School Changing Child's Name without consent

Danzy

The Dept. of education are poor enough at the best of times to deal with but they handled this well.

Maybe the Secretary handled it poorly, sounds like it but you are in a hump and need to mature a bit.

Danzy

Humbird wrote: »

Hi, there is no change of his name from English to Irish. The school want to alter his name by dropping half of it. Surely they have no right? Do they?

It isn't changing his name, just shortening it for convenience for records and usage.

His name is still his name.

Danzy

As for double names being a new thing, there are many examples of them from a thousand years ago in Gaelic Ireland.

Probably in other languages and cultures but I haven't looked or inclined to note them.

Danzy

KatyMac wrote: »

My surname had a 'Mc' (son of) in it and I objected to the school trying to make me a 'Ni' (daughter of). Irish translations leave a lot to be desired! I always disliked anyone messing with my name and I can see where the OP is coming from.

The challenge of a language throwing out a thousand years plus of convention and structure to please one person.

coffee_cake

GreeBo wrote: »

I dont think thats a fair comparison. True you are unlikely to give yourself another "middle" name, but someone with a daughter with a double-barrelled surname is likely to get married and have kids...do those kids have 3 surnames now? What if the father also had one, 4 names?

The problem is people acting like it's all purely involuntary that they'll end up with 4 names magically and that nobody has ever thought about it before.
They'll do whatever they feel like, same as they do now. The woman might change her name. The couple might change their names together to a new one. The kids might take one or the other or half of either for all I know.

GreeBo

bluewolf wrote: »

The problem is people acting like it's all purely involuntary that they'll end up with 4 names magically and that nobody has ever thought about it before.
They'll do whatever they feel like, same as they do now. The woman might change her name. The couple might change their names together to a new one. The kids might take one or the other or half of either for all I know.

In fairness I dont think anyone is saying its involuntary or that it a forgone conclusion that we are going to have quintuple barrelled names anytime soon.

Just that once you start down the road of two surnames you are increasing the complexity of things for your progeny.

It's not a problem that is likely to end society as we know it, its just awkward for everyone involved.

osarusan

It's your child's name, they absolutely should not be shortening it for whatever reason without your agreement (and your child's agreement too). It's his legal name and none of their business frankly.

Whoever you spoke to did an awful job of giving any kind of legitimate reason for it.

If it is simply a case of too many characters to fill in on a computer field, they would probably have said that, and there wouldn't be any need to change they way the name is said anyway.

BBDBB

Ive got the answer


Put the kid into witness protection and change his name to something really short for the school but you'll secretly know his 'real name'

Dylan94

I know that in our school we have the full name on the school records but the teachers generally just use the first name or the first name and first part of the surname.

splinter65

Dylan94 wrote: »

I know that in our school we have the full name on the school records but the teachers generally just use the first name or the first name and first part of the surname.

This too. The teachers do not go around all day saying “ Aoibhinn Connolly Fitzpatrick and Saoirse Moloney O’Rahilly can you put the basket balls away thanks, and Ailbe O’Devanney O’Connor and Nathaniel Doherty McGuinness you can turn out the lights. Thanks”
That would be ludicrous and anyone who thinks it’s not needs their heads examining.
Even saying it once is exhausting.
Teachers used to say “Anne Connolly and Mary Moloney put away the basketballs” because there was 4 Annes and 6 Marys and surnames has to be used in order to make clear which Mary and Anne was meant.

evolving_doors

splinter65 wrote: »

This too. The teachers do not go around all day saying “ Aoibhinn Connolly Fitzpatrick and Saoirse Moloney O’Rahilly can you put the basket balls away thanks, and Ailbe O’Devanney O’Connor and Nathaniel Doherty McGuinness you can turn out the lights. Thanks”
That would be ludicrous and anyone who thinks it’s not needs their heads examining.
Even saying it once is exhausting.
Teachers used to say “Anne Connolly and Mary Moloney put away the basketballs” because there was 4 Annes and 6 Marys.

Nope we do use double barrels in our school same as single barrels. Most of the time it's just first names anyway.

If there's 4 Anne's you just direct your voice towards Anne Connolly.
It can be contentious in the cases of divorce (or deceased parent) if you take it upon yourself to abandon a surname for fear of sounding pretentious! Anyhow kids front really care unless adults make a point of abandoning it.

Anyhow we don't know the reason why the Secretary in the school wouldn't use the longer version.