School punishment?

[Binkyridesagain]

I am in need of the mumsnet jury.

DS has just returned home from high school, his school trousers have been slashed and he has a slight injury to his leg. He notified a teacher asap and she knows which child has been doing the slashing and how it was done (blade of a pencil sharpener). However she has asked DS to ask me what I feel would be a suitable punishment. Heck I have never been put in this position.

After some thought I have come up with-

A new pair of school trousers, they have to be replaced as they are not repairable, the cost will not be expensive as they are standard black trousers.

Also a letter of apology including reasons why you should not slash people.

Is this sufficient, too much, unreasonable, should I ask for him to be publicly flogged or should I just hand this back to the teacher as it was done in school?

I feel that the school is very much down playing this. If the student had done the same in the street then it could well have been a criminal matter. Assaulting someone with a bladed weapon is dangerous.

IMO the culprit and his parents should be left under no illusion about the severity of the offence. Expecting the parent of the victim to come up with the punishment is trivialising this.

I do wonder if the teacher just wants to know what you expect regarding the clothes etc and the actual sanctions will be down to the school.

Detention is a holiday for most of them, can't see the point of that.

Maybe I read a different OP but I can only see that properly was damaged, no risk to human beings.

I would expect new trousers, an letter of apology and an internal exclusion.

I would want the first two if it was a child messing around and did it acciddntally, but as the slashing sounds like it's more than a one off, I think the internal exclusion is required.

This was a deliberate act of aggression which I would want to see recorded on the other child's school record.

I am appalled that the teacher is asking what punishment you want, and particularly. Y sending a message through your ds. At the very least I would have expected her to phone and speak to you about what she was proposing to do.

I will send the teacher a letter and just request new trousers and a letter of apology

I think that you should remove the word 'just' from that, and/or add that you regard this incident as extremely concerning and that you are glad ds was not badly hurt by this weapon. However, you are happy to leave the school to do their job and follow their discipline procedures . . .

I would write to the school and say that you require a copy of their behaviour policy before you can begin to suggest a sanction. I would also add that you expect the school to read it to and decide on a proportionate punishment in accordance with their own rules. And I would require reassurance that they will be putting steps in place to make sure that your son is not injured again with an offensive weapon and neither should his property be damaged. I would push it squarely back into the school's court and I would also be horrified at this suggestion.

There are schools around here (South London) where that would be an immediate exclusion, mainly for having a 'blade' even if it is just taken from a pencil sharpener. Was it accidental or did he deliberately set out to harm your DS? If it was the latter then I think exclusion (within the school rather than a day at home - most have a student referral unit) wouldn't be OTT tbh. Accident through being a thoughtless teenager and no malicious intent, then replace trousers, apology and detention.

That it was only damage to property may well be down to luck rather than judgement. An attitude of 'oh well, no real harm done' is minimising. A two cm blade which was sharp enough to ruin a pair of trousers was more than sharp enough to seriously injure the boy underneath.

I also wondered if they are dealing with the punishment (I would expect a day's isolation as a minimum) and are testing the water re: trousers and maybe your son has misinterpreted what you said.

I always hate phoning home if there has been an incident resulting in ripped clothing as you never know the reaction you will get.

You said should have been they said!

Your son has been harmed, physically, by an offensive weapon. If the perpetrator had been an adult, they'd have been charged and possibly jailed. This goes beyond a new pair of trousers. What will this child do next?

I would suggest to the school if this is an attempt at restrictive practices they should implement it far better.