break.

OP posts:
Original poster
SOLOisMeredithGrey · 12/05/2009 15:49

I think it's perfectly reasonable for a small drink to go in with them.

OP posts:
nametaken · 12/05/2009 15:49

I agree they should be able to drink during break, regardless of whether they've been doing SATS or not.

juuule · 12/05/2009 15:52

I've never understood this thing of having to be drinking all the time.
Surely it's enough to have a drink before a lesson, at break, at lunch etc. Why do children now need to be drinking through lessons too?

When I was at school (groan, I feel old now) those were the only times when we had a drink. I don't remember feeling desperately thirsty or even mildly so.

So. YABU, imo

laweaselmys · 12/05/2009 15:53

Yes definitely during breaks. They should also have been advised to have a drink before they went in IMO.

I think it is very odd to refuse a child water, and I'm not really sold on any of the reasons given here. Oh well, schools are strange places aren't they??

DorisIsAPinkDragon · 12/05/2009 15:54

YANBU- children should be encouraged to drink more not less. For their health alone!

So what if they have to accomodate toilet breaks...FGS the tests are for school league tables and are very little use for anything else.

The schools really need to put pupils first.

juuule · 12/05/2009 15:56

I don't think it's a major deprivation that they don't get a drink at one break either.

Most times there isn't enough time to have a drink at break anyway if you are waiting for water fountains so most children do without and would rather spend break chatting with friends or playing than queuing up. Or at least in our primary.

I don't think we even had water fountains at my school when I was in primary.

NervousNutty · 12/05/2009 15:59

Well dd's school must be breaking the rules then because they are all allowed to have a bottle of water on the desk to drink during the test.

The teachers have also been supplying biscuits and squash for the end of tests.

GypsyMoth · 12/05/2009 15:59

ours is a middle school,not primary or secondary,and we now have more water fountains,thankfully. still encouraged to bring in water bottles though......to fill at the fountains lol!

BernardsCat · 12/05/2009 16:00

SATS

not sat's

Tamarto · 12/05/2009 16:00

I don't think anyone has said it's major deprivation?

Considering how much schools go on about being healthy denying someone water goes way against the grain.

PrimulaVeris · 12/05/2009 16:01

YABU - at this age they should really be able to go without drinks for lessons/tests etc. They're 11, not 5 - though I agree they should have access to drink at break. I dont' get the obession with drinking all the time either.

Remember that in a few weeks he'll be at secondary - no bringing in drinks to lessons, toilet breaks in lessons etc then!

KingCanuteIAm · 12/05/2009 16:02

Juuule, it takes just 15 minutes for there to be a noticable difference in brain function through dehydration. The advice is for them to sip regularly rather than to stock up in breaks. Also sipping means the body uses it better and wastes less, so fewer bathroom breaks should be needed.

Our school has every child with a bottle on their desk at all times, it is refilled at lunch when they get their dinner so there is no queue (beyond the usual lunch queue).

Also our children have all been allowed to take a bottle into the sats, the rule was that there should be no writing on it (even branding).

BernardsCat · 12/05/2009 16:02

are they in the Sahara?

KingCanuteIAm · 12/05/2009 16:03

Primula, why can't secondary children have drinks in lessons?

Original poster
SOLOisMeredithGrey · 12/05/2009 16:04

juuule, you can not be that old! I'm old and we definitely had water fountains.

As for no time to queue for the fountain, a cup of water needs to be ready for them to drink at the break time then. Water is essential to all of us and even if some people don't 'need' to drink lots, many do...as much as I can go all day without drinking fluids, I know that both my Dc's can't.

OP posts:
ellingwoman · 12/05/2009 16:09

Well you couldn't have been that annoyed seeing as you forgot to ask about it this morning...

juuule · 12/05/2009 16:12

Hmmmm, you might be right Solo. I seem to recall those horrible little fountain things that usually had no pressure so you had to get your mouth around the tap thing. I'm not sure that was at primary though and I don't remember using them.

But I still don't understand the recent (relatively) obsession with continuous drinking.

kingcanute dehydration after 15mins? really? What even if you had a good drink an hour ago?

GypsyMoth · 12/05/2009 16:12

solo.....my ds has just returned from sch. he went in late this morning after a trip to the doctor. he missed his test,but took it at lunchtime instead. there is room for flexibility it seems,after all. theses rules and regulations must be just your school then,as they took water bottles in. its not a universal rule.

PrimulaVeris · 12/05/2009 16:14

Why not at secondary? Because several lessons tend to involve chemicals, machinery etc (elf n safety) and at that age it's really is about looking after yourself - drink and go to loo before or after lessons, get yourself organised. If there's an exceptionally hot summer then I guess rules are relaxed, but I honestly cannot see why anyone cannot go without water for an hour, I really can't.

WowOoo · 12/05/2009 16:14

I think it's a bit sad. Most Yr 6 are perfectly capable of only taking small sips of water.

If they're in a hot room or mouth goes dry with nerves it's worse.

Have experienced both and understand flip side though. Can lead to lots of disruption and - in schools I've taught in in the past - something verging on chaos.

Hope SAT's are over quickly and go smoothly. Poor yr 6's.

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