Strange but true

[puffin]

I just wanted to mention something that is strange but true - last term I gave my 'phone number to the school as I work a lot from home. The school were constantly on the 'phone complaining about this and that and wanting me to collect my daughter early take her home at lunch etc.

 

This term we gave Mr Puffin's work number - and there has been a surprising drop in the number of 'phone calls. The seem to have decided that many of the problems they would have called about could be coped with until the end of the day - or perhaps they feel that the male breadwinner's job is more important

 

has anyone else had the same experience.

 

By the way the distances between me working at home and husband's workplace are approx the same.

[annie]

Hi Puffin,

 

Like you, I was getting so many calls from school. One day I told a staff member that I wasn't going to talk to him and that he should call my hubby..........he did!! I was so surprised. It was the first call the school had made to hubby in 3 years.

 

Annie

[loulou]

Hi puffin,

 

I don't have a partner, so i haven't had the same experience as you, but have always felt that there is some prejudice around in schools.

 

I'm a single parent and my son's Head used to call me nearly every day, when he'd done anything remotely "bad".

 

On numerous occasions i'd been to see her, as i was so concerned for my son. She spoke to me like a complete idiot and practically blamed me for my son's behaviour.

 

I ended up taking my Dad with me as i was getting no where. My Dad has a PHD, so i introduced him to her with his title, "Dr". Her jaw dropped. She was as nice as pie to my Dad and spoke to him on a completely different level. I was fuming!

 

I wanted to shout at her "I've actually got more qualifications than you, you silly cow!", but i refrained!

 

I have always thought that if i were married and turned up to see her with my husband wearing a suit, she would have acted completely differently.

 

Loulou x

[Kazzen161]

The schools have my number (home) and the kids Dad's work number (we are divorced, but have "joint responsibility") - in 8 years, they have only called him once - when I told them to call him next time, not me, as he would only do something about it , if it started to interfere with his life!

 

Karen

[Jericho]

The school has my husband's work number but haven't yet needed to phone him. From what I can tell, unless there's a real emergency, if the first parent they call doesn't answer then they just leave it at that. Parents are told when they arrive to collect their child that afternoon "We tried to call you. No one was home so we did X/Y/Z."

[Lucas]

There are nine levels of security above the definition of 'Top Secret' in the secret service community. What you are reading now is classified Angel/0A. How I manage to know all this without ever leaving my house and having my internet access monitored confuses MI5 to no end.

 

There's a reason why teachers are paid more than college lecturers, even though both have a union. Teachers are providing the government with extra working hours being pumped into the economy by having everyone's children for five or six hours each day. Lecturers on the other hand are providing higher education and delaying tomorrow's workforce from working full-time hours. Teachers=good, Lecturers=bad.

 

If you are a parent that isn't working, they will keep a file on you because they are looking after your kid but you're not working! You are not a net contributer to society! What are you thinking!?!

 

If you are a working parent though, a headmaster will be reluctant to bother you at any time. Relations with the government are of upmost importance and they don't want to scare them by looking even remotely militant.