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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wanting to get this teacher fired

690 replies

lividbeyondbelief · 19/02/2011 23:08

My dd attends a language class on saturday mornings in central london. This week due to horrible traffic we were 30 minutes late to collect her. We tried texting her teacher to say we were stuck in traffic but never got a reply. Anyway to make a long story short - she left my dd outside the school, alone with another boy, whilst she went out to go buy lunch. To make matters worse she told her to lie to us and say she was in the room next door if we asked where the teacher was when we collected our dd.

Our daughter was really upset and cried whilst being outside alone with this boy. My dh noticed she had been crying but the teacher just dismissed it, saying to dh she cried because he was late.

Obviously the bond of trust is broken and she wont be going back ever again. My question is what else should we do?

OP posts:
threefeethighandrising · 19/02/2011 23:47

I don't get why you're all having an go a the OP.

Would you be really be fine about it if someone asked your DC to lie to you?

Original poster
lividbeyondbelief · 19/02/2011 23:49

She told her to lie and say that she was inside teaching a class. I believe my dd, she's not the type to make that sort of thing up.

We just went to have a coffee with our youngest because 2 hours is a long time to sit around in a car with a younger sibling. We do this every saturday, without any problem. Today was the exception.

OP posts:
LoopyLoopsHulaHoops · 19/02/2011 23:49

Just not sure that's actually the case. There are so many questions she hasn't answered (eg. how long the 'teacher' was away for). Also, she hasn't contacted the 'teacher' to clarify, so it's all a bit sketchy.

PaisleyLeaf · 19/02/2011 23:49

Yes. When she said to tell you she was next door could she have meant that she was actually next door - getting her lunch. In the time between waiting for you to show and speaking to your DH that will have been all she had time for wouldn't it?

fivegomadindorset · 19/02/2011 23:49

But you texted her?

crazyspaniel · 19/02/2011 23:49

Why did you text rather than ring? Surely if there was ever an occasion to actually call someone up, this would be it.

Violethill · 19/02/2011 23:50

How come the tutor was there to speak to your DH then?

EightiesChick · 19/02/2011 23:50

Not sure from the sound of it that the same standards/expectations apply that you would have for a normal state school or a fee-paying educational establishment. Sadly you have found that out the hard way.

I will concede that the teacher should not have left kids alone, but I do think you should have made more effort to get there. If the traffic was that bad, it ought to have been clear well before 30 mins after the end of the class that you would not get there driving. There must have been some opportunity for pulling over - the car can't have been totally stationery for 30 mins solid (and if it was, then you may as well have just parked in the road anyway... )

Best outcome, it seems, is to withdraw your DD from the school and leave it at that. Faults on both sides.

captainbarnacle · 19/02/2011 23:50

I would be cross - with myself and then take it out on the teacher. I would probably remove my daughter if I had convinced myself (like you) that none of this was my fault.

But try and get the teacher fired?!?! You are being utterly unreasonable.

Original poster
lividbeyondbelief · 19/02/2011 23:50

She left the premises because the only place to buy food is 2 roads down by the riverside.

OP posts:
fivegomadindorset · 19/02/2011 23:51

If it was regular then fine BUT IT WASN'T

BecauseImWorthIt · 19/02/2011 23:52

How far away did you need to go to have coffee?!

There's a coffee shop on pretty much every corner in London!

threefeethighandrising · 19/02/2011 23:52

This is the kind of thread that makes me think oh shit, why did I recommend mumsnet to people?

Give the woman a break!

Jeeez!

curlymama · 19/02/2011 23:52

Livid, you still haven't answered the very valid point about what the teacher should have done if she has a medical condition and had to eat.

Violethill · 19/02/2011 23:53

Perhaps you should have popped to the only food place in the vicinity, 2 roads away, for your coffee then Hmm

BecauseImWorthIt · 19/02/2011 23:53

And she is allowed to have lunch! She's being paid to teach a class not babysit children during her own lunch hour.

phooey · 19/02/2011 23:53

I understand your horror at your child standing in the street.

You are BU thinking it's anyone's fault or responsibility other than you and your DH as her parents.

You are VVVVVU to try to get her sacked.

PaisleyLeaf · 19/02/2011 23:53

I think there might have been a bit of sympathy for the OP if she didn't want the teacher sacked threefeet.

EightiesChick · 19/02/2011 23:53

Thinking aabout it actually, why couldn't the kids wait inside the building, while she went out to buy her lunch? Makes no sense to put them outside.

griphook · 19/02/2011 23:54

am interested in what happened to the little boy, did you wait for his parents or the teacher to come back?

Original poster
lividbeyondbelief · 19/02/2011 23:54

I dont know how long she left her for. My guess is 10-15 minutes. Any decent teacher would not leave her pupils unsupervised at that age. Not to mention asking them to lie in order to cover it up.

OP posts:
JaneS · 19/02/2011 23:54

Hmm, it is difficult. It does sound as if she went quite a long way away if she was getting lunch, and as I said before, I think a decent human being (she's not a qualified teacher so that legal aspect isn't relevant) shouldn't have left two small children alone on the street.

Did you ask her if she got your texts?

I don't have children of my own so am really thinking of this from the teacher's POV (and no way would I leave a child that age alone in the street!). However, I do wonder if your DD got mixed up - I'm sure she didn't lie, but is it possible she still managed to misunderstand? It would make sense given how quickly the teacher must have got back from lunch, if she was there when you arrived.

CameronCook · 19/02/2011 23:55

I have a child of a similar age and would be seriously annoyed if she had been left unsupervised for half an hour on a London street.

Would it really have hurt the teacher to take the DCs with her to get lunch?

Agreed that parents should ensure that they are there for pick up times but there are always unexpected situations arise

PaisleyLeaf · 19/02/2011 23:55

I guess by having them wait inside the building they would be her responsibility. And if anything were to happen the teacher could be liable.

PixieOnaLeaf · 19/02/2011 23:56

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