Another moan by a working parent about schools...

[PeachesMcLean]

I've learned from DS that he has his class assembly coming up. Turns out it's this Friday! It's only 20 minutes or so (they sing a few songs and DS has a line to read out) but he's desperate for me to be there, and thankfully I can accommodate that with work, but FGS! Why hasn't the school let us know?? I think they think we can drop everything, or, even worse, that it's not a big issue and it doesn't matter whether we attend or not. DS would be sooo disappointed if I wasn't there.

The other thing that's winding me up is that they have a writing workshop every Wednesday for the infant classes. Parents are invited and it turns out, that you only get to go to it if your parent comes along. So although that's only a small handful of DS's classmates, he's desperate to go too and feels left out, because I'm at work. I've mentioned this to the teacher who runs it and again, she said, it's not a bit thing and it doesn't matter, but to my son, it's huge!

GRRRR.....

Eleusis

I agree BTW that the writing workshop this is veyr odd. Would they not be better to see if they can recuit a volunteer roster of parents, nannies, grandparents, etc. Then rotate the children each week. That way all children would get to go to the workshop, and parents/guardians wouldn't have to give up that day every week - just once or twice a term perhaps.

Rabble, could you elaborate on "Eleusis "?

Totally agree with you. I am a full time working mum (working now, honestly) and nothing drives me more mad than being told that DS/DD has a trip / play / event tomorrow at 2pm and could I possibly come along?

Infact there is one thing that drives me more mad and that is my doctor. Pre school jabs are only available 2.30 - 3pm on a Monday, which is just impossible for me and DS/DD, so they have not had their jabs.

When will people realise, that women work and that our jobs are just as important as anyone elses.

As has been said before, it's not just wohm who find these things a problem. Of course, life is much easier with a bit of notice. It's just as irritating and often impossible to do (especially if you have other children) for sahm.

And what about the WOHM who are teachers - at least of those of an in a office can accommodate the occasional few hours out, but impossible for teachers.

Yes, Elusuis (just got back in). I typed the post after your initial post and then got waylaid so it didn't get sent immediately. Therefore my emoticon didn't have anything to do (particularly) with any subsequent threads, but the first in which you said you'd send the nanny to do it.

I deliberately left it wordless, not wishing to get embroiled in anything heated, but if you'd like to understand it, I'm not averse to mentioning that most of us don't have nannies

I jsut meant I'd send him with whomever could go (and it wouldn't be me). Friend, neighbor, relative, etc.

I really don't like the sound of these activities where only a select few whose parents can attend are allowed to participate. I'm sure the teacher never saw it that way but it seems so discriminatory. I can imagine the dc whose dp cannot attend would be disppointed.

I have raised the issue of notice of assemblies with our head teacher. In answer to Hana's query - no not all schools give the information out at the beginning of term, even though the school itslef know the dates. I pointed out that working parents need more than a week's notcie of assemblies, so that they can book time off if necessary. It is also important to know which assmeblies y the different years are going to be involved in - there is no point booking precious time off if your child is not going to be involved.

I think it is very sad that the writing workshop excludes children whose parents can't attend.

I am sure it isn't deliberate on the part of the school though. They probably find it a PITA anyway but demand from parents may mean that they have to offer things like this so the parents can participate. It's just one of those 'can't keep everyone happy' situations.

I am sure all children miss out on some things - or at least it is probably good for them if they can't do everything they want to. I want mine to know that I am not always going to be there at every single assembly, school mass etc.

It took me 5 years to get our school to understand that working parents book hilidays Jan - Dec usually, so knowing term dates for following school year would be really helpful. I worked p/t so needed to know how many days to allocate to school holidays. The HT even admitted that they had all term dates 12 months in advance, they just didn't see the point in making them available to parents What's the secret? They sent them out in June BTW

Anyway, they finally started doing it as I stopped work

Ours are available 2 years in advance (county ones ) but inset days can change and only get a terms notice. Thats at my school too.

Ours prints the majority of things every week on the back of their Friday newsletter. Most of which I can't attend as they are on days I work, and next year I will be FT so won't go to any for dd2, probably ever. Many of the things I HAVE gone to have been really nothing, so I am glad I didn't waste my annual leave to go.

However they have lots of clubs etc. at the school for yr 1 and 2 and parent attendance isn't required. That sounds odd and discriminatory to me. But I still get stick from dd1, for not coming into the classroom to read (I offered but they don't want me on the days I'm off work).