Swearing at school....and I dont mean the pupils!!!

[jayzmummy]

DS1 started secondary a couple of weeks ago.
He has settled really well and is enjoying his time there so far,apart fom the ammount of bad language that is used on a daily basis by most of the teaching staff!!!

He was so shocked the first time he heard a teacher swear..."bloody hell how many times do I have to tell you"...directed to a child whom I know has SN's!!!! He came home and asked us if it was right that teachers are allowed to swear at the pupils....I didnt really know what to say to him. It had never crossed my mind that teachers would be swearing to the pupils...I thought the children would be shown some respect and in turn be respected back!

Yesterday DS1's friend was having problems attaching a busen burner so he asked my DS if he could help. The teacher saw my DS lending a hand and shouted out "For Fck sake didnt you listen"
DS1 said he was quaking in his boots and the comment wasnt even directed at himself!

DS1 certainly never hears DH or I use bad language...we do,but just not around the DS's and we would never tell them to "Fuck off out of the room if your not going turn up on time" as one teacher is reported as saying to my friends daughter who had gotten lost trying to find the classroom!!!She spent the rest of the day feeling ridiculed because the other pupils had taken the pee out of her for being sworn at

It seems that this is the norm at this school...is it the same elsewhere???

I asked a netter friend who teaches and she told me that this is common in innner city schools where there are likely to be troublesome children...teachers getting down to the childrens level to interact etc...BUT this is a very rural village secondary school in an affluent area!!

I know that quite a few parents are as concerned as I about the level of swearing used...are we over reacting or should we take this matter up with the head teacher?

[colditz]

{shock]

this is horrifying!

go to the head!

[potty1]

That's appalling jayzmummy. Mine go to an inner city school and it's certainly not the norm

[ScummyMummy]

The F word from teachers is utterly unacceptable. Never heard this in several years of working in inner London secondary schools considered rough. If ds is definitely telling the full truth I would complain bigtime.

[jayzmummy]

DS1 is almost saintly in his ways....lord knows where he gets it from because I am no angel...so I know he is telling the truth.

In addition I have had a couple of phone calls from other mums who have called to check out what their child is telling them about the swearing. They have asked if DS1 has said anything about it becuase they wanted to know if it was the truth.

A friend is a supply teacher at the school and he told me this afternoon that the three teachers who appear to be the worse offenders are all know to the head as being colourful with their words....its not right though is it?

DH thinks I am overreacting because secondary school is the first step into the big wide world...more independance etc. DH has to learn that in life people do swear, smoke in the loos and squive out of lessons!!

I just feel its so wrong that a teacher is allowed to swear at an 11 year old and its considered the norm!! No wonder by the time the kids reach year 10 they are effing and blinding back at the teachers.

[saadia]

I'm shocked, that is just wrong and they shouldn't be yelling at the new kids anyway, let alone swearing.

[jampots]

oh crikey - you dont want to see my thread

[sassy]

This is disgraceful. I (very) occasional use a mild swearword for effect (e.g.making a big theatrical thing about "shush, don't tell on me but Lady Mabeth? She was a complete b*tch!") but never as a discipline measure.

I think this is a matter for the Head, or the governors if Head's reaction unsatisfactory.

[Nightynight]

I agree, it isn't just the swear word but the whole way of talking to the children. children shouldnt be talked to as though they are juvenile delinquents. saw a bit of this in the UK myself, though not as bad as you describe.

[Marina]

F word totally out of order, I think you are right to be shocked about it Jayzmummy, and should complain to the head.

[cod]

Message withdrawn

[Hulababy]

Completely unacceptable. There is no way a teacher should be swearing at children. I have never known a teacher to do so in either of the secondaries I have taught at - one was a failing school in Special Measures; one top of the league type school.

[Rowlers]

Poor, really poor.
Occasionally staff at my school have sworn at pupils and they have been in big trouble. It's just wrong and there is no excuse.
One woman was disciplined for it, mind you she also manhandled a pupil too, she was a fruitcake.

[happymerryberries]

Total out of order, this should not happen. I will confess to a damn sometimes for dramatic emphasis, but this is used in a very controled and limited way. But nothing else, not ever.

You model the behaviour you want to see

[beckybrastraps]

No way! Have taught in inner city schools and absolutely no way! In fact, troublesome children are the LAST ones I would swear at. Is it really most of the staff or just one idiot?

[swedishmum]

Actually I'm not shocked. I've heard teachers use all kinds of language to pupils, some of them as almost normal conversation and others when they have lost control/temper. It does happen, but obviously I am not condoning it. I would hope it would be taken seriously by a Headteacher.

[nightowl]

well my school was considered rough and i dont recall hearing a teacher swear (apart from the occasional "bloody" sometimes used in conversation with the oldest kids out of school time!). i certainly never heard it on the premises. i think thats awful, to use the word f**k. no need.

[ghosty]

I would be straight down there and complaining.
This is totally out of order. Even if, in rough schools, it was the norm for the kids to swear the teaching staff never should.
What lessons is it teaching them?

I am about this ...

[bobbybob]

My pupils are always trying to trick me into swearing - but they don't realise that having a 2 year old has completely cured me.

[bloss]

Message withdrawn

[starshaker]

if any1 ever swore at dd (only 5 months at the mo) in school id be straight in saying she doesnt hear it at home and i wont put up with her hearing it there

[Cam]

Being Mrs Naive it has never occurred to me that a teacher would ever swear at a pupil (particularly as a matter of course)

It wouldn't be acceptable in any job, would it

[Socci]

Message withdrawn

[basketcase]

another secondary school teacher (ex) and would never ever swear in school - mostly rural schools but also trained in inner city London schools - the roughest of the lot - and never heard a teacher swear (albeit a few years ago now).
Hope you feel able to report this and that the school head is as shocked as we all are.
If you get no joy out of it/lame excuses about coming down to the children?s level (crazy idea - do they throw chairs too....) then I would think about contacting the newspapers, starting locally. This is just outrageous and parents need to step on it before their children start to think it normal.
Good luck - I know complaining in a school can be a little daunting but will be worth it if you get it stopped.

[ssd]

jayzmummy this has really shocked me! I never say swear words to my kids and I'd be totally outraged if a teacher did it. Haven't heard of this before, but my eldest is 7......

I'd definately complain to the highest level and I'd write in to the Sunday Times education letters page. And tell the school you are contacting a national newspaper! Do the other parents know this is going on? What about the PTA or the school board? I'd contact everyone and get them stirred up!

On a different note, how are you keeping these days? Have you been into hospital yet for your op? Or am I confusing you with someone else?