Isolation booths

[Pliudev]

Ok I'm ready to be shouted down by long suffering teachers but isn't the use of isolation booths an infringement on a child's human rights? I've read today of a child who attempted suicide while being kept in one of these punishments booths for prolonged periods. And of a boy who spent 35 days in one. What have things come to when schools can inflict this kind of punishment? In both of these cases the children had mental health issues. If parents isolated their children in this way wouldn't that amount to abuse? And isn't it an indication of failure on behalf of schools that there seems to be growing use of this kind of punishment? And how can schools justify fining parents for taking children on holiday if it is ok to suspend their education for long periods in isolation?

[ShinyPinkLipgloss]

This issue is more complicated than it appears. With the whole hot mess that is “inclusion” there are situations when children need to be isolated for their own safety as well as that of others (eg they work up a fit of rage and become extremely violent).

The government minister responsible for inclusion has openly admitted she was wrong yet there teachers are left to deal with the aftermath with little or no support.

[JuniorAsparagus]

My DS has autism and he loved going into isolation. In fact sometimes he tried to put himself in there when he had done nothing wrong.
A lot of parents use a naughty step. Does that infringe the child's human rights?
If there are no sanctions how do we regulate society?

[finishers]

Hi OP I read about this today in the guardian and I am appalled and immediately checked with my children that their school does not use this practice.

Shocking practice.

As if children and families with special educational needs don't have enough of a hard time.

Very sad and shocking.

I have to wonder if so much of this shitty practice is being swept under the carpet while the Brexit mess just consumes the country.

[finishers]

35 days in isolation - what the fuck?

How can that help?

[echt]

Ok I'm ready to be shouted down by long suffering teachers but isn't the use of isolation booths an infringement on a child's human rights? I've read today of a child who attempted suicide while being kept in one of these punishments booths for prolonged periods.
Haven't read it so can't comment.

And of a boy who spent 35 days in one
Evidence please, or never happened.

And isn't it an indication of failure on behalf of schools that there seems to be growing use of this kind of punishment?

Or possibly the parents have failed to support the schools' rules?

And how can schools justify fining parents for taking children on holiday if it is ok to suspend their education for long periods in isolation?

1. It is not the school who fines parents, it's the government.
   

1. Unless you can prove otherwise, I assume that all students is isolation have to be provided with relevant work, so their education is not suspended.

[finishers]

Someone needing isolation for 35 days in a row?

We are not talking about using isolation for preventing harm to others.


I agree entirely with the OP.

[BarbarianMum]

If by an isolation booth you mean a desk with side dividers in a room with other similar desks overseen by a teacher then YABU. Although in our school the max period in isolation you can get is 5 days - after that it's suspension.

[BarbarianMum]

And yes, at our school the children are given work to do.

[SimonJT]

I spent many many days being isolated (and sometimes excluded) as my behaviour was terrible at school, I actually quite enjoyed isolation, it meant I could sit somewhere quiet and do nothing all day, I would often have a nap. I should think most schools would use some sort of isolation, especially high schools.

[finishers]

Sorry it was not in row but was 35 days over a term. I understand it was in a separate room.

Another parent was suing because thief daughter had mental health issues and tried to commit suicide in isolation.

What a disgusting way to treat children.

If they can not be integrated then specialist help is needed.

I obviously get that a child may need to be separated out to stop themselves or others being caused harm but for such a process to be used over and over can't be good.

And I would love to hear how someone can be put in isolation without their education being impacted???

[LittleChristmasMouse]

Putting students into isolation booths, particularly for long periods of time, is awful I agree. But ultimately what do you expect schools to do with persistently disruptive students or students whose behaviour is unmanageable in the classroom? In our LA PRU spaces are as rare as hen's teeth and schools have no money to provide extra support in the classroom.

Where do you accommodate students who just can't be in a classroom?

[HellAndDegenerates]

echt

www.theguardian.com/education/2019/apr/03/isolation-of-children-at-academies-prompts-legal-action

Try reading a bit before blindly supporting awful practices by shitty people who are "Just following the rules"

Fuck those teachers for doing that to her.

[Pieceofpurplesky]

'Isolation booth' in the schools I have worked in are not as bad as they sound. Usually a desk with sides, other pupils in there and a member of staff at all times. Work provided.

Where I am now has an isolation room where pupils are at normal desks - if they are disruptive in there they go to the booths.

As for 35 days - the child must have done something really bad. 35 days is when a pupil can be permanently excluded. I would imagine they were there whilst alternative arrangements were found

[OneDayillSleep]

They built a windowless room about 3ft by 6ft at my high school (1990s) they isolated people for hairstyles as well as bad behaviour. I'm not sure if it is still there, but I'm surprised they got away with it, it was like a windowless cell (I only went in there to drop someone work off).

I'm not sure isolation works anyway, it just makes the person fall behind missing out on teaching which hurts the school more with poor grades, than it does a child who doesn't want to be there.

[incogKNEEto]

@echt

www.theguardian.com/education/2019/apr/03/isolation-of-children-at-academies-prompts-legal-action

I think it's the lack of any form of regulation/training of school staff/necessity to report usage statistics that is a problem with the use of isolation booths to segregate children from their peers.

I'm sure they could be used as a valuable resource if used responsibly but when they are used as a way to not support children with SEN and mental health issues, rather they are used as a way of 'getting rid of the perceived problem' by forcibly segregating the affected child, then they need to be investigated and reported on.

[MadamMMA]

Have you seen the inclusion rooms? The booths are usually in a room staffed by either teachers or support staff, I don't see how a student could attempt suicide in one!

[Kolo]

www.theguardian.com/education/2019/apr/03/isolation-of-children-at-academies-prompts-legal-action Is this the article?

[LittleChristmasMouse]

But what are the government doing to improve provision for these students? What alternatives do they suggest schools employ that has zero cost implications for schools who are running deficit budgets and making teachers redundant as it is?

[Pieceofpurplesky]

Both schools in the articles are academies. It does not surprise me.

[BarbarianMum]

If they cannnot be integrated then specialist help is needed

No shit Sherlock. But as no one (LEA, councils, NHS) wants to fund this, it's not an option for most schools.

[echt]

Helland Degenerates

Read my post why don't you? I said I had not read about the case so couldn't comment.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

But what is leading to the isolation? Schools have no money for support staff anymore, and it’s really difficult to exclude a student now. Inclusion doesn’t work.

If a child is persistently disruptive or violent in every class then it disrupts the learning of all the other students in that class. And if it happens often, then it affects them even more.

What else is a school supposed to do? It can’t exclude, detentions don’t work, no staff to support difficult students. There isn’t much else they can do.

It’s underfunding which is at the heart of this problem, or it’s parents who don’t give a shit about their child’s behaviour. If these could be sorted no one would be in isolation.

[KneelJustKneel]

Magna school famously appointed a director of isolation. They isolated 40 students one day for pencil case violations...

[KneelJustKneel]

I was surprised it wasnt this school! They isolate or detention for saying anything in the corridor such as "thankyou" for a door held open.

[finishers]

Hellanddegenerates I agree with your post 100 percent.

Really hope we don't get too many more apologists on this thread for this practice