Need to complain to school

Abbafan1972

Both myself and my 9yr old DD are both LH, that is, we write with our left hands, but can do other tasks using our right hands, such as use the computer mouse, use scissors etc.

Have never needed to ask the nursery or school for "special provisions" or anything.

I don't think that charging in with all guns blazing is going to get you anywhere OP.

Birdy12

Poppy9 wrote: »

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask the school to consider if a young child is having any difficulties due to be LH.

Absolutely in agreement. You just don't have to take the heavy-handed approach which, judging by the tone of the OP's post, she's preparing herself to do.

aliasojo

Birdy12 wrote: »

In what way?

A right handed child starting nursery learns to draw, write, cut out etc.

A left handed child learns the same but they are also expected to try to master a piece of equipment that is designed to work for right handed people, first before they can then learn how to do the task in hand, properly.

A child's dexterity is not refined at an early age, they can be clumsy and it's some time before they are physically able to cut out neatly (for example).

It is not a level playing field if all are not starting from the same vantage point.

Of course many lefties cope well with it all. But purely from a logical stance, it is illogical to not provide lefties with left handed equipment the same way righties are provided with right handed equipment.

To me anyway.

Poppy9

Birdy12 wrote: »

Absolutely in agreement. You just don't have to take the heavy-handed approach which, judging by the tone of the OP's post, she's preparing herself to do.

I think the OP is just being an over eager new parent.:o We can partly blame the media and forums which shout out that our education system is deteriorating, schools are not meeting children's needs etc. and also we sometimes feel when dealing with public bodies that we have to be firm in our dealings with them to be taken seriously.

rachbc

Both my hubby and I are left handed - I use the mouse righted handed and he left - but he just swaps it over on his and doesn't change any settings.

I hate lh scissors and get on fine with any kitchen equipment. I'm crap at sport and blame that on being lh but I suspect that might be an exuse!

Birdy12

aliasojo wrote: »

There should be left handed alternative as a rule for everything in life in my opinion. It's just ridiculous that there is not, especially in our techie and modern world of today.

There probably is a left-handed alternative to lots of things if it's needed that much and people are prepared to look for it!:) I'm just of the opinion that a lot of it wouldn't enhance my children any further.

aliasojo wrote: »

A left handed child learns the same but they are also expected to try to master a piece of equipment that is designed to work for right handed people, first before they can then learn how to do the task in hand, properly.

Yes, I'm with you on this. I still don't think it puts you on the back foot. Yes, my kids, have probably had to use RH scissors at some stage but it hasn't made them any less bright or creative than their peers.

I'll got back to my original point. I don't think the OP needs to use the heavy-handed approach. All childcare provisions should have, at the very least, LH scissors. A quick word with the teacher will confirm this.

OP, what else are you looking for your child to have access to that you think they don't have already?

Lunar_Eclipse

Poppy9 wrote: »

Personally I think the OP is right to be concerned that her child's needs are being met by the school but I think the language used in the thread title is attracting harsh responses.

Some lefties are more left handed than others, if you google you can find some simple tests to see how left handed you are.

I agree with this. Until I had a LH daughter, I had no idea what a right handed world we live in. Everything, everywhere is geared to right handed (aka left brain dominant) people, starting with the basics of which way is more natural to open a door, to the way we read books. Thankfully LH people usually don't notice these things as they just have to get on with it.

My DD is very left handed in the way in her brain works and her automatic responses (she goes for everything the way it should be for her which is never the way it is in our RH world), but often uses cutlery in a RH way and has recently discovered that she can write quite well with her right hand. She does however struggle with computer mice and scissors (and right handed sports such as hockey.)

Interestingly, this topic came up with her yesterday, when she was required to shake some people's hands at a school event. She said the actual act of shaking someone's right hand with her right hand isn't difficult, but she does consciously have to think about it.

In terms of approaching the school, I'd suggest avoiding using words such as discrimination if possible, but explore how they will accommodate this difference. Approximately 10% of the population are LH, so statistically there should be 3 lefties in a typical infant school class, although in reality the range is more like 0-6. My daughter is one of two in her class of 34.

Tiddlywinks

Being left-handed is a physical attribute and not a disability so your suggestion of the Law requiring "reasonable adjustments" is just wrong - and you will look very silly by insisting on this when talking to a teacher.

Yes, your DD will need to learn how to do some things differently than the majority but why make a song and dance about it? The fact of life that she needs to adapt to is that the world is primarily geared to the right-handed. Understanding that now will make her whole life a little easier - you shouting about her "rights" will only colour how she sees herself.

I am right-handed but use a mouse with the buttons set to left-handed mode as I have problems with my hands and shoulder. Teaching her to use a mouse (moved to her left hand) but using the buttons in the standard right-handed way will not confuse her brain - it will just make it easier for her in the long run as she will be sharing computer equipment throughout her school years and it will be very impractical to keep having the teacher change things every time she wants to use a school computer.

aliasojo

Birdy12 wrote: »

I'll got back to my original point. I don't think the OP needs to use the heavy-handed approach.

I honestly don't think she is. :undecided

I realise she used the word 'complain' in her title but that's just a general term people often use if the want to talk about something negative imo. It doesn't mean 'all guns blazing' or 'heavy handed'.

Her post was calm and she asked the question 'Do you think I should ask for a meeting or do this as a letter, to the headteacher or head of dept ?????';

She just wanted to know how best to handle it. If she was going to be heavy handed, I think she'd have already been at the school knocking on the Head Teacher's door, rather than posting here.

Difference in interpretation of her post I guess.

izoomzoom

Well it is so obviously a right handed world we live in and I am thankful for the supportive posts.

Scissors are already provided in the school and as DD is in nursery, there isn't any formal structure to where they sit etc, so no issue about bumping writing arms with other children.

However, in recent decades children who were left handed were forced to use their right hands. Fortunately things have moved on and I understand that this doesn't happen (as much) anymore. Hooray :T:T

However, we are a fast moving technological world and changing the settings on a computer so that the primary and secondary buttons on the mouse are reversed is a very simple and easy adjustment.

Go to control panel on your computer:
Click on the mouse icon.
Tick the button configeration box.
Click the apply and ok buttons and bob's your uncle.

There is no specialist equipment that I am asking for. A few clicks on a computer that is already in the classroom.

Anyways, I met briefly with the headteacher today. She is going to investigate the matter further (it seems to be a big headache as the computers are networked and you need to be an 'administrator' to change these kinds of settings), and will come back to me.