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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to want to tell teachers/schools

19 replies

3littlefrogs · 29/09/2009 20:30

That not every child has a fully functioning IT suite and state of the art computers/printers etc at home?

And that it is not necessary to insist that all homework is done on a computer and printed perfectly, every night?

OP posts:

beaniesinthebucketagain · 29/09/2009 20:35

YANBU

when i was at school they started on this and it drove my mum nuts, we had a pc but no printer, there response was to give up breaks, and when we did get a printer the ink cost a small fortune, what ever happened to teaching children to write legibly?

nickytwotimes · 29/09/2009 20:35

Yanbu.
Dh is a teacher and this drives him mental.

Original poster

3littlefrogs · 29/09/2009 20:39

My stress level is high enough ATM. Honestly. I can't afford to go out and buy a new printer...

OP posts:

Goblinchild · 29/09/2009 20:43

It's a pain, I've just had to buy a digital camera because the GCSE Art homework has to be digital. I never set homework that can only be done on a computer, it's not fair.

VirginiaLoveGlove · 29/09/2009 20:44

yanbu - another teacher.

choccyp1g · 29/09/2009 20:47

I agree, it is out of order. Before starting at DS primary (Y3 to 6) I was assured that not having a computer at home would not affect any child's education. But they constantly send homework that requires a computer.
My objection is not just the fact that not everyone has a computer at home, it is also that children will need more supervision and assistance to do some of the work on the computer, whereas simply writing it out would be less hassle. And give DS much needed handwriting practise.

bigchris · 29/09/2009 20:48

you can use the librarys pcs and printers for free!

Original poster

3littlefrogs · 29/09/2009 21:21

Yes, bigchris, but I am not taking my 11 yr old to the library at 7 pm when I have mountains of work to do, having been at work all day, and I have no car. DH is still at work and cannot help.

If we all had nothing else to do, then I am sure the library would be an option.

Sorry, but I just find this nonsense every single evening is not manageable.

OP posts:

echt · 29/09/2009 21:56

You need to get back to the teacher(s) right away and make your point. It's entirely inappropriate for them to set work which cannot be achieved by all students at home. Does the school have printing facilities? Can your DS email it to the teacher? They can have no objection to this as they cannot insist it's printed when you don't have a printer.

When you contact the teacher(s), mention the words "equal opportunities" and they'll back off.

Choccypig is right, your child is being denied the opportunity to practise handwriting, something they will need to do in the future. A clear, fluent hand; the ability to compose as you write are essential for success in exams. Also, faults in spelling and grammar are disguised by wordprocessing - so how is the teacher helping with literacy?

By the way, I am a teacher.

YAdefinitelyNBU but do take some action- you'll get a positive result.

JustAnotherManicMummy · 29/09/2009 22:05

YABU.

I agree with echt that you should email it to the school to print out.

They'll soon get fed up with that mularky and set some proper home work.

bentneckwine1 · 30/09/2009 11:48

My sister doesn't have a PC at home which causes problems for my neice and nephew when it comes to homework. They live in a village where the nearest library is over an hour away by bus...so would need to be taken by a parent to use it. The village does get a 'library bus' once a fortnight...but it comes during the school day so no use for children.

A computer seems to be necessary for most pieces of homework...internet for the research then word processing to produce reports etc.
Most times they end up at my house to do homework which I don't mind on an odd occasion but it is becoming more and more regular as they move up the school and into secondary stage.

katiestar · 30/09/2009 12:14

and we can only get some items of school uniform from ONE website , not local stockists , not school ,only this one website.So what anyone is supoposed to do who hasn't access to the internet or maybe doesn't have a credit/debit card to pay I do not know !
And Easylink (now there's a misnomer) which the kids have to use to connect into their directory on the school system.We can't get it to work with stupid Windows Vista

comewhinewithme · 30/09/2009 12:27

YANBU Ds has just started secondary and I have had to buy a printer.
They also get rewards for completing homwork online on the school website and sending it in.
I got a letter last week about ds project he could access the info by going online and printing out what he needed to be doing .
I just feel sorry for kids who don't have internet access uniforms were supposed to make all kids equal so that the kids without designer gear didn't feel at odds with other kids who did and now the children without internet acccess at home are going to feel rubbish at always having to explain to staff they can't send/print out stuff at home .

Sourdough · 30/09/2009 12:27

YAsoNBU.

We had a laptop at home until DD1 uploaded a virus onto it, but am never fussed about our computing capabilities at home because I have 2 computers in my office should I need them. But all DD's homework seems to require the aid of a computer and as it's now dark much earlier I have to pick her up from my office when she has done her homework because it's about 3/4 mile down a country lane from the house. But why should I have to have full-on broadband, computer and printer at home too? Have already forked out over 2 grand for the office one. Whatever happened to good old fashioned books as reference? Also, can googling really be described as homework?

carocaro · 30/09/2009 12:37

YANBU

I would also like to add a full craft and paper cupbaors, very much like the bloke on that CBeebies programme, whoose name escapes me

DS's homework aged 7, well part of it, is to research and build a Greek Temple!?!?!?!?

Mr Maker, just remembered!

Sourdough · 30/09/2009 12:43

I would also like to add that, as we are 9 miles from our nearest exchange, broadband connection is terrible. We are very rural and can barely get a signal at home, although the office isn't too bad. Our neighbours can't get a connection at all. How do you factor that in, too?

scaryteacher · 30/09/2009 13:41

My colour printer is buggered atm and I can't be bothered to buy a new one yet. Ds sticks ICT homework on a data stick and takes it to school to print out.

FWIW when I taught, if I set a h/w to be done on computer I made sure that there was access to the ICT room at lunchtime and breaks for the students to do their work, or incorporated it into the lesson.

comewhinewithme · 30/09/2009 14:04

My ds's school won't allow data sticks I think they just like making things hard .

Original poster

3littlefrogs · 30/09/2009 14:21

The problem I have with data sticks (aprt from when they get lost) is that the school microsoft is not compatable with our office system at home. Whatever is saved on the stick at home cannot be read or printed by the computer/printer at school.

Add to that the fact that there are queues of kids waiting to use the computers before and after school and at break times, and it becomes very stressful.

There are queues of people at the library too, and the nights are getting darker and I haven't time to go through all the hassle of booking a computer slot in advance and taking her there, then sitting waiting till she has finished.

And this is for ENGLISH homework - not even ICT. It seems to be for every subject - geography, history, science, you name it.

OP posts:

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