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Original poster

Out of interest is there anyone else who thinks that schools do things that should be left to parents?

174 replies

hurricane · 04/02/2008 17:08

Do you object to the following being carried out by appropriate professionals in schools (assuming you are kept informed of these things taking place and results of any tests etc)?

1.) vaccinations (like BCG)
2.) eye tests/ dental checks
3.) PSHE
4.) sex education
5.) cooking classes/ healthy eating
6.) PE

If yes, why?

OP posts:
McDreamy · 04/02/2008 17:14

None of the above. Disagree with things like restrictions on lunch boxes

Mercy · 04/02/2008 17:16

What's PSHE?

wannaBe · 04/02/2008 17:17

no I don't object to any of those.

And I suspect that in the case of things like PE, if it didn't happen in school, some children would never get any exercise and would be driven everywhere by car while the childhood obesity rate soared.

ditto re cooking - how many parents have the time/inclination to teach their children how to cook?

cooking is a life skill imo and all children should learn how to do it.

TheFallenMadonna · 04/02/2008 17:17

PE?!

charliecat · 04/02/2008 17:18

No ojections.

Twiglett · 04/02/2008 17:19

no I don't object but 1 and 2 demand parental consent anyway (which I don't give for 1)

Reallytired · 04/02/2008 17:20

Parents often don't bother with the above. I can't see why any responsible parent would object to any of the above.

I think that subjects like PHSE are really important and need a dedicated teacher and a proper time slot. The problem with PHSCE is that if the teachers don't take it seriously then what hope is there that the kids will take it seriously.

If you don't think that PHSCE is necessary then just step into a school playground and see how truely nasty kids are to each other.

With the obesity epidemic and high teenage pregancy among children its clear that 4 to 6 are necessary.

Where does parental responsiblity end? The legal responsiblity of parents is to see that their children get a suitable education. You don't actually have to send your children to school.

Twiglett · 04/02/2008 17:22

well I'm a responsible parent and I objected to the concept of my child being vaccinated at school

PortAndLemon · 04/02/2008 17:23

Don't object, although I would expect consent forms for 1 and 2 (and I am a bit sceptical about the value of many PSHE classes).

Mercy · 04/02/2008 17:25

Why's that Twiglett?

Cam · 04/02/2008 17:27

I object to, and have not allowed, vaccinations at school

Reallytired · 04/02/2008 17:27

Twigglett, you are given the choice on vacinations.

Surely you don't object to vacinations being on offer. Provided there is a consent form, surely there is no problem.

Twiglett · 04/02/2008 17:27

well with DS (in pre-school) they sent round a letter re MMR boosters ... DS had sepvax .. but even if not I don't think it's right for a 3 - 4 year old to be vaccinated without his parent there ... I am very matter-of-fact and honest re pain and dealing with it and I wouldn't want anyone to say 'it won't hurt' and then hurt him or 'see it wasn't that bad'

I just don't feel it is appropriate .. and I don't feel that makes me irresponsible either

Twiglett · 04/02/2008 17:28

I said I didn't object but I wouldn't consent in my first post didn't I?

McDreamy · 04/02/2008 17:30

I am very pro vaccination but I totally agree with Twig re MMR vaccination. I would want to be there at that young age. The BCG at school I have no problem with.

Original poster
hurricane · 04/02/2008 17:30

Fair enough about pre-school Twig. I was actually talking about school (and mainly secondary). Also there's a distinction to be made between you personally not wanting your own child to have a vaccination or whatever and saying that schools shouldn't be offering this stuff to any child. Can we make that one clear in our responses?

OP posts:
Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 04/02/2008 17:32

Problem is lots of parents can't be bothered to do these things.

IMO school should be there to support/reinforce what the parents do not take complete responsibility and do it for them. Some parents are quick to abdicate responsbility to school and then moan like hell about the result.

Reallytired · 04/02/2008 17:33

But why deny the choice to other parents? You have your choice and they have theirs. I can understand your reasons and I agree that in an ideal world a child would have a parent present.

Some parents work full time and maybe having their three year old vacinated at school is helpful. There is no doult that it must be a desperately unpleasent experience for a three year old to have two needles in their arm with no one to comfort them. However it is an even worst experience to die from meales.

At least having vacinations done at school ensures that that vacination gets done. I would have no problem with an older child being vacinated at school provided there is full parental consent.

Mercy · 04/02/2008 17:37

Ok. I only asked because dd's school did an MMR booster catch-up programme in Reception. All parents had to give consent and could be present.

(when I say school, I mean the health authority)

cazzybabs · 04/02/2008 17:38

I wosh sex education was better done in schools and from an earlier age and they should talk about homosexulaity.

PortAndLemon · 04/02/2008 17:40

So precisely how many children have died of measles in the UK because they didn't have the MMR booster after having the first MMR jab?

And in what way does not objecting but not consenting for own child constitute denying the choice to other parents?

Original poster
hurricane · 04/02/2008 17:42

I think everyone so far is agreed that even though they may not allow their own child to be vaccinated (because too little or whatever) that they are not against vaccinations happening in school in principle yes?

OP posts:
Mercy · 04/02/2008 17:50

MMR isn't just about measles though. And afaik not all children achieve immunity from the first one )probably a small percentage though).

Anyway, this thread isn't really just about imms.

HonoriaGlossop · 04/02/2008 18:44

I don't object to any of those things happening, no - not at all. (re: MMR certainly in this area that is a matter for parents, the only immunisation I know of happening in school time is the BCG at secondary school age. I wouldn't want ds vaccinated at his age (5) without me there but as I say it doesn't happen round 'ere)

The only thing that slightly worries me with these things being offered is that some parents then feel able to abdicate all responsibility, for example, for talking about sex and related issues with their kids. School provides a basic catch-all type thing which should be an add-on to profound parental input into this sort of thing - but it sometimes isn't!!!

colditz · 04/02/2008 18:49

I have informed my child's teacher that, contrary to the letter informing me that my child will be weighed and measured, ds1 will NOT be weighed and measured, considering that after a talk on "Healthy hand washing and germs" on Friday, he has given himself detergent dermatitis over the weekend!

It is none of their business how much he weighs or how tall he is unless they have child protection concerns. I do not wish him to be remotely concerned with how much he weighs, or get comments like "oh aren't you a big boy!" from thoughtless health assistants. He is four.