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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that 121 tuition in school time is a bit off?

124 replies

porkypoo · 01/04/2010 13:43

A teacher at our school is giving one to one tuition to a teaching assistants child, during lunch break and after school. I paid for my daughter to have private tuition and feel this is really off. Should it not have to be offered to all children?

OP posts:

JaneS · 01/04/2010 13:46

Presumably this is the teacher's free time, isn't it? So what she does with it is up to her. Can't see the problem really -what age is the child? It'd only be inappropriate imo if the child is doing GCSE or similar, and the teacher is coaching her on coursework.

Lulumaam · 01/04/2010 13:47

maybe the teaching assistant is paying? none of your business really.. you can choose to pay for tuition for your child or not

furthermore, not all children want or need tuition

the teacher can choose to do what she wants during her lunch break and after school, so YABU

my DS gets lots of 1 to 1 and extra help due to dyslexia and other SEN.. do you resent that too? it takes the TAs away from others...

Original poster

porkypoo · 01/04/2010 13:56

No, SEN issues as far as i'm aware. 11 plus runs in our area and so this could be a reason why. I don't resent it, just thought that every child matters in a school.

OP posts:

RollOnTheHols · 01/04/2010 14:06

I would feel a little bit cross if I had paid for tuition and this was being offered for free. It looks like a favor for a friend and is crossing the boundaries I think.

muddleduck · 01/04/2010 14:12

Don't understand...

why can't a teacher do a favour for a friend in her spare time?

what am I missing?

islandofsodor · 01/04/2010 14:15

A teacher's lunch break is her own time so she can use that time giving extra tuition paid or unpaid if she so desires.

Pikelit · 01/04/2010 14:16

Don't see the problem. Why can't her services be offered, free, to a friend? Just because you are paying for tuition doesn't mean everyone else has to. I charge £95 per hour more to clients than I do for friends. It's how business works!

mnistooaddictive · 01/04/2010 14:16

Don't we all do favours for our friends? If she was doing it as a favour then that is between them! It would be a bit unethical to take money to tutor a child you are already paid to teach but there isn't much you can do about it. It is the teachers free time and she can do as she likes. If you feel that put out then ask the teacher if she is running extra sessions at lunchtimes and after school as you have heard she is.

Alternatively it sounds like it could be the 121 tuition programme. This is the governements latest initiative and students across the country are recieving 10 hours extra individual tuition. There is criteria that schools have been given on how to select the students who are in need of extra support. It is not aimed at those at any specific point on the achievement scale but those who are considered to be achieveing less than their potential. The tutors are all qualified teachers who are being paid extra to take on the extra hours involved.
The rationale is that students who need a bit of extra tuition should have it regardless of their ability to pay.

Lulumaam · 01/04/2010 14:16

as long as it is within her own time, it is not taking away from your child and you are being unfair to castigate the teacher for helping a child in her own time, be it lunchtime, or after school

islandofsodor · 01/04/2010 14:16

Its similar to my dd's class teacher from a couple of years ago giving piano lessons during lunchtime and after school.

Original poster

porkypoo · 01/04/2010 14:19

A case of not what you know, who you know, as usual then.....I wonder what the governors or head would make of it? Or if they know?

OP posts:

Lulumaam · 01/04/2010 14:20

if the teacher is doing it in plain sight on school grounds i am sure there is nothing to hide

you are coming across as vindictive and bitter that another child might be benefiting from soemthing you have chosen to pay for , for your child

AMumInScotland · 01/04/2010 14:23

If the teacher was doing this for a friend's child, when the child wasn't even at the same school and the parent wasn't a TA, then you would know nothing about it. Either way, it does not harm you or your child, or the tuition you have paid for.

It's maybe a bit lacking in subtlety to be doing it where the other children are aware that X is getting extra help from the teacher, but I don't suppose any of them are bothered by it. They probably feel sympathy for the child not getting to play at lunchtime rather than envy at the extra lessons.

islandofsodor · 01/04/2010 14:24

Don't understand what you mean porkypoo.

The governors may or may not have a policy on using the school premises, for all you know the teacher may be paying "rent" for use of the room or it may be seen as a perk of her being a teacher there that she does not have to pay rent.

muddleduck · 01/04/2010 14:25

why would the governors or head be bothered by this?

Don't your friends ever help you out? I often do things that are usually 'part of my job' to help friends out. Should we all stop helping our friends to make sure that we don't disadvantage other people?

drloves8 · 01/04/2010 14:48

God forbid anyone helps a friend. .
The fact that another child is getting help is not going to make your child less(or more) intellegent.I dont see why your bothered tbh.

Pikelit · 01/04/2010 14:54

"A case of not what you know, who you know, as usual then.....I wonder what the governors or head would make of it? Or if they know? "

Cripes! How many bottles of ketchup do you need for the chips on your shoulder?

I find it hard to believe that you've never helped a friend - that's someone you "know" in case you've lost sight of the concept.

drloves8 · 01/04/2010 14:57

mabey op doesnt have friends pikelit? . . i feel sorry for her , so much envy cant be good.

Pikelit · 01/04/2010 14:59

I did wonder, drloves8. Her commens across as sheer vindictiveness, tbh.

MrsC2010 · 01/04/2010 15:02

Schools run intervention programmes for all sorts of things. The child may not have SEN but they may be on a target list for moving levels or whathaveyou. Aside from the fact that this lady is doing it on her lunchbreak when she is unpaid so may just be doing it out of the goodness of her heart, you know nothing about the child in question. I know that the schools that I have worked at run these programmes even for children that are high fliers but just need that extra push.

Mouseface · 01/04/2010 15:03

Don't see what the fuss is. As everyone else has said, it's not during lesson time etc. It's her own time, so what differance does it make? Not your concern really?

jenduff · 01/04/2010 15:07

In our school the lower achieving children are getting extra help as SATs are looming and the school want good results in the league tables.

May be nothing to do with it being child of TA - YABVU

drloves8 · 01/04/2010 15:33

mabey the child has a hidden disability? , dyslexia or hfa ?
dont be too quick to assume there is no sen issue.

RollOnTheHols · 01/04/2010 15:43

does the teacher do this for any other children? I think we all shouldn't be so quick to judge others whichever view you have.

upahill · 01/04/2010 15:49

I have no problem with this either tbh.

When Ds1 was at primary I remember the Year 4 teacher helping teh receptionist daughter being helped in a similar way at lunch time.

My DS was thankful it wasn't him - he'd rather be playing with his mates than having extra lessons.

I don't think it is off at all and I wouldn't be sticking my nose in either with veiled hints about tellling the govenors and headteachers.

It is not your business tbh.

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