forgeddaboudit

My daughter is going to Secondary school next year. The frantic and frenzied proceedings that go before she has even picked up a book is now in its initial stages.

Yesterday I went to a Parent's information evening where everyone was informed by two lovely ladies about the processes and procedures that Amsterdam has put in place to make choosing and registering at a school as fair as possible. Regrettably these proceedings seems to have a built-in frustration level for every parent. I won't get into detail here as to how it works but what I found astounding was the level of aggression coming from some of the parents. Worst-case-scenario after worst-case-scenario was thrown up and no matter how much these lovely ladies tried to take these worries away, these unlikely turn of events were cherished, nursed by some parents and they were just not going to let go. It was almost if they were wishing for it to go wrong. They sure as hell did not want to be re-assured!

Images of aggressive parents pouring cement boots for some school headmasters who were not going to let their child enroll flashed before me.

I was a bit blase because I have lived the fear a couple of years earlier. Getting the right school is hard and you never know if you have made the right decision until it is too late, but I know it is not as bad as I thought. It starts going bad when your child is enrolled in the school of their choice only to find that they are loath to lift a finger to get good grades and are so laid back about everything that you have to check whether or not they still have a pulse. This is my plight right now. I am a bereft mother. I have an intelligent son who is sooo very, very clever but cannot be arsed to do any work of substance. It makes me sad because I know he is missing out. I tell him that he will be gray and balding before he finishes his school career if he is not careful. He just looks at me like I am the naggiest nagging mother in the whole naggy history of the nagging world.

Whatcanyoudo?