Teacher arrested for attempted murder

Trust is never absolute. Teach your children they can and should speak up if they have concerns

i was raised to have absolute trust in authority figure eg teachers, priest, nun, doctor. That is not a good position, it confers too much power and authority. Fortunately these days people, do tend to not have absolute faith or trust

Wow you are a piece of work

Very hard for children to feel safe in school if they don’t trust their teachers.
Very hard for children to learn and develop if they don’t trust their teachers .
Trust is very important

"This isn’t a general teacher bashing thread, there are many truly wonderful ones out there, and I know it’s an incredibly difficult job. Just feeling very shaken by what has happened this week. My DD really didn’t like this man and I assumed it was her being a stroppy teen, now I feel awful for not taking her seriously."

Or just a male teachers bashing thread? Do you think your kid had some special foresight, could she perhaps give a hint on the lottery numbers?

Is that what you believe parents don't support you?

What an awful thing to happen. However, It's ridiculous to blame the school, the first time someone does this kind of thing is the first time and most times there are no telltale signs.

There is no "moral high ground" for them from employing him. DBS only flags up if someone has been caught not their potential for violence, what do you expect them to have done exactly?

I bet it is a domestic violence situation.

The only mob and the only braying is in your head.As mn threads go it’s not that contentious

But children shouldn't be taught to trust just anybody. Children in a secondary school probably spend about 2/3 hours a week with a specific teacher they know absolutely nothing about them outside the school environment they are basically a stranger to them so their shouldn't be this big impact of loss of trust

Nope, nope and nope. You really are hard of reading, aren't you.

So now the braying mob have realised how damaging their posts are. They want the thread taken down. Unbelievable!!!

This is a real misrepresentation of what I’ve read. People are telling the OP that, while it’s distressing, there is no need to be stressed about her daughter having been taught by the man, or to worry about other teachers. Yes, he may have had a mental health issue as mentioned by a few posters (but not as an excuse). The murder appears to have been domestic - the point being made is that it wasn’t predicated on or enabled by his profession. Nobody is saying it’s ok, just that it means it’s nothing to do with his job.

Don’t be ridiculous. Every day is there are hundreds of threads about cases pending court proceedings.

Don’t be ridiculous - it was on the BBC which has a far wider reach than mumsnet FFS

MN does prioritise free speech but it also leaves individuals to take personal responsibility for what they post. For example, if someone posts a libellous comment about another person, it's them who could get sued, not MN.

The minute a person is arrested, reporting restrictions apply under the 1981 Contempt Of Court Act. I'm suggesting MN takes it down because it's legally dodgy now. This isn't a case that's had widespread media attention, but millions might have read this thread now. A good defence lawyer could seize on the speculation about the suspect's mental health etc to say he can't get a fair trial, he's been pre-judged.

I can see both sides. I understand her shock as her daughter has been in close contact with this man. However, statements like “they have lost the moral high ground” or “is this the best we can do?” Or suggesting male teachers are all on power trips and untrustworthy. Are probably what some teachers are becoming defensive about because it feels like everyone (even the innocent staff in her daughter’s school) are being tarred with the same brush as this man.

Ask what their experience was in the education system when they were young. Then ask about their children's experience. You might be surprised don't dismiss people's trauma because of how you feel.

Don’t worry- we get plenty of criticism 🙄and scrutiny ( Ofsted is pretty gruelling you know)
Of course no one should be protected from criticism but if parents don’t model a supportive attitude then it is not surprising that pupil behaviour in schools is often so challenging.

It must have shaken all of those who had regular contact with him. But people who do bad things, come in all walks of life and careers.

Sadly there is no test that can see into the future to see if people are going to snap or if they are doing illegal things without yet being caught.

It should not effect the reputation of the school, unless they ignored evidence of agreesion or bad behaviour. The best of people can go on to do terrible things. Sadly.

I would always listen to a child who was telling me of a dislike for an adult, it doesnt mean they are all violent or murderers, but i do take it on board and keep a close eye

" power tripping, and not too bright to boot" but this isn't a teacher bashing thread, of course it is and particularly nasty at that. Your attitude shows a complete sustain for teachers, it won't benefit your child.

Can't remember who wrote he wasn't remanded in custody in their attempt to down play this (I think they were also using MH as his defence), but he was remanded in custody. That is clear.

It is also clear the police are saying they are currently treating it as an isolated incident, the investigation is ongoing. So why there are so many teachers on this thread attempting to clear his name whilst the police continue to investigate is just beyond me.

The fact mental health has been mentioned numerous times is his defence is sickening - the vast majority of people who have mental health difficulties do not commit violent crimes.

It’s stayed up! Just like all of the other contentious threads. MN has always prioritised free speech.

i can see why you would want it taken down though. The unbelievable response of the teachers on here is mindblowing.

Yes - I am very dismayed by the dismissal of the OP’s post.
Overall- this thread is pretty unpleasant

Thank you.

I think most of us know the majority of teachers are inspiring, hard working pillars of society - there was no need for them to savage the op, and be so defensive. They could have shown some empathy for the anguish this has caused op and her child, and the entire school. We had a stabbing at a school near us, and everyone pulled together. It’s horrible to read this thread.

I feel so sorry for the op, who was coming on here for support and guidance.

I also know of a Doctor who did this. They’re everywhere! It isn’t confined to teachers. Passing a DBS check doesn’t mean you are not a potential criminal it just means you haven’t been caught yet. Unfortunately, some people choose these particular careers or become coaches (gymnastic and football scandals in recent years) to access children. This is why safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

That's really not the case.