Clean-Up Together

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Doosh writes;

I Received the following email from my child’s new ETG School, two days before they reopen..

“Hello Everyone, ‘I would like to welcome you all back to school tomorrow, and look forward to getting to know you over the coming weeks. Unfortunately due to the unavailability of some contract cleaners we are looking for assistance from any parents who can spare an hour or so tomorrow (Wednesday) between 4pm and 7pm to help us get the school ready in time. We will greatly appreciate your support.”

…is this to be expected?

Anyone?

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78 thoughts on “Clean-Up Together

  1. Con

    Seems entirely reasonable and sound….and in line with a communitarian approach to education. It might actually be a rewarding experience….even if it is a once off…to pitch in and engage with a child’s school environment.

    1. hapfff

      stuff your communitarianism. we don’t pay enough taxes to have clean schools? what the hell is wrong with people?

      1. Papi

        “stuff your communitarianism. we don’t pay enough taxes to have clean schools? what the hell is wrong with people?”

        There are so many paradoxes in that utterance that it’s mind boggling.

  2. Liam Knuj

    Educate Together. ET. ET is calling for home help. I’m sure there’s a joke there somewhere, but I just can’t put it together.

  3. Andrew

    Seems fair enough. Why not? It’s your kid’s school, part of the community etc. Why not all muck in together? Cleaners are unavailable so just do it yourselves. What’s the problem?

  4. Bort

    Give your school a dig out no? It’s not a demand. When I was in primary school in the 80’s and 90’s there was always parents in doing things in the school, painting, cleaning, giving lifts, supervising sports. In secondary school there was parents in doing repairs, fixing leaks and the football pitches because the school had no money to pay for repairs. They’re asking for volunteers for chrissake. They’re asking for an hour! Or would you prefer to send your kids to a dirty school?

      1. Anomanomanom

        Well you must have went to some top notch private school. I don’t know any school that has not at some stage asked for parents to help.

  5. GenerationScrewed

    This is an issue how??? There’s not some educate together cleaner boycott conspiracy going on here

  6. bisted

    …why don’t they ask the various flavours of religious that seem to stalk the corridors at those multi-denominational schools…might provide something useful for a change…

    1. Friscondo

      The state of you! You don’t have a clue about the make up of ETG schools. I’ll begin the collecting of the kids again today, and I’ll be sure to ask all the other kids their religion, as if I give a damn. Bitter about the low turn out for pope’s visit, are you? As to the other issue. What’s wrong with mucking in for an hour, if your kids school is a bit stuck?

      1. bisted

        …if it was a true non-denominational school I’d volunteer myself…trouble is, ETG schools are not…they permit every wingnut religious crank access…

        1. millie st murderlark

          As someone with a child in and ETNS, I can tell you that you’re talking complete poo. They don’t allow any religious classes or any religious ceremonies in the schools.

        2. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

          What do you think non-denominational means, bisted? Because I do not think it means what you think it means.

          1. bisted

            …schools should teach not preach…they should be secular organisations dedicated to education with no place for indoctrination or ‘faith formation’…Ireland has moved on from fear yet the catholic church retains control of over 90% of primary schools…those which have been divested have been shown to be still under the control of the local bishop…the ETG schools are complicit in this control…

          2. millie st murderlark

            You attend the school yourself then? Otherwise, how exactly is it you know this?

            You sound like someone who is talking out of their bum region.

          3. Papi

            I’m pretty sure religion is a subject I’d like my child to be taught about, all of them, without bias, Hindu, Greek orthodox, paganism, the whole shooting match. Let them choose.

          4. spudnick

            “You sound like someone who is talking out of their bum region.”

            Have you not had the pleasure of bisted’s posts before?

          5. Papi

            I had to google that and I got “Food surplus management”
            Which the actual FSM probably has a gospel on.

          1. bisted

            …ok, hands up…I don’t have any skin in the game anymore and was complicit myself in that I had my kids baptised for the sole reason of easing their way through the education system…I hated that but their was no alternative where I lived…friends who do have skin in the game tell me that ETG is not a real alternative…

          2. millie st murderlark

            Please see my above comment.

            My own daughter attends the local ETNS and I have never had anything like the utter nonsense you’re espousing here.

          3. millie st murderlark

            So, why are you making such a song and dance about something you freely admit you have no first hand knowledge of?

            If you want religious information in an ET school they provide info on external classes and that’s it. Or, rather that’s what they do in my daughter’s school. Which I would say is pretty secular.

  7. Wilhelm

    I’d help if this was my son’s school. Community spirit and all. And get him to take some leaves in the yard too.

  8. McBlurgle

    If the school is reopening tomorrow, how is doing the cleaning tomorrow evening going to help the school be ready for that morning. What kind of secular time travel shenanigans go on in these places?

  9. Anomanomanom

    So what’s the problem here. School asks(if you have time) for some help. Again wtf is the problem.

  10. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

    Are the teachers too busy to do it?
    Probably a bit tired after the summer off.

    Fupp off everyone. I’m grumpy.

    1. Starina

      Loads of teachers take on summer work, tutoring, doing summer school, minding special needs students, etc.

      I hear you on the grumpy part, though. I’m not in the mood for being in the office today. I want a nap, preferably by a pool somewhere in 30 degree heat.

      1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

        I know, I know. I’m just in the mood to have a pop at anyone complaining (apart from me, obvs).
        Indeed: a nice nap, half listening to a podcast. Then up at lunchtime to the poolside bar for a club sanger and a cool refreshing beer.

    2. Cupofteaanyone

      Teachers are usually back to school in the days before the kids to go over everything for the upcoming year. They are probably already back to work.

  11. Papi

    It’s called “dugnad”, and it’s very common here in Norway, both at schools and in your local community. Three, four times a year, everyone brings coffee, cake and willingness to help.
    And, yes, before you ask, it IS the seventh level of hell.

    1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

      Are there cinnamon buns? I’d be less grumpy were there cinnamon buns to be snarfed.

      1. Papi

        Kanellboller, and yes, many.
        I got some shock when I went to my first christening here.Got the soakage in early, took out cash, ready for road.

        Coffee, cake and home by two.
        Ditto wedding and most social events.
        At Christmas, and I hope you’re sitting down for this, Mother in law says, “Don’t worry about beer, we got it”
        Three grown men, ten days in the house.
        A 6 pack.
        1
        ?
        But then again, a 6 pack costs 18 euros for the cheap stuff……

  12. Simon

    This is fairly standard for Educate Together; every year parents are asked to muck in with painting and tidying if they have time; it’s not a big deal and makes parents a big part of the school community, as volunteers.

    1. millie st murderlark

      Precisely. At our very first visit to the school they made it very clear that they will ask parents for help like this if they have the time. I think it’s a good idea.

      1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

        “Fupp off, hippies.” you should have said. “The Millies don’t help nobody.”
        They would then correctly admonish you for your obscenity and use of the double negative.

          1. millie st murderlark

            I set up a gofundme page and the badges with a snazzy slogan is on the works already.

          2. Papi

            #pullingacian just took on a (w)hole different meaning.
            I’m pulling out now while the going is good.

          3. Nigel

            Not your fault Millie. We’ll murder these and get a new one then sue RTE when someone tweets an accusation about you murdering focus groups.

  13. Operatick

    Part of the ethos of the ET schools is that the school community be engaged with the running of the school. This takes various forms, but can include helping to maintain the school building and grounds. As a parent of 2 kids that attend an ET school I can tell you that my wife, kids and I have been happy to spend the odd Saturday afternoon throughout the year maintaining the garden or schoolyard for the sake of the school. I think that its a positive thing to involve parents and kids in this. It helps everyone feel more responsible for and connected to the school. I think you’ll probably find that most ET schools probably have very little funding also, so any help from parents that eases the financial burden is going to be very welcome from that point of view.

    The school has only asked that you help a little to maintain the school that you’re kids are in, having been let down by the contract cleaners. Not that big a deal. Only an hour or two. You never know, you might enjoy it and feel good about yourself afterwards for having helped out!

    BTW, I am not involved in that particular school in any way.

    1. spudnick

      This. ET schools need all the help they can get, it’s not like they have the established fundraising avenues and networks of those of the 90% whose influence we’re trying to even up a bit. Pitch in!

      By the way, what’s all this ‘ETG’ I see above? Educate Too Gether?

  14. University of Life (UL. The Other One)

    So parents can go an yurt and glamp it up at Electric Picnic, but woebetide that cleaners do the same and head off?

    It’s your community school, your child’s place of education, so pack up your gear and get back and do the cleaning.

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