virginiec

My 15 year old daughter was given a two hour after school detention last night. Coming from the UK this seems quite a serious punishment, but she reckons they are commonplace in Australia

Is this true?

biggy

not at my daughters school......ask for an explination and if you dont agree tell em to bugger off

NickyC

Detentions are certainly used - my kid's school had them.

Detentions for minor things were usually half an hour at lunchtime. A 2-hour after-school affair would be for quite a serious offence and definitely not given without warnings to parents. Schools don't keep kids back for 2 hours without notice - most parents would freak out if kids were two hours late home from school.

If your daughter's school did give a 2-hour detention without notice then I'd complain - but I'd also make sure that your daughter is telling the absolute truth before you do it. (because that's exactly the sort of line I'd have given to my mother if I'd gone shopping after school (or whatever) and didn't want her to find out about it ).

biggy

Detentions for minor things were usually half an hour at lunchtime. A 2-hour after-school affair would be for quite a serious offence and definitely not given without warnings to parents. Schools don't keep kids back for 2 hours without notice - most parents would freak out if kids were two hours late home from school.


I would agree there is no way a pupil could be kept in for this length of time without consultation with the parents

virginiec

I was informed in advance: got a detention slip to sign.

My daughter says a two-hour detention is "the norm" here in OZ...

NickyC

Not the norm at my kid's school, which was quite a strict, all-boys, private school.

Half an hour at lunchtime for most minor misdemeanors (like half the class did something bad so they all get to stay in).

An hour after school for individual bad stuff (not doing homework etc)

Saturday mornings (in uniform!) for more serious stuff.

Really bad behaviour over an extended period involved parent/teacher consultations, warnings, school councillors, suspensions, etc, etc.

The school detention and/or punishment policy was well-documented so everyone knew what was involved and no-one got any surprises. Ask to see the school's policy.

rosscov1970

my daughter's high school issues 30 minute detentions after school, with a slip home to the parent explaining the reason and requiring a signature of authorisation.

This system has an obvious flaw as my daughter never showed us the slips and forged my signature 7 times!:curse:

For serious offences, ie. truanting, Saturday school is imposed, three hours in the morning. Again a letter home to explain why, requiring sig.

virginiec

Yep, my daughter got her detention for skipping school.

Seemed a bit harsh to me...

Sally Simpson

She missed a whole day of school & had to make up 2 hours....can't see the problem with that

Nu-Shooz

At the school where my eldest go, they get detention. Mostly it is within school hours, but recently i had a letter saying if kids were late to school, they would be kept behind in detention for the same amount of time they were late.

rosscov1970

I think it's a good opportunity to catch up on work missed.

virginiec

So time to 'fess up guys. DId you ever get detention when you were at school??

Nu-Shooz

Once

But i never turned up...nothing was ever mentioned, slack gits

rosscov1970

no, but my daughter is certainly making up for it.

virginiec

[QUOTE=NickyC;6563504

If your daughter's school did give a 2-hour detention without notice then I'd complain - but I'd also make sure that your daughter is telling the absolute truth before you do it. (because that's exactly the sort of line I'd have given to my mother if I'd gone shopping after school (or whatever) and didn't want her to find out about it ).[/QUOTE]

I think I was the complete opposite when I was at school! I told my mum that I was playing netball rather than confessing that I got another detention