Questions Thread

[Haydos]

Yeah, right,

How many kids miss lessons each day? How many kids are lying dead in a ditch each day? Daft argument.

I didn't say the teachers were ringing, I was complaining about the waste of resources (human and monetary) for this task.

You're an idiot. You think a secretary can't take 2 minutes out of their day to ring a kid. It's part of their jobs.

[The Doctor]

Yeah, right,

How many kids miss lessons each day? How many kids are lying dead in a ditch each day? Daft argument.

I didn't say the teachers were ringing, I was complaining about the waste of resources (human and monetary) for this task.

Are you stupid, or just retarded? You've got the basic admin staff who do time-tables etc., you think that they couldn't take a couple of minutes to ring and check? It's common courtesy to ring in if you're ill, but it's hardly a terrible thing for staff to be ringing absences in case of serious issues...

[Webbo]

We got an automated message Monday night asking why our daughter wasn't at school that and told to leave a message to explain why. So I told them, she was on a school trip organised by the school themselves.

[Danno]

....sorry for starting some mass debate . Never written down my number, although I wrote down my old one and gave it to them.

[The Blur]

Does anyone know who is FT's oldest member?

Wondered about that the other day with all records you see in the media for the oldest runner to complete in a marathon etc

P.S by 'member' I meant as in a regular contributor to this forum.

Edited 25 January 2013 by ChickenBoy

[The Doctor]

DavieG surely?

[The Blur]

Mmmm, I thought it might be Rincewind myself. No offence intended!

[FoxyPV]

Are you stupid, or just retarded? You've got the basic admin staff who do time-tables etc., you think that they couldn't take a couple of minutes to ring and check? It's common courtesy to ring in if you're ill, but it's hardly a terrible thing for staff to be ringing absences in case of serious issues...

Do you think they'd let some temp on £5 p/h to do the timetables?

[The Doctor]

Do you think they'd let some temp on £5 p/h to do the timetables?

I would. Combine woodwork with P.E. - Jousting has been gone from schools for too long.

[FoxyPV]

[Guest]

You're an idiot. You think a secretary can't take 2 minutes out of their day to ring a kid. It's part of their jobs.

Haydos, I may be an idiot, what does that make you? a "secretary" (nice condescening term there) surely could take 2 minutes out of their day to ring a kid - that is clearly possible) they could ring 20 kids - perhaps only taking 40 mins out of their day on your reckoning. But why should they? the kid is not at school for whatever reason that is, what more do they need to know? The money used on the call and the money spent in salary to do that useless task could , in a possible idiot's opinion, be used to improve the service to which all education employees work. To better the education of those students in the classroom. Perhaps that's too novel an idea for you.

Are you stupid, or just retarded? You've got the basic admin staff who do time-tables etc., you think that they couldn't take a couple of minutes to ring and check? It's common courtesy to ring in if you're ill, but it's hardly a terrible thing for staff to be ringing absences in case of serious issues...

You call yourself "The Paedofinder General" and yet you think I'm stupid and retarded. What a curious idea. I don't think you actually know who does what in a school do you? I also find it funny that you speak of "common courtesy" when you start your first ever reply to me calling me a retard - which is probably against the rules of the board on which you find yourself. Very courteous of you, don't you think? Your final sentence is so vague I'm not sure why you wasted your time writing it and the "..." at the end is even more puzzling.

Did you think before writing or did you suddenly feel the urge to write something which added nothing to the history of man ...

Do you think they'd let some temp on £5 p/h to do the timetables?

he/she has no idea. I fear he just needed to write something with perceived indignation.

[Rincewind]

Can't remember my mum getting phone calls when I or brothers and sister were off. In fact not sure if she phoned them. Just a note the next day. I thought it was up to the parent to phone. If it was a kid that never had a day off then yes maybe the school can call. For kids that are off every other day send a letter not that it will do any good. As for being in danger, abducting is rare. If one is abducted it is doubtful anything can be done straight away. It will have happened and the police will still have to go through the Q/A process and finding witnesses.

[Captain...]

It used to be me, when I left Uni I had a temp job ringing up students and their parents when they weren't in class, it was called Retention and Achievement Development Officer, a grandiose title but it was basically truancy monitor, I think god was having an ironic moment when the agency gave me that considering I was probably one of the worst for going to classes and lectures at college and uni.

It was during one of the government initiatives to keep kids in school, so if they had 100% attendance they got money or something, so they needed some people to track attendances and keep spreadsheets and go round the classes and phone up students who weren't in school and hadn't phoned up to let us know, it was retarded, the number of times I said just phone up the reception and you won't get hassled but still it was the same dullards every time who couldn't even be bothered to cover their tracks.

The best one was phoning up some lad asking why he wasn't in Physics, and him then saying oh yeah my girlfriends here, she should be in Chemistry? and passed me over,

Wasn't very popular with the students, one of my colleagues ended up dating one of the students (6th form but still a little naughty).

Can think of worse ways to waste tax payers money, but in the end the funding ran out.

[Saxondale]

Wasn't very popular with the students, one of my colleagues ended up dating one of the students (6th form but still a little naughty).

Don't tell LargeAl.

If his latest username is anything to go by, he may start a vigilante campaign against your pal.

[Haydos]

Haydos, I may be an idiot, what does that make you? a "secretary" (nice condescening term there) surely could take 2 minutes out of their day to ring a kid - that is clearly possible) they could ring 20 kids - perhaps only taking 40 mins out of their day on your reckoning. But why should they? the kid is not at school for whatever reason that is, what more do they need to know? The money used on the call and the money spent in salary to do that useless task could , in a possible idiot's opinion, be used to improve the service to which all education employees work. To better the education of those students in the classroom. Perhaps that's too novel an idea for you.

I shouldn't call you an idiot, no, that's rude. I should say I think your post was stupid and pedantic. Condescending? Sorry, 'receptionist', 'administration clerk', whatever you want to call it up there.

How is not tracking kids that are attending (or not) going to provide a better education for kids in the classroom? Ever think that kids skip school because they're depressed? Or they're being bullied? Or they're parents are fighting? No, because you rarely seem to think these days, you just say your own opinions and refuse to discuss others. Doesn't it tell you something that several others have pointed your post specifically. Schools employ people to do admin work, that includes keeping a record of who attends and who doesn't. I'm afraid we live in a society where kids aren't allowed to just run wild and do what they want if they fancy missing a day of school because guess what? They're kids and don't always make the best decisions. The fact that you think this is even an issue is puzzling.

[The Doctor]

Don't tell LargeAl.

If his latest username is anything to go by, he may start a vigilante campaign against your pal.

Townsend, King, Glitter? Those are all paedophiles. (except for the first one for legal reasons).

You call yourself "The Paedofinder General" and yet you think I'm stupid and retarded. What a curious idea.

Yes - it's a homage to a great TV character.

[Captain...]

Don't tell LargeAl.

If his latest username is anything to go by, he may start a vigilante campaign against your pal.

It was a while ago, and I think she was 16, I think he was called, Ed, I doubt the Paedo Finder General needs much more info than that though, he'll probably just kill all Ed's just to be on the safe side.

Incidentally at the same place there was a student called Eddie Raper, I mean seriously if your surname was Raper you would change it wouldn't you.

[The Doctor]

It was a while ago, and I think she was 16, I think he was called, Ed, I doubt the Paedo Finder General needs much more info than that though, he'll probably just kill all Ed's just to be on the safe side.

Incidentally at the same place there was a student called Eddie Raper, I mean seriously if your surname was Raper you would change it wouldn't you.

It was Ed Milliband wasn't it? I knew there was a reason I always thought millipaedo when I heard his name.

[Guest]

How is not tracking kids that are attending (or not) going to provide a better education for kids in the classroom? Ever think that kids skip school because they're depressed? Or they're being bullied? Or they're parents are fighting? No, because you rarely seem to think these days, you just say your own opinions and refuse to discuss others. Doesn't it tell you something that several others have pointed your post specifically. Schools employ people to do admin work, that includes keeping a record of who attends and who doesn't. I'm afraid we live in a society where kids aren't allowed to just run wild and do what they want if they fancy missing a day of school because guess what? They're kids and don't always make the best decisions. The fact that you think this is even an issue is puzzling.

1. I guess you missed the subtlety but I didn't question the tracking of attendance. I questioned the waste of scarce financial resources in ringing and writing to every kid who misses a session.

2. I think every day, I just don't think like you. Yes I state my opinions and then read the responses and answer them and continue to do that until the situation is clearer in my head. Maybe I change my mind a little, maybe a lot, maybe not at all.

3. Other people disagreeing with me is neither a surprise nor proof of wrongness. Just because lots of people do it doesn't change anything. They clearly think like you.

4. And you think that telephoning sick/truant kids really changes more than perhaps using that money to make class sizes smaller , or improve teacher's skills - both of which have been proven to improve a student's education?

5. I don't know how old Dan is but I doubt he'd be described as a kid. telephoning him was a waste of time and resources.

6. I missed loads of days of school throughout sixth form, and guess what? I've managed to suceed in "life". Education isn't organized optimally for students, it isn't efficient and some of it's cogs are not good at what they do. Resources directed there would be far more beneficial than telling kids who know that they are not at school that they are not at school.

7. I'll continue not thinking and leave the world to you, Plato.

[MooseBreath]

My school never used to call when we didn't attend. We just had to write a note with a fake parent signature and hand it in the next day. It does seem a bit extreme to chase everyone who is not there. A typical big school has about 2000 kids, I'd guess at an absentee rate of about 7%, that's 140 phone calls to make every day, assuming roughly 2.5 minutes on average to complete each call, that's 350 minutes, or just short of six hours, every day. So you're employing someone whose sole purpose is to call people who aren't there. It's probably a £15k per year job, which costs the school say £20k per year all in. That's £10 per kid per year. Money better spent on improving the experience of the kids who do turn up, I would say.

[Guest]

My school never used to call when we didn't attend. We just had to write a note with a fake parent signature and hand it in the next day. It does seem a bit extreme to chase everyone who is not there. A typical big school has about 2000 kids, I'd guess at an absentee rate of about 7%, that's 140 phone calls to make every day, assuming roughly 2.5 minutes on average to complete each call, that's 350 minutes, or just short of six hours, every day. So you're employing someone whose sole purpose is to call people who aren't there. It's probably a £15k per year job, which costs the school say £20k per year all in. That's £10 per kid per year. Money better spent on improving the experience of the kids who do turn up, I would say.

Damn.

[Orkneyfox]

My kids school sends a text to all parents when the child isn't there for registration, just to let them know. They also don't like e mail sick notes as the kids can hack into family e mail accounts and send their own. I am currently in a gentle debate with the school admin over whether sending a sick note from my work e mail is acceptable! I missed a lot of lessons but I was there, playing poker behind the rifle range ( yes we were allowed to shoot in those days!)

[The Year Of The Fox]

Thanks for the replies about the mortgage lads...

Just to make it absolutely clear in my own head, I I go to a bank and sit down with an advisor and say right I'm after a mortgage for x amount and I have this much deposit. Will they do a credit score check at that time?

They'll look at your pay slips then tell you how much they can offer you, rather than you telling them

[The Year Of The Fox]

Who is 'Mark' on this forum? I get the gist he runs the site. Does he post on here too?

[BoneDog]

My kids school sends a text to all parents when the child isn't there for registration, just to let them know. They also don't like e mail sick notes as the kids can hack into family e mail accounts and send their own. I am currently in a gentle debate with the school admin over whether sending a sick note from my work e mail is acceptable! I missed a lot of lessons but I was there, playing poker behind the rifle range ( yes we were allowed to shoot in those days!)

Shoot guns at school? That's where we're going wrong nowadays, no rifle lessons! If we had shooting lessons when I was at school I'd have been there every day.