Just pop him in the front row.

[Iseeyouthere]

Once again, I am supervising the Australian HSC (High School Certifitcate), as seen here:
http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...ad.php?t=83415

For a recap, this is the final exam students do at the end of High School.

This year, we had a good run of students who, as one of the other supervisors described, a bunch of kids who weren't in the "super smart" category... but in the doing the best they can.

So, in other words: Good year.
Almost.
Two stories.


Just put him the front row:
We had one student who came in and it was suspected he had whooping cough.
The Board of Studies (big overseers) suggested this:
"Just put him in the front row so he doesn't cough on people."
...
...
...what?
What?
Huh!?
We ended up seperating him into a different room. Fortunately for us, it turns out he didn't have whooping cough.
Still though... Put him in the front row... Lucky we have common sense.

The Mother
We had one student who mother was nearly one step away from chaining herself to her child.

"I would like my son to do the exam elsewhere."
This got a no. Why? He had no conditions which could affect him from sitting with the others. Mother-dearest wanted her child to do the exam at home. Yeah, no. Still can't happen.

So, he had to come in...
and the mother followed him all the way to the door...
and watched him take his seat...
and then stared at him for a while...
and then she left... only to wait at the school gate for him.

For two and a half hours she waited there.

Later on, she rang the school.
"I want a misadventure form for my son!"
"What was the problem?"
"He had a wobbly desk!"

She wanted a form which would of pardoned her son from the exam because of a wobbly desk... which we ask at the start of each exam for student to check so we could replace it or balance it out with paper (sometimes its the floor).

*sigh*
How will he function in the real world?

[Gizmo]

That mother needs to back off. Sounds like she knew he was going to fail and wanted to 'assist' him and thought that doing it at home would possibly mean a chance of 'self supervision' (even though I suspect they send a proper invigilator to do it I wonder if she was trying to get round that!)

[earl colby pottinger]

Ouch

This mom is setting him up for failure.

Only saw one mother this bad at the computer store we worked at. A young blonde girl came in for an interview for a job at the front counter. Note: This girl was stacked, all the men's heads turned when she came in.

Worried mother insisted on being part of the job interview! Note, we have an open office design - no closed offices.

Afterwards, the boss said we would never hire a girl with a mother like that as the mom would be wanting to stick her nose in private business matters.

But later I thought about the poor girl, sooner or later she will have to deal with matters on her own without her mother, and at the moment she was not getting a chance to grow/develop her own personal social skills. Life is a minefield for such people.

[Reyneth]

I have nothing to add other than Iseeyouthere, I LOVE your avatar. :-)
I am totally cheetah-obsessed and some of the highlights of my last year have been meeting Dr. Laurie Marker (twice) and getting to pet and play with a 4-month old cub (who was on the Today show on Thursday)!

And yeah, helicopter parents are going to ruin so many kids' lives. It's usually one extreme or the other, it seems. My mom retired from teaching at a good time I think because it's only getting worse and more accepted.

[KatherineB]

And yeah, helicopter parents are going to ruin so many kids' lives. It's usually one extreme or the other, it seems. My mom retired from teaching at a good time I think because it's only getting worse and more accepted.

Do you mean accepted by teachers or by society? Because those teacher friends of mine absolutely hate it, but are not allowed to do a darned thing about it. Mummy wants to sit in the back of the classroom all day and watch Junior? Well, she can't be forcibly removed from the room so the teacher has to put up with it.

[fireheart]

Do you mean accepted by teachers or by society? Because those teacher friends of mine absolutely hate it, but are not allowed to do a darned thing about it. Mummy wants to sit in the back of the classroom all day and watch Junior? Well, she can't be forcibly removed from the room so the teacher has to put up with it.

I plan on instituting a "no helicopter parents" rule in my classroom in a couple of years. In fact, most schools in this state discourage parents from interrupting during class time. If they want to be helicopter parents so bad, they have to wait until after school.

Once again, I am supervising the Australian HS
For a recap, this is the final exam students do at the end of High School.

Lol it's ONE of the final exams.

Also, apart from kids who are homeschooled and/or access distance education for a very good reason. Is there any circumstance where kids are allowed to sit their exam at home?

[thehuckster]

Was that second student's name Howard Wolowitz by any chance?

[PepperElf]

She wanted a form which would of pardoned her son from the exam because of a wobbly desk... which we ask at the start of each exam for student to check so we could replace it or balance it out with paper (sometimes its the floor).

Maybe it's me but... if the desk wasn't "too wobbly" when she watched him sit down, then it's fine.

If it's turned "too wobbly" after the exam has started... perhaps she'd like to explain why she's in communication with her son while he's taking a test?

[Reyneth]

Do you mean accepted by teachers or by society? Because those teacher friends of mine absolutely hate it, but are not allowed to do a darned thing about it. Mummy wants to sit in the back of the classroom all day and watch Junior? Well, she can't be forcibly removed from the room so the teacher has to put up with it.

Sorry I wasn't clear - I meant by society. So it makes it harder for the teachers to do anything about the situation. Ugh.

[LillFilly]

The sick student reminds me of the time a parent flipped their sh*t at the kids playground store we have (you know, where your kid can play while you shop). They were pissed that the play area would not allow their child in. Why? Because he was projectile vomiting every 3-minutes! Yet the parents didn't see anything wrong with it. I can't believe they dragged the poor little guy to the mall in the first place!

[Bright_Star]

That's a 'helicopter parent'.

[Iseeyouthere]

Also, apart from kids who are homeschooled and/or access distance education for a very good reason. Is there any circumstance where kids are allowed to sit their exam at home?

We did have one who was allowed to have the exams at home. For the reason, I forgot, but I believe that you are allowed to do it at home if:
1. You have an illness of a type that prevents you from sitting in an exam enviroment.
2. You have a disability that prevents you from sitting in an exam enviroment.

They may need certain things or have speacil requirements, so the exception is made.
This Helicopter Parent and her child did not qualify for sit at home exam.

In addition, I find it rediculous that he didn't think to put up his hand or anything to fix the wobbly table... so he may of been hoping to skip by so he can be hovered over by his personal helicopter.