Wednesday, March 18, 2009

This is a hoot! I hope it is true...if not it should be.

"Subject: Aussie Schools Answering Machine
This is hilarious - no wonder some people were offended! This is the message that the Maroochydore High School Queensland, staff voted unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine. This is the actual answering machine message for the school. This came about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children's absences and missing homework. The school and teachers are being sued by parents who want their children's failing grades changed to passing grades - even though those children were absent 15-30 times during the semester and did not complete enough school work to pass their classes.

The outgoing message: Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please listen to all the options before making a selection:

To lie about why your child is absent - Press 1

To make excuses for why your child did not do his homework - Press 2

To complain about what we do - Press 3

To swear at staff members - Press 4

To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several flyers mailed to you - Press 5

If you want us to raise your child - Press 6

If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone - Press 7 To request another teacher, for the third time this year - Press 8

To complain about bus transportation - Press 9

To complain about school lunches - Press 0

If you realize this is the real world and your child must be Accountable and responsible for his/her own behaviour, class work, homework and that it's not the teachers' fault for your child's lack of effort: Hang up and have a nice day! If you want this in another language, move to a country that speaks it."


smile smile smile! Only in Queensland.

13 comments:

Mal Kiely [Lancelots Pram] said...

That's glorious!!!!!!!!!!!

Cazzie!!! said...

Love it!

MeHereNow said...

Love it!

Mom said...

That is great. I love it.

Sling said...

Beautimous!

FoxyMoron said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Middle Child said...

Mal I know!

Cazzie - aim to please...but somehow doubt that the maroochydore school actually did this...seems more like one of those tales which goes round.

Me here Now! I aim to please

Mom - as a mom you would

Sling - of course it is and what a wonderful word " beautimous"

Anonymous said...

Amusing 'til the last sentence where I think it got a bit ugly.

rosemary said...

Loved it too.....

Jules said...

Great!!

Although I must agree about the last sentence, no reason for the school to have a dig at those that don't understand English fully. Australia and New Zealand both are countries that would not survive without immigrants. Actually, both are nations built on it.

The rest, classic.

Middle Child said...

I could agree here re the last sentnece.But then schools can not practically meet all the cultural needs....
say a German,Dutch, French, Saudi, Phillipono, Tongan, Samooan, Chinese (and all of their five or so main languages) whatever...schools can not be expected to have these resources... so what do they do????

Ann ODyne said...

Thanks MC, I enjoyed it, Urban Myth or not.

Random Thinker said...

Shared this with my sister who is a teacher. I'm sure she'll love it.