thinking my friend should remove her child from nursery?

[Ketrick]

This really is about my friend, and not me! My friend has a gorgeous 4 year old who started at a local nursery six months ago. My friend has had a couple of arguments with the head teacher/main teacher. Firstly there is a harsh policy in place that parents should go and leave there novice school-starters to cry when they first start school. My friend's little girl had a hard time being left there at first, and my friend needed to stay for ten minutes or so to settle her in, but the teacher wanted none of that and told my friend so. Anyway, that phase passed, then it emerged yesterday that the teacher had shouted at the little girl and made her cry a lot. And she had felt very scared.

The little girl in question had felt very shocked and had been uncharacteristically sleepy and joyless after she had come home from nursery.

I would withdraw her if she was mine, and I would pursue a complaint against the head teacher. But there is the issue that the little girl has made friends at the nursery and gets to socialise and gain the stimulation of a different enviroment. Does anyone have any opinions and does anyone know how to set-about complaining about this tyrannical teacher who, in my opinion, should probably not have a direct caring role with such young children? Thanks for your views,
Ketrick.

I though most nurseries encouraged you to just drop off the child and not hang around if they were crying.
As to the shouting my sons head teacher had her 'i'm in charge voice". It wasn't really shouting but louder and firmer than her everyday conversation voice. She scared the beejesus out of me on a good day but the kids loved her. Mainly because she was firm and strict so they knew exactly where they stood with her.
Kids wont wither and die if you raise your voice to them.

Given that this is relatively early in the child's schooling, I'd say it is more about the child getting used to being there and not being the centre of attention.

Your friend staying with her was probably making the situation worse - the nursery I sent my kids to had a sort of "viewing platform" behind glass where you could look down on what was happening but not be seen - a quick look 5 mins after I left a wailing child confirmed that he was happily playing in the sandpit. The ones whose mums stayed to settle them were usually still wailing at break time since they'd not joined in with any of the other activities properly, on the basis that mummy might come back if they carry on being upset.

"Yelling" is also very subjective and probably generated a big reaction from mum too, thus reinforcing that "yes the teacher yelled at me".

YABU.

I'd damn well tell the teacher to stop being a bully. I'd cause all hell about "every child matters". I'd also send a letter in to the school head, school goveners and if it continues the L.E.A.....People like this should Not be teachers.....