Teacher suspended for calling child a t**t

But yet nothing happens when children call teachers fucking slags.

I don’t think a teacher should be calling a child a twat, affectionately or not. I think language in school needs to be reciprocal so if a child can’t call a teacher a word, then nor can the teacher call the child it. However, as a one off, it’s not really more than a minor misdemeanour but perhaps at the end of a week of calling children all kinds of inappropriate words and on a final warning for doing so, it was enough to warrant suspension.

I believe there was more to it:

”The panel ruled that mother-of-four Mrs Walsh was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct over three years.
She was the foundation phase lead at the school when at least five other teachers complained about her.”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13505601/amp/Bullying-primary-school-teacher-40-banned-classroom-calling-pupil-bit-t.html

A 'bullying' and 'aggressive' teacher has been banned from the classroom for calling a primary school pupil 'a bit of a 't*'.
Katie Walsh, 40, was struck off the teaching register at the 210-pupil Raglan Primary School in Monmouthshire, Wales, after uttering the swear word about the pupil 'within earshot of a class of Y4 children'.
Mrs Walsh's behaviour towards colleagues was 'intimidating, undermining, derogatory, and bullying in nature' to colleagues, the committee of the Education Workforce Council (EWC) found.

sounds fair

Well I'd assume the school has similar policy for pupils who use similar language and expel them?

The teacher said it about a child but within earshot of a class of year 4 kids. She wasn't struck off solely for this, it was also because she'd had complaints about her behaviour from at least five colleagues over the years.

If they said it in an area children and/or parents could hear it then it’s more than fair enough.

Yes, but you could go and get another job.

This is a massive overreaction unless there's a back story. I hold a senior exec position in a MAT and can categorically say that if this was an isolated incident in a secondary school it would be a written warning. In a primary school possibly a final warning or a strong recommendation to resign but we would not refer this to TRA for a misconduct hearing.

No wonder no one wants to be a bloody teacher!

I’d be pretty miffed if a teacher called my child a twat even if they were being a little twat. It’s not appropriate. In the same way I’d expect to be sanctioned if I called a colleague a twat. Two years suspension seems extreme though so assuming it wasn’t a one off.

The problem is some people say "twat" in a way that essentially means "twit" - which is a bit like called some a Wally or Silly.
Some people use it as a more rude insult like C**t.
It depends on the context really.

Yes to all of the above.

Hard to say without more context as I think twat is a word that can be used both aggressively/ offensively or used with some endearment.

“You’re wearing the wrong shoes again you daft twat” said with a smile to Y12 football player by his favourite PE teacher is very different to, “Stop rocking in your chair you’re driving me mad you twat!” shouted angrily by a teacher to Y7 child with ADHD in front of the whole class.

However, broadly speaking I would say twat is not professional language and not appropriate to be used by a teacher towards a student, I think in most cases it would warrant some kind of warning although whether it would warrant suspension likely depends on context, as above.

I’d probably be suspended for calling a customer a twat so it sounds about right.

Context?

Link to source?

Suspended by who?

Who did they say it to?

Was the child a twat?

We have ruined the world with pc