Should I ring and complain about this teacher?

[BirdhouseInYourSoul]

Genuinely don't know if I'm being U and a bit precious here so thought I'd ask here. Please be gentle...

DD had her appendix out 11 days ago. She's been back to school yesterday and today for half days. Mostly she's ok. Keyhole surgery so not too sore but she is pretty tired out most of the time.

Today she had food tech - double lesson so just under two hours. They were doing a practical thing and they have to stand at the workbenches. Halfway through DD asks if she can bring a stall over to sit down but he refused on health and safety grounds.

If that's true then fair enough. But as soon as DD had finished her part she asked if she could sit over at the tables for the last half hour as she was tired and sore. She still would have been able to hear and participate but he said no. No explanation - just a straight and abrupt 'NO'. he knew about her appendix btw.

She is quite shy and never the type to challenge a teacher so stood there for the remainder of the lesson in pain.

I am fuming really. It doesn't help that I cannot stand this teacher and feel he is overly aggressive to his pupils. Last term he humiliated DD because the school asked for a voluntary contribution and I refused (this is another thread tbh. I was one of many parents who did)

Because of how I feel about him I don't know if I'm over reacting about this. Should I ring on monday and complain?

[motherofmonster]

If it was a another teacher would you still want to phone up?

[Heels99]

Yes. Also send her in with a note she can carry with her to show to teachers explaining the situation.

Your poor dd!

[Bunbaker]

Definitely contact school over this. You aren't over reacting at all. Is it possible to get a doctor's note for her to show the teacher?

[mineallmine]

I'm a teacher and usually look at thread titles like yours and think 'Here we go, another one' but I have to say I would be 100% pissed off at this. That was just mean and unnecessary of that teacher and I would absolutely complain about it if I was in your situation. Not in the slightest bit precious.

I hope your daughter is ok.

[Molotov]

I would call and complain.

Your DD is attending achool whilst recovering from an operation. A little kindness and compassion would mean so much ... so make the call about this person.

Good luck. Hope your dd is okay

[itsaknockout]

It seems a long time to be still so sore after keyhole sugery.DH had 'open' appendectomy and was digging the garden a few days later.

[SetPhasersTaeMalkie]

Yes I would complain. In writing, and follow up with a phone call.

[Molotov]

FWIW, I had a similar op (aged 24) and didn't feel like myself for 3w. So 11 days is NOTHING.

[BirdhouseInYourSoul]

I am certain I would complain if it were another teacher...

She has a not excusing her 5 minutes early so she can avoid the hallway crush between classes and the note also says that she is allowed to attend the first aid room if she feels the need at any point (for painkillers or to leave early) He had seen this prior to the class starting.

The thing is, it does just seem mean and unnecessary.

[Molotov]

knockout: your DH wouldn't have been school-aged though, right? Didn't have someone barking at him to get on with it? He could have sat down when he wanted, yes?

[Hannahabbott]

No question, he should have let her sit. I'm a teacher and standing is preferable in practical sessions but I would have had no problem with her moving to a different area to sit.

[BirdhouseInYourSoul]

Her wounds are doing really well - they were only tiny though. She is getting by with one lot of paracetamol about halfway through the day as she is sore by then.

But this is the first time she would have stood for so long in one go.

[bodhranbae]

The teacher was an arse. I would be contacting the HT to know what happened and why.

[Molotov]

And don't forget all of the internal healing that's going on.

How old is she OP? I assume secondary school-age, but how old exactly?

[DontGotoRoehampton]

Yes, Mean and unnecessary.
We have eg a school rule that DC should not go to the toilet in lessons.
I use my discretion and let them if my instinct tells me that need to go.
In this case I would have definitely let your DD sit down - completely ridiculous not to.
Call the Head.

[BirdhouseInYourSoul]

She's 13 Molotov

Yes, I think given that it's a keyhole thing it's easy to forget stuff is going on inside too. The worst part was the after effects of the gas they used during the op. That's all she really complained about really.

[Molotov]

13yo ... so young

Kick up a fuss, OP. This teacher needs to learn some compassion. Either he was having a bad day; isn't suited to teaching or is a plain old arsehole.

[waithorse]

I was in pain and uncomfortable for a couple of weeks. YANBU. Poor girl.

[Wibblypiglikesbananas]

Yes, make a complaint. Sounds like the teacher is on a power trip. What a horrible thing to do, making a student suffer like that.

[LadyLuck10]

Yanbu, given that he knew about her surgery he should have let her sit immediately after her part or even made her complete hers first! I would definitely complain about that.

[PickledInAJar]

Ignore the nonsense about digging a few days after appendicectomy, even laparoscopic surgery is worse to recover from that a C Section. What people don't realise is that there is a LOT of internal healing to be done, the probe travels a long distance and the sutures can easily rupture.

The teacher was bang out of order and should be pulled up about that. My sympathies for your poor DD.

[FoxgloveFairy]

Keyhole surgery is much better and recovery time much quicker than open, but I would say your daughter would still be pretty sore after 11days, at times, especially doing anything like standing for long periods. Pretty mean of the teacher and your daughter was asking for something very reasonable.

[YouTheCat]

Utter balls about the 'health and safety'. What about your dd's health? How would it have been if she fainted or something because of this idiot?

Complain, in writing, to the head. If you get no joy, add in the governors.

[BlueberryWafer]

Yanbu and should make a complaint, hope your dd feels better soon.

[BlueberryWafer]

"DH had an 'open' appendectomy and was digging in the garden a few days later"

Your DH is an idiot then. There is lots of internal healing that goes on. 11 days is not a long time at all for a child to recover from any kind of surgery.