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AIBU?

To think an English child won't be bullied in a Scottish school

60 replies

Pinkpanthershow · 23/09/2014 16:47

I am Scottish but living in England and DS was born in England, and so has an English accent. I would like to return to live in Scotland but my DH is now saying that he is concerned that our DS will be bullied in school for being English. We would be moving to Edinburgh, and DS is only 6, and I think it is very unlikely that he would be picked on for being English. In my experience, there are a lot of English people in Edinburgh, and there are no problems in respect of this.
I suspect my DH's attitude is linked to his own reluctance to move to Scotland but would be interested in seeing if people agree with me with regard to the risk of bullying.

OP posts:
JudysPriest · 23/09/2014 16:49

We're in East Ayrshire. Had no issues at all and there aren't many English living here.

Taz1212 · 23/09/2014 16:51

DS goes to school in Edinburgh and there are lots of English children at his school. He's never known anyone to be picked on/bullied for being English.

MostAmused · 23/09/2014 16:51

I moved from Bristol up to Fife when I was 8. I was never bullied or made to feel like an outsider but it was a University town so I wasn't the only non-scottish kid there. At secondary I noticed a few jibes made to mostly boys in my year. Girls didn't seem to bother about it much. It never seemed particularly serious though, always a bit of fun.
I imagine Edinburgh would be similar as it has more varied backgrounds than say the middle of the highlands.

gastrognome · 23/09/2014 16:53

It probably depends on the school, to be honest. As a child I went to a couple of schools in the Edinburgh area where kids were bullied for being "posh", and having anything resembling an English accent basically equated to that.

I also went to a school where nobody cared much where you came from, and English accents weren't seen as a reason to bully somebody.

(Disclaimer: of course things might have changed since my childhood)

Piffpaffpoff · 23/09/2014 16:53

You'll be fine in Edinburgh I think. And at that age he'll pick up a wee scottish accent of his own in no time!

Branleuse · 23/09/2014 16:56

itll be fine

AMumInScotland · 23/09/2014 16:57

There is really no reason to expect him to be bullied.

I can't absolutely guarantee it won't happen, because let's face it bullying does happen, and any perceived difference could be used to bully any child.

But he will not be the only child with an English accent in most Edinburgh schools, unless you are likely to move into the middle of some of the roughest housing schemes. And even then, there's no reason to think it would get him bullied.

PiggyPlumPie · 23/09/2014 16:57

Moved to Aberdeenshire when DC were 7, 5 and 18 months. No bullying at all and the older two (now teens) have school voices and home voices.

RumAppleGinger · 23/09/2014 17:02

Moved from Yorkshire to Edinburgh suburb aged 9, was never bullied. Now live in a commuter town in Fife and I'd say more kids on our street have English accents than Scottish accents. Never witnessed any bullying.

TeacupDrama · 23/09/2014 17:57

we are in argyll I have nnever had a problem being english in Scotland in 20 years, DH is scottish my DD has just started school with english accent though will probably have local accent soon

rainbowinmyroom · 23/09/2014 18:00

YANBU

GreenPetal94 · 23/09/2014 18:06

No my sons are not bullied in their central Edinburgh state school. Nor are the large numbers of Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Polish students.

However my son did fail to get a house point as he did not take anything in for "bring something tartan day". So obviously the idea that an English family did not have anything tartan was alien.

And they will have to learn Burns poems, read Scots language and learn Gaelic, all in primary. Then they will grow in to teenagers who drink Irn Bru and ask for a kilt for Christmas.

I love Scotland and I would say move here. Where else can you get pipe bands (bagpipes) marching in at the end of your school concerts.

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 23/09/2014 18:07

Dh is English, he moved up as a teen and has been discriminated against twice for being English in 17 years, so it does happen but rarely in our experience.

I was badly bullied moving from a Glasgow school to an Aberdeenshire one though, as none of the other kids understood my accent!

Being bullied for being the new kid in school happens, but I don't think it is any more likely to happen to your Ds because of his accent and nationality.

LePetitMarseillais · 23/09/2014 18:09

I was.

Tbf the name calling I could cope with and I made friends but the "you're not Scottish","those English" thing does make you feel quite isolated.

It wasn't easy.

That said you're Scottish so your DS may find when he explains this any bullies back off.

Taz1212 · 23/09/2014 18:10

However my son did fail to get a house point as he did not take anything in for "bring something tartan day". So obviously the idea that an English family did not have anything tartan was alien.

I'm American and very quickly learned the importance of owning a bit of tartan ribbon (for DD) and a tartan scarf (for DS) Grin

PenguinsIsSleepDeprived · 23/09/2014 18:14

I'd have thought you'd be fine in Edinburgh.

I have a family member who was, not exactly bullied, but certainly made to feel an outsider in Inverness. This was some years ago, but I can imagine the referendum may have brought things to the fore again. Lots of "you English have done X to us" type stuff. Mostly picked up from nationalist parents I think.

Leela5 · 23/09/2014 18:28

Moved to Edinburgh when I was 6 with no problems. Soon picked up scots accent anyway as I was so young

tabulahrasa · 23/09/2014 18:34

"However my son did fail to get a house point as he did not take anything in for "bring something tartan day". So obviously the idea that an English family did not have anything tartan was alien."

Everybody has to buy tartan things for those days...I suspect they're organised by some sort of tartan promotion society.

Groovee · 23/09/2014 18:39

Live in Edinburgh and it's such a high multicultural city these days that no one blinks at things like this.

I work in nursery and lots of different accents come in. You learn to be in tune quickly.

Delphiniumsblue · 23/09/2014 19:11

If it is cosmopolitan like Edinburgh or Aberdeen you will be fine- DH would be right in some places.

Bambambini · 23/09/2014 19:22

Depends. A boy with an English accent was picked on a bit when I was at school but he was very quiet and it was years ago - hopefully it would be better these days.

My children have to Scottish ears, posh southern accents - when we go home I keep an eye on them at the local parks. Don't think they've had a problem so far but I'm usually watching.

Bambambini · 23/09/2014 19:25

I come from a small deprived town though with not so many incomers, a posh English sounding accent sticks out like a sore thumb.

Bambambini · 23/09/2014 19:28

"However my son did fail to get a house point as he did not take anything in for "bring something tartan day". So obviously the idea that an English family did not have anything tartan was alien. "

Ha, ha - go out and buy a tartan hankie or something. Not every Scottish family has a wardrobe of tartan either.

Carltondance · 23/09/2014 19:40

I moved from England when I was 11 to an area with lots of English, and although I was never outright bullied I did get a lot of snide or thoughtless comments that people wouldn't have made if I was any other nationality. I remember the one time that the only non-white boy had a racist comment made to him the whole year group turned on the perpetrator. On the other hand I was expected to put up with comments as 'banter'.

However at 6 your son's classmates are going to be much less likely to care (unless they have parents who regularly out anti-English crap) and he will almost certainly lose his accent very quickly. I never did lose my accent which meant I was a lot more noticeable.

mummytime · 23/09/2014 19:45

I would think it depends on the school.

However as an adult I have had comments that as a child could have felt like bullying. From comments about what all "English" are like, to history comments about "what the English did" (like 70+ Covenanters in a small room in Stonehaven Castle one summer). Admittedly people often "forgot" I was English and would apologise when they remembered or just thought I came from the "posh" end of town.

Maybe your Ds will be less bullied than your DH?

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