to think that this teacher should keep his job?

[kweggie]

Dean Macfarlane, a teacher,who faced 18 months of abuse from schoolchildren is facing the sack after pushing a boy who spat at him
He became frustrated after being hit with snowballs and said youths had gone into his garden and damaged property. Macfarlane was handed a community order after admitting assault but he fears he may lose job he has had for 34 years at school in Doncaster .
I read this and wondered what had happened to the kids who apparently harrassed him, trespassed and spat at him? What would you say to your children?

Please could you give more details of this incident?

8:25 am - Children arriving at school on the first day back after holidays, and congregating outside their classrooms, storing bags, kissing parents goodbye. Teachers talking to parents, organising students, telling children their shoelaces undone, make sure you've got your water bottle, have you brought back your permission slip, etc, etc. Children begin entering the classroom. A bit like herding cats. First grader runs up to her teacher, slips her hand in the teachers hand and says "Guess what Ms X!! I went to Seaworld this weekend and got to pat a dolphin!". Teacher says "wow, that's great, S. Can you tell the class about it in talk time today?" and directs student to go to their seat. Handholding of approximately 20 seconds. Another parent complains to the principal that teacher was inappropriately touching a student. Teacher then required to write a report about the "incident" to justify why child was in physical contact with teacher.

eyes disgraceful they even had a caution as even that will show under enhanced crb as I understand it

The same as a "petrol station Cashier being very insultating to my Father and refusing to appoligise. I picked up a"Biro" and Thew it at the counter out of fustration. it bounced of the counter and hit him softly he made a total meal of it, the 20year old kid. 3 days later i am Charged with Common Assualt and I accept a caution having my D.N.A taken interviewed under caution. iIwas totally amazed and upset by the whole process, some of the questions i was asked were bizare. So i would undoubtedly do excatly the same in his circumstances and plead "GUILTY" at Magistrates Court.

curlew
"I presume the problem was that the child he pushed was not one of the children who were harassing him?"

I would love to know how you came to this assumption.

So, bonkers parent complained. Because the Head was not actually present, the teacher concerned was asked to explain what happened. Head could not automatically tell bonkers parent that she was being bonkers because she was not actually present.

A bit different from teacher being "hauled over the coals"!

Because the child said he didn't do anything, Boney.
All the proof anyone needs isn't it? Pearls of truth from the lips of a frightened innocent?

""I presume the problem was that the child he pushed was not one of the children who were harassing him?"

I would love to know how you came to this assumption."

It seems the only possible explanation for him being charged.......

curlew

You do realise that the "incident" will be permanently linked to the teachers record?

Bonkers parents are the main reason why some teachers hold off physical contact of any sort with any child. The fact that you have to justify hand holding, initiated by a child in a public area.

Well when the teacher concerned had to spend approximately twelve hours in meetings with head, complaining parent, parent of hand holding child (who had no complaint themselves and did witness the incident), other staff were called in and quizzed about the teacher and asked about "worrying behaviour"), teacher required to attend a six hour training course on their own (unpaid) time and at their own cost, teacher spent two weeks writing report about incident until it was done to heads satisfaction, teacher given a formal warning to "be aware of children who may make physical contact" and on her permanent record.

Yes, I think that was "hauled over the coals".

(This was not me by the way, but a colleague of mine. It practically destroyed her and an excellent teacher almost gave up her career because of it.)

I feel really sorry for him and sorrier still that the system does not support the victim, which is what he was. I doubt very much that the youths involved have lost ANY sleep over any of this. The way I see it, not only have they been anti-social, offensive and aggressive, they have got away with it and their victim is suffering even more as a result of his reaction to their behaviour. Pushed /thrown into a hedge? Kids do this and worse to one another all the time. What a mad world we live in.

Ridiculous Midnight and also so sad - no one give a child a hug and a bit of comfort anymore.

Like you will ever "openly" see a paedophile doing anything.

For the second time today I say this government is too scared to let us know how close to home most abuse happens so they encourage paranoia to give us the illusion of safety when what they actually need to do is properly resource the relevant services.

The hand holding incident would not have been dealt with like that in an English school.

If the parent themselves had no problem with the handholding, that should surely have been the end of it??
Since when do we get to raise issues concerning other people's children that their own parents have no problem with (outside of parental abuse, obviously)? Hard to believe this particular busybody was taken seriously.

And, for what it's worth, I don't think it would have been handled like that an American school either- I suspect the story has grown in the telling.

First grade?
America?

Bonkers parent had very deep pockets and had paid for a large portion of new school hall. Head had no backbone.

Australian school Eyes.

curlew, I've had decades working in the school system in this country and one think I will never underestimate is the level of paranoia some parents are capable of, and the endless trouble that can ensue.

"Ridiculous Midnight and also so sad - no one give a child a hug and a bit of comfort anymore."

They do, you know.

Yes this teacher should keep his job. Parents of said brats should have more of an idea what their kids are up too and deal with them. How sad that the teaching profession may lose a good teacher over this.

Btw, both the teachers and TA's have been known to hug the kids at our school; when the little ones are upset, when they've handed over an end of term gift, etc., always in front of all the other children, mind you.
Maybe they are leaving themselves open to allegations, but nobody has ever voiced any concerns. It certainly doesn't bother me.

"curlew, I've had decades working in the school system in this country and one think I will never underestimate is the level of paranoia some parents are capable of, and the endless trouble that can ensue."

Agreed. However, I will never underestimate the extent to which some of the press will misreport, make up and twist stories.

Yes we do, but it depends on the school climate, intake and the attitude of the SLT as to how often and how spontaneously some staff make contact with children.
H&S gorn mad, but parents initiated the changes and the way that it has snowballed. Children are most likely to be abused by a relative, but parents don't want to see that as an issue.

Since when do we get to raise issues concerning other people's children that their own parents have no problem with (outside of parental abuse, obviously)? Hard to believe this particular busybody was taken seriously.

We all have a responsibility to report suspected abuse.