To be alarmed that teacher called a child a 'twat' in school?

[khaleesi71]

I'm not in the UK but a European country. DS (11) tells me that in his English class two students were discussing religion and what the difference was between Christianity and a Catholicism. Teacher says to children, "they are both the same you twat". Another student asks a follow up question and teacher turns to them and says "do you want me to call you a twat as well?". I was and dispatched an email to HT asking her to look into it. HT comes back to me to say teacher is very sorry she said that. The teacher is Australian and where she comes from it is a 'polite form of teasing' and they use the word a lot. She did not mean to cause offence. We have spent a fair bit of time in Aus and DS went to school there. We never heard it used in that way! I think it's a disgrace that a teacher uses derogatory terms for women in a class and think it normalises that sort of language but AIBU?

[gillybeanz]

It's a fish isn't it?
Maybe she was using it in this context as little fish?
YANBU to be offended though as here it is a derogatory term.
Have no idea about Aus as never been.

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

I'm married to an Australian and live in Australia with our children...who attend school here and I can assure you that it's not a "polite form of teasing" at all!

Certainly NOT something a teacher would say.

I suggest you write back and say this...and demand that it's not used again and that there is some form of meeting between the HT and the teacher to illustrate this.

[usedtogotomars]

Even if it is ‘you dingbat’ it’s bloody rude TBF.

I wouldn’t call a kid a twit or wally for a reasonable enough question!

[GlitterUnicornsAndAllThatJazz]

Sorry but I think thats hilarious.

Guess the word is much lighter in oz - awkward!

[PurpleDaisies]

Clearly the teacher shouldn’t have said it but they’ve apologised and I bet they won’t do it again. Just because you haven’t heard it used in Australia, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t in other parts. It’s a big place.

An American friend called someone a s**z and was horrified to find out that it was really offensive here.

[LipstickHandbagCoffee]

Look you have contacted HT, got an apology and explanation.dont overlabour it
FWIW, twat is colloquially used to mean silly, daft. Not twat as in female genitalia
It was over familiar, but teacher has been told off. Leave it at that

[BakedBeans47]

I am British and I thought the word twat was just a variation on twit until I was in my 30s

It’s obv inappropriate but if she didn’t know what it meant it’s not as bad as if she said it in full knowledge

[PurpleDaisies]

I am British and I thought the word twat was just a variation on twit until I was in my 30s

Me too!

[GabriellaMontez]

It is certainly not a polite form of teasing there although it maybe slightly less taboo.

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

Also...how the feck are Catholics and Christians "the same"

[catkind]

Perhaps it's just where she came from that it's used the same as twit - Australia is a big place. It was used like a cross between twit and prat when I grew up (UK) and I didn't discover its other meaning till I was an adult. Anyway, now she knows, bet she was mortified when she found out.

More worried about the incorrect RS information. Catholicism is a branch of Christianity, they're not "the same thing" :o And namecalling rather than answering students' questions.

[catkind]

That was supposed to be a shock face not a smiley one.

[khaleesi71]

I'm not huffy about it; more so because they held their hands up to it. Obvs happy that HT did actually deal with it (not always a given here) but not sure I buy the alarmed innocence. I can be swayed though

[BoneyBackJefferson]

CheapSausagesAndSpam

Because Catholics are Christians as are

Protestants
Eastern Orthodox Church
Oriental Orthodoxy
Restorationism and Nontrinitarianism.

[RoseWhiteTips]

Sometimes people think the work is as “polite” as twit! Lol

[RoseWhiteTips]

...the word

[khaleesi71]

It's a Catholic school and we are happily aethiest. I am presuming DS was paraphrasing and teacher was suggesting Catholicism is a denomination of Christianity. HT didn't mention it in her response and I hadn't raised it because I'm not particularly interested in religious semantics.

[AnakinCyberwalker]

The teacher is Australian and where she comes from it is a 'polite form of teasing' and they use the word a lot.

This is a bare-faced lie.

[Awwlookatmybabyspider]

I think anywhere in the world it's disgusting to call anyone a twat let alone a child that they are "supposed" to be teaching.
Sounds like they're seriously in the wrong job. If they can only handle the academic kids If had my way they'd never teach again.


I have a Scottish friend (Glasgow) and she told me to call someone a cunt is fine. Although you wouldn't expect a teacher to say it to a child. However if you call anyone from Glasgow a cow it's the worse things you can possibly say to them.

[LipstickHandbagCoffee]

Sorry no,it’s not universally disgusting to say twat, used colloquially as daft/silly

[Awwlookatmybabyspider]

Well it's wrong to call a child silly. Ubless they're acting silly of course and asking a question is not being silly. Some children find it hard enough to speak out as it is without getting put down when they do

[Snowysky20009]

I am British and I thought the word twat was just a variation on twit until I was in my 30s

Me too!

[TimeforCupcakes]

Totally inappropriate for a teacher to call a child anything like this.