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Original poster

School on birthdays?

55 replies

barbarianoftheuniverse · 23/09/2009 10:37

How standard is it for a thirteen year old to take a day off school on their birthday in order to go birthday present shopping with their mum?

OP posts:
vinblanc · 23/09/2009 18:55

It is not standard at all! I am shocked that anyone does this.

Besides, kids like to be in school on their birthdays - to wear a badge, share cake, be sung to.

Much better than in my day when we were thumped on the back.

janeite · 23/09/2009 18:58

Sorry but I think it's giving a really bad message to a child to let him miss school and go shopping instead.

elmofan · 23/09/2009 19:00

i dont think there is any harm in it tbh unless they are in important exam years

CarGirl · 23/09/2009 19:06

Our primary school actually comments in their handbook that it is not acceptable to do this!

deaddei · 23/09/2009 20:04

Can't believe you allow your children to effectively truant with your permission- what sort of message is that sending?
I bet the teachers have interesting things to say in the classroom about that!
I think it's dreadful behaviour.

janeite · 23/09/2009 20:07

Elmo - essentially, it is giving a child the message that their parent thinks that school/work are 'opt out' on days when they would rather go shopping/stay at home and eat cake/whatever. Whether they are in an exam year or not isn't really the issue - you are condoning truancy.

bibbitybobbityhat · 23/09/2009 20:08

wtf?

I am sure your 13 year old is stringing you along op .

Original poster
barbarianoftheuniverse · 23/09/2009 20:56

More hopefully reciting a list of known absconders than stringing along.

I was just so surprised to hear of it happening at all that I thought I would ask.

OP posts:
TsarChasm · 23/09/2009 21:00

I'm a bit surprised too about letting children off for the day too I can uderstand why you'd want to, but actually doing it..?

Also, what on earth do you say to the school??

preciouslillywhite · 23/09/2009 21:03

I wouldn't do it- but only because it'd be completely obvious to sharp eyed, clued up form teacher!

...I don't see any harm in bunking off one day a year, though, tbh. Don't think it would adversely affect their long term education.

Original poster
barbarianoftheuniverse · 23/09/2009 21:06

Well, I suppose you tell them the truth. You would have to tell them, if you think about it. Schools know students' d o b.

Anyway, we'll be off to school...

OP posts:
Bellabellabella · 24/09/2009 20:27

Have you asked about 'birthday beats'? Around here it happens in all years and the bigger they are the harder the 'beats' I would think.

mumeeee · 25/09/2009 00:06

Not the normal thing.

scaryteacher · 25/09/2009 00:35

ds is 13, 14 next month. He will be going to school on his birthday, unless he is at death's door. He has started GCSE French this year, so time off on a day when there is French is unacceptable.

mathanxiety · 25/09/2009 05:54

Agree about the birthday hazing thing -- it does get worse as they get older. Is OP's DC concerned about this happening and trying to escape it?

MaureenMLove · 25/09/2009 07:50

Very conveniently for DD, her 14th birthday next week falls on a school day, but its their first INSET day! She's off out with all her mates for a girlie shopping day and a trip to the cinema!

She'd be just as happy at school though and I'd never let her stay at home just because it's her birthday.

I like going to work on mine too. In fact, last year, was the first time for 14 years, I'd had a birthday away from the home and I had a lovely day!

Bellabellabella · 25/09/2009 08:49

Mathanxiety, that was my thinking. I know of one parent who kept her son off school for that reason.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 25/09/2009 12:40

Birthday hazing - good lord that sounds like Tom Brown's Schooldays. Is it a regional thing as I have never heard of it and I don't think it occurs at DD's school. At our school we used to sometimes give our friends 'the bumps', but that was a fun, non-painful thing.
Why don't schools put a stop to it?

echofalls · 25/09/2009 12:41

not standard at all

Portofino · 25/09/2009 12:45

That is totally not allowed here. Once you reach compulsory school age, you need a doctor's note for even one day of sickness absence. Shopping def not permitted.

I wouldn't do it anyway and dd has spent the last 3 years at school on her bday with cake and sweetie bags.

pagwatch · 25/09/2009 12:49

we don't have birthady hazing here either

My Dcs love school on their birthdays. DS1 is 16 and always likes school on b/day to get cards and presents etc. DD is at the end of the summer holidays some years and hates it . But school and friends always make a fuss first day of term.

Not wanting to catch up with your mates at school and stay at home with your mother instead is odd to me.

GrungeBlobPrimpants · 25/09/2009 13:00

Good god no

Hardly a reason for authorised absence

They prefer to be at school with their mates anyway. And I've got a 13yo ddd

Bellabellabella · 25/09/2009 13:40

I do know that 'birthday beats' happen in SOME schools in Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Original poster
barbarianoftheuniverse · 25/09/2009 13:49

I have never heard of birthday hazing. What is it? I do remember birthday hair pulling when I was at school, which was not nice at all, but haven't come across it since.
It does seem that a fair number of girls (don't know about boys) take the day off, not to stay at home with their mums, but for v indulgent shopping trip. And I gather it is for 13th birthday only.

OP posts:
Bellabellabella · 25/09/2009 14:19

'Birthday beats' are punches.