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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to report this teacher?

57 replies

BigMistakeHuge · 19/03/2013 23:27

Had a phone call yesterday at 4pm, Mr Smith (not real) phoned and started telling me about an issue with my daughter. Not doing homework, answering back in class and despite our discussing this before half term there has been no improvement and ...
My jaw dropped at this point as I was unaware of any problems at school with either of my DDs. I interrupted him and said which child he was referring to. He replied Sarah.
I do not have a Sarah.
There is a Sarah with our (relatively unusual) surname in DD1's year.
I stopped his ranting and told him that she was not my daughter. He said well this is the number the office has given me, and then carried on about Sarah. Shock
I talked over him "No, I am not Sarah's mum"
"Well, whose mum are you then?"
"Amy and Martha's"
"but this is 01223467554?"
"Yes, but I'm not Sarah's mum"
"Well the database must be wrong then"
Noshit,sherlock
Okay then, bye. and then he hung up.

Do you think this should be reported to the school to maybe put controls into place to ensure that the correct parent is being spoken too before confidential info is revealed?

OP posts:
YouTheCat · 19/03/2013 23:28

Yes it should. Confidentiality breach.

candyandyoga · 19/03/2013 23:29

Yes, of course you should

I hope you didn't just give a phone number out over the Internet! Shock

123rd · 19/03/2013 23:30

Yeah I would let school know- just imagine if there was an emergency and they couldn't get hold of the right parent!

Original poster
BigMistakeHuge · 19/03/2013 23:30

I'm just concerned that I might come across as trying to get him into trouble. I'm sure I can word it correctly, just it's going to be obvious who phoned up, and I don't want him taking the humph on my girls.

OP posts:
Original poster
BigMistakeHuge · 19/03/2013 23:31

Not a real number, just hit keys.
But good point.

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 19/03/2013 23:32

Yes, I'm sure he will tell the office so no one else makes a mistake and calls your number instead of Sarah's parent again.

I'm not sure you need to tell them - its definitely in the schools interest to get that right Grin

thebody · 19/03/2013 23:33

Personally I wouldn't bother, he will have sorted it by now.

Teachers aren't infallible and its not really a huge deal is it?

PatFenis · 19/03/2013 23:35

Hmm yes maybe a breach of confidentiality but not worth reporting - clearly an admin problem surely ..due to having similar surnames?

Last week I had another childs PEP (very detailed)put in my childs homework bag - I returned it very discreetly and didn't make a fuss as its none of my fucking business Wink

jaywall · 19/03/2013 23:35

You could report the mistake.
Or you could accept everyone makes mistakes, maybe you have made one or two before as well?

I think you should speak to the teacher yourself, advise him of the fact mumsnet is important and you will fuck him right up next time.

freddiefrog · 19/03/2013 23:38

I'd just ring the office, explain what's happened, and just make sure they have the right numbers recorded.

I wouldn't make a big deal out of it, mistakes happen

YouTheCat · 19/03/2013 23:39

Tbh it's the admin that need a shake up here. He will have got the number from them.

Original poster
BigMistakeHuge · 19/03/2013 23:48

"I think you should speak to the teacher yourself, advise him of the fact mumsnet is important and you will fuck him right up next time."

What?

OP posts:
CSIJanner · 19/03/2013 23:50

Admin got it wrong but he jumped straight in with details before even checking who you were. The person who answered could have been your cleaner! There are data protection issues here as he told you the students name, issues etc. it needs to be reported so that the teacher can be pulled up on DP issues and how to to plough through a ranty phonecall before checking who is at the other end. Having worked with data protection plus academia, I would report.

GW297 · 19/03/2013 23:59

I would make SMT aware that he was rude to you and that you'd like him to be guided as to what he might do differently next time if possible ie confirm the identity of the caller before divulging confidential information. It also sounds like if you were the girl's mother he may not have addressed the issue in the most professional of ways too.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 20/03/2013 00:02

No I think you should report it as he didn't even stop when you said you weren't the girl's Mum! That is not right.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 20/03/2013 00:06

You haven't really put your real telephone number and your daughter's names in the OP have you?

StuntGirl · 20/03/2013 00:12

I don't think the OP is that dumb that she'd complain about a breach of data protection by...breaching data protection Grin

She's already said it's a made up number, I assume they are made up names too!

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 20/03/2013 00:14

Sorry! Missed the bit about made up number and had a panic there! You never know....

TotallyBursar · 20/03/2013 00:16

Had this been an admin blooper I would not report it, just confirm my emergency contacts were right on file; but he didn't check who you were, disbelieved you when you informed him you were not the correct parents (did he think you were trying to avoid a telling off or that you had unintentionally walked into the wrong house & not noticed?) & carried on spilling confidential info he needs to be reported.
An accidental mix up with bags/diaries/wrong numbers fair enough, we're all human no need to mention it again. But he was out of order & I wouldn't be happy at all if one of my staff was the wrong end of this cock up (not in education though).

anonymosity · 20/03/2013 01:28

why report a teacher when its clearly the fault of the office system? he has gone off in the knowledge he needs to get the correct number, the rest is none of your business.

cansu · 20/03/2013 07:55

Omg a teacher made a mistake! call security and alert the daily mail. FGS a mistake as made over two children with similar sounding name. It happens. I have in the past received someone else repeat prescription in with my medication. Shock horror it had the persons address. Did I report it? I returned it to the pharmacy. End of. I have also received another child's home school book in my child's book bag. I simply returned it. You are really over reacting. I am sure the teacher will alert the office staff and it won't happen again. What would be the point in 'reporting' it?

ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 20/03/2013 08:01

Well, it's not actually just a fault with the admin, is it?

He didn't check who he was talking to.
He didn't stop when told he had got it wrong.
He was so fired up that he just carried on ranting and wasn't listening to the person saying hang on, you have the wrong number.

That actually should be flagged up.

Not in an 'all guns blazing' way, but it's certainly something that shouldn't happen. Not everything that needs addressing has to be a formal complaint demanding heads roll. you can flag something up in a nice, supportive way.

kim147 · 20/03/2013 08:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

maddening · 20/03/2013 08:03

But by bringing up the issue the school might build a procedure for calling out to parents to ensure data protection is upheld - eg checking he has the right parent first.

kim147 · 20/03/2013 08:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.