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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To complain about school

94 replies

huddlecuddle · 28/05/2012 13:43

DS is in year 8 and his regular English teacher wasn't there today so the head of English taught them. Since its hot she opened a fire door which leads out to metal steps. DS had a headache and asked to stand outside and the teacher refused. Apparently he kept asking and the teacher said she wasn't letting him out. She told him if he was really ill to go to the office so be did and I've had to collect him. He now admits he doesn't feel ill but he did have a headache which he feels would have been fine if he'd been allowed out! Aibu? The teacher shouldn't have kept him in should she?

OP posts:

CogitoErgoSometimes · 28/05/2012 13:45

Don't they usually go somewhere when they feel ill? Thought most schools and someone who can dispense cold flannels if not actual painkillers.

Flisspaps · 28/05/2012 13:47

Standing on the steps won't have cured his headache any better than sitting down in a well ventilated classroom though

I don't see you have anything to complain about tbh.

Magneto · 28/05/2012 13:48

I have never had a headache that went just by standing outside so from my point of view, if my child said that to me I would have thought they were just trying to get out of the lesson.

And yes, if they are ill they should go to the sick room not stand outside in the sun because it's not fair on the other children.

Ormiriathomimus · 28/05/2012 13:49

Surely she wouldn't be allowed to send a child out to stand on a fire-escape? Risk of falling etc, H&S breach? He might feel it would have got rid of his headache but there's no reason to think it would.

Sarcalogos · 28/05/2012 13:49

Sounds reasonable to me. If the teacher had let him go outside how soon until 5/6/7 others had 'headaches' and wanted to join them.

In secondary schools it is never long til the next break, when he could have got fresh air. And she opened the fire escape she wasn't being inhuman...

I think your DS should have sucked it up and waited til a break, in life we can't always just pop outside when we're busy. Imagine if the teacher had a headache and wanted to do that, or a surgeon etc.. Your either well enough to be there or your not.

Flisspaps · 28/05/2012 13:50

I say that as someone who did first aid in a secondary school for 7 years btw - a wet paper towel does sod all (other than make you damp) if someone with a headache (and no discernible cause/other symptoms) came to us, and they had no painkillers in the office (had to be provided by parent and kept in the cupboard) they'd be sent back to class - the first aid room didn't have magical healing powers, more's the pity!

PooshTun · 28/05/2012 13:51

If the teacher had let DC out and he fell down the metal steps THEN you'll have something real to complain about. As it is .......

WenTheEternallySurprised · 28/05/2012 13:52

Yes. She called your son's bluff, telling him that if he really was ill to go to the office (which is ime standard school procedure). The place for a genuinely sick child is in the medical room/with matron/at home, not on the metal steps of a fire escape (in the sunshine - how does that help a headache? Teacher probably wondered that as well!). There are probably H&S reasons for the teacher's decision and almost certainly practical ones too.

Your son has now admitted that he didn't feel really ill. If you bollock him appropriately and tell him to save going to the office for when he's really ill maybe you won't have to collect him again.

coppertop · 28/05/2012 13:52

Standing outside wouldn't have made a headache go away.

At our school, if someone has a headache they can get some paracetomol from the first aid room, as long as a parent has signed a permission slip.

CecilyP · 28/05/2012 13:52

YABU. Your DS asked to go out onto the fire escape because it was there. If the classroom hadn't had a fire door onto this, he wouldn't even have thought about it. What would he have done if he had a headache in another classroom? The teacher handled the situation entirely properly.

GladbagsAndYourHandrags · 28/05/2012 13:52

What Magneto said. YABU

SquirtedPerfumeUpNoseInBoots · 28/05/2012 13:53

I dont think you have anything to complain about.
As others have said, standing outside will not have cured his sore head. The teacher, not unreasonably, told him to go to the office.
Teacher would have ended up with the class stood on the fire escape in the sun.

Kewcumber · 28/05/2012 13:54

she sounds perfectly reasonable to me

No you can't stand outside (because its not a recognised headache cure and I just know that every one of the little darlings is then going to develop a headache and want to stand outside)
If you really are sick then go to office (I am calling your bluff)
Child calls buff and mother gets inconvenienced because child lied about feeling sick.

Which bit is the teachers fault? Your child didn't get his own way and he escalated it because he didn't want to back down and admit that he just had a slight headache.

Send him in with a sunhat and 2 aspirins in future and the riot act if he gets you called out again when he's not sick.

thefurryone · 28/05/2012 13:54

I think the teacher acted entirely appropriately.

1950sHousewife · 28/05/2012 13:54

YAButterly U

Standing outside on the fire steps wouldn't have gotten rid of the headache, and potentially having him there out of sight in class time would have opened up a can of worms about supervision etc.
I agree with the others, either you have a headache or you don't, and no amount of fresh air would really solve this.

I hope your son feels better though.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 28/05/2012 13:54

YABU, for the reasons everyone has given above. You will look silly if you complain that your child wasn't allowed to stand on a fire escape but rather directed towards the place he could have been given assistance.

HauntedLittleLunatic · 28/05/2012 13:55

Procedure is to send a child that claims to be feeling ill to first aid/office, not to stand on fire escape. Don't think you have anything to complain about tbh.

Salmotrutta · 28/05/2012 13:55

If a child in one of my classes complained of a headache I'd sent them to the first-aider for water (she's not allowed to dispense aspirin or paracetomol).

I certainly would not allow them to stand outside - all the class would then develop "headaches" and clamour to get out! And complain if you said no. Tricksy little monkeys they are.

Salmotrutta · 28/05/2012 13:56

Oh and YABU.

He was sent to the appropriate place.

Maryz · 28/05/2012 13:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AngelWreakinHavoc · 28/05/2012 13:58

YABU. The hot sun will NOT cure a headache. He needed shade and plenty water. I had to pick My ds (15) up from school last week with a headache, He was kept in a quiet room with lots of water to drink till I arrived, he was not allowed out at lunch in the sun.

Scholes34 · 28/05/2012 14:00

Teacher was quite right. Her job is to teach, not look after poorly pupils. How many more might have had a headache and wanted to sit on the fire escape staircase in the sunshine? Where would she draw the line?

Common sense would say a short spell in the fresh air would have helped, but unfortunately, that wasn't feasible. Save your arguments with the school for something more important.

MissFaversham · 28/05/2012 14:00

YABU of course

Petsinmypudenda · 28/05/2012 14:00

*He now admits he doesn't feel ill but he did have a headache
*
I would be incredibly pissed off if i had to go get my son for a 'slight headache'.
He would get a bloody massive tongue lashing and sent back to school if he were mine.
Your angry with the wrong person

letseatgrandma · 28/05/2012 14:01

Are you seriously going to complain that a teacher wouldn't let him stand on a metal fire escape shock. I presumed you were going to complain that she let him stand on the fire escape and he fell and hit his head. Teachers really can't win, can they? Your son was taking the piss - either he was well enough to stay in class, or he was ill. If you don't think he was ill, complain to him about you having to collect him, not to the school, he was the one who made you come [baffled]

WSS!!

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