School overreacted ?

A factual statement? Young kids know that saying someome looks like the colour of shit isn't nice. When I was in year 1, another kid told me I looked like mud because they know mud isn't nice.

I always find these threads futile as they're usually full of people who have never experienced racism.

Intent cant be assessed, can it, only perception, so the child needs to learn this.

That's just not true @piintheski .
The concept of intent is crucial in criminal law, for example, and it absolutely is assessed.

The two situations aren't the same though. Our society is characterised by systemic racism, power imbalances and racist messaging around skin colour, all of which mean that the impact of the insult is likely to differ depending on the identity of victim and aggressor.

That doesn't mean that the school's response was appropriate, but I don't think it's right to put this down as just kids being silly either.

😂

The child was 7 fgs. Not secondary age.

A two day isolation is completely disproportionate. If your ds was punished, so should the rest of the children.

As for those saying 6yos don't find poo funny, they really do. Especially when together, every other joke is poo, fart, bum or willy.

Especially for such a young child. One missed playtime maybe. Isolation for full days is never normally done until secondary school.

I agree. Of course the school should take it very seriously and depending on the circumstances it could amount to racism. But these are primary school kids... surely the school's first response should be dialogue and explanation, not harsh punishment.

I'm a teacher too. And I can safely say that you don't teach six year olds.

Should they be told off for running round laughing and shouting poo, willy and bum? Yes. Is it a criminal assault? No. Was this child being racist? I'll put my money on no. But since the older child felt targeted, OP's child should have had a calm conversation from their teacher about why it was perceived that way and why it matters.
Two days isolation was disproportionate and way less effective than a conversation would have been.

Obviously if it happened as you said it would be unreasonable.

But... how could you know it was lots of children of different ethnicities? What did yhe school say when asked about that? How could your child know nothing about racism when it sounds like a school that would be talking about racism?

I wonder if your child has been twisting the truth here.

I do think you shouldn’t be excusing his behaviour. It’s a life lesson that this isn’t acceptable. Even if other people are doing it. Even if some other kids aren’t worried by being called names.

My 6yo did something not dissimilar, perhaps worse, which, while I am confident was not born of racist intent, was nevertheless racist. He had a stern talking to from the HT (reinforced by a big talk at home).

That seemed to me like an appropriate way to deal with a ‘first offence’. A two day exclusion for a 7 year old seems completely excessive as a punishment for what the OP describes, unless there’s a LOT of missing context.

Isolation for 2 days for a first offence is indeed very harsh.

Makes you wonder what else has been going on.

@Mariposista all kids DON'T love "poo talk" tbh. Particularly beyond the age of about 4. And girls, not even then.
Any child in my class still going on about poo beyond "I need the toilet" would be flagged.

Isolation for 2 days is a ridiculous punishment especially for a 7 year old. He does need to learn not to insult people and call them names and that sometimes the perceived insult is worse than you thought it would be because the person you pick on is more vulnerable. I think they should have addressed it with the entire group and got him to write an apology rather than what they did

If a 7 year old hasn't yet been taught that you don't wound people with words based on their physical appearance, then you've got a problem.

It is not up to the OP whether her child does isolation.

He has been told he is doing isolation, so he is doing it, or he is leaving the school - simple as

From racists I'd venture.

And generally mothers of boys who indulge their inappropriate language because it's "funny". With parents who think the black child is the "wrong" one to have insulted, what hope is there for that child unless school does come down hard.

Seriously? Just because poo is brown?
So if he had called the other kid a snotbag would that have been racist against aliens?
This is pathetic. I am all for punishments if one is merited, and never get involved in teachers' decisions, but a simple telling off would have sufficed here. A 7 year old rarely has the notion of 'racism' (unless form a super farming radical family, which doesn't sound the case). All kids love poo talk (actually my husband still laughs at it!)
Make it clear your child won't be doing the isolation.

I do wonder why on Mumsnet the benefit of the doubt is always given to the person accused of racism rather than the the victim .....

The OP has explained this.
The other children were using it as a childish insult to white children. Various white children.

Her son only used it to insult the black child.

Other children are entitled to pass without being shouted at, intimidated and insulted. In the adult world this would be considered a criminal assault, if reported.

I am a teacher, and have taught in some of London's roughest comps, and this is not normal or acceptable behaviour

He sounds like a very young 7 year old, that's more reception level behaviour. Why doesn't he know about racism? I think my DD was 4 when she asked what a Black Live Matter sign meant. He should be aware of it.

your attitude is the reason why your son said it

wow - you think little kids daring each other to say poo, bum and Willy to older kids warrants a 2 day isolation?!