Dear All,
I would like your advice please.
Our otherwise very nice school herds the children inside during any kind of weather that is slightly wetter than the faintest drizzle.
They all the infants sit and watch a DVD. They do not an educational DVD - ie a half hour nature programme or even quality children's films. Instead, they watch bits of Disney DVDs e.g. the first half hour of Tangled, which means they don't even get the full story. Just a little snatch of narrative, before it is turned off and they are sent back to their lessons at the end of break.
I would prefer it if all the kids played outside in anything less than p*ing down. I would be happy to help fundraise for cheap rain coats and boots so that there is no pressure on the parents (low income area) to provide these.
Barring this, I would actually prefer it if the children were just left to play with toys, or draw, or read or entertain themselves when it rains. I am not clear why this doesn't happen. I realise that TV is easier - and perhaps needs less teacherly supervision??? - but I've managed to raise three children without a TV and after a while the kids just get used to having fun without a screen. It can be done!
(And this is one of the things that irks me: the school urging parents to have less screen time, and then putting them in front of DVDs... last term this happened all the time because of our dreadful summer).
My questions to you are:
- What does your school do in the rain?
- And does any teacher know if there are good reasons - other than laziness - why the kids might watch TV rather than have supervised play (for example, is there a smaller number of playground monitors than there are teachers to a class. Does it mean they won't get a break?).
- What can I plausibly suggest to the head teacher as an alternative to the current arrangement?
I am not the only parent to be frustrated by this, so would really appreciate some advice.
We didn't watch TV in my state primary school so I know it can be done!