Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

If someone you knew was a TA posted this ...

167 replies

consideringadoption84 · 26/03/2014 17:09

Sorry, this is my first AIBU. I hope I'm doing it right!?

I saw this on my facebook feed just now. The person who has posted it is a teaching assistant. I feel like messaging her because:
a) It's really inoffensive and inappropriate
b) I don't want someone to see it and inform her school rather than her because I wouldn't be surprised if it could get her in trouble?

I'm a teacher so I'm not naïve enough to think that those who work in education are perfect and never say anything un PC or thoughtless about the children they work with but to do it so publicly is very foolish right?

It's the kind of shit my mum is always spouting. I can try and tell her about special needs as much as I like but it's pointless; she was a teacher in the 70s and therefore 'knows' that 'nobody had any of these syndromes and disorder things in those days'. I think current educators should know better.

Or am I just being a humourless lemon sucking spoilsport?!

If someone you knew was a TA posted this ...
OP posts:
ouryve · 27/03/2014 12:14

Where does it make that distinction, Guinea? I don't see any small print.

Feminine · 27/03/2014 12:27

Guinea it doesn't give that impression at all Confused

Unless one has been living in a cave, it is obvious it is having a dig.

Taz1212 · 27/03/2014 12:31

It sort of sounds as though she has a particular child in mind . Quite a few years ago my DS would have filled that description. In fact, he ran into the now retired music teacher a while ago and the music teacher said, "So young Taz, are you still a little shit?".

Fortunately DS was able to say, no he wasn't a little shit these days and had matured nicely, but when DS relayed the story to me I didn't bat an eyelid. Being perfectly honets, he was, in the teacher's words, "a little shit". I'm not naive enough to think the teachers didn't think that. He didn't have a problematic home life or any sort of special needs. He was just badly behaved when he started school and it was the source of great frustration for both us and the school. 6 years on he's at a different school and is unrecognisable as the little boy he once was, but at that time, I'm sure many of his teachers would have been privately thinking similar words.

Having said all that, I don't think it's appropriate for a TA to put on fb. It's far too wide ranging and would be offensive to the majority.

Guineapig99 · 27/03/2014 13:09

So consideringadoption what's the verdict - quiet word or dropping the TA right in it?

frizzcat · 27/03/2014 13:21

I'm sorry TA or not, privacy settings set to private - this an ignorant and hateful picture and comment.

If we were to take the reference to children with behavioural problems and change it to a racist or religious hatred or anti-gay language - people on that woman's feed would have been up in arms. People would have deleted her and she would have been reported (well, the people on my friends list would have, otherwise they wouldn't on my list) - and rightly fucking so, ignorance should be challenged and obliterated at every turn. Although I'd be the first to concede that racism exists still, religious hatred and anti-gay sentiment are all still in exsistence in our society, but people are getting better at challenging it, we have a long, long way to go.

Now, when we look at the disabled its different, its still ok to laugh at them. Comedians line up to take a pot shot at the disabled. I remember Stephen Fry, a man with well documented MH issues, declare that someone who had been incredibly intelligent in his lifetime (sorry cant remember who but Johnny Vaughan was on the show if you want to search for it) - but he couldn't be trusted to sit the right way on the toilet - FFS!
Frankie Boyle - on his take at how ridiculous the bible was that it was clearly written by an autistic person!?

As to those who harp on about the good old days. This is my experience of the good old days. Two girls in my class in primary school, both I'd say with behavioural disorders. When we were 6yrs old, our teacher said she was fed up with lets call her Una fidgeting and moving around - so she went to the PE cupboard and tied her to a chair until eventually she wet herself.
Second child lets call her Tracey, had a particularly fractious day, same teacher lifted that 6yr old child over her knee and in front of the class, pulled her knickers down and spanked her backside. This was in 1981.

Is that the 'good old days?' Did any of you send your children to school today for that to happen to them?
My df always told me that all the "stupid" kids at his school in the 60's were sent to clean the playground or deliver milk to classrooms. I'd imagine some of those children would have had behavioural disorders today, so they were around, they just weren't given a chance.

Ignorance and prejudice are what they are people shouldn't be able to hide behind a privacy setting nor should it matter what job you do.

exbrummie · 27/03/2014 13:23

Op if your DM was a teacher in the 70s children with special needs and issues would have attended special schools so she wouldn't have come across them. Of course this doesn't mean they didn't exist.

MiscellaneousAssortment · 27/03/2014 14:33

I hope your friend takes the message well. I suspect if she made a mistake with it she ll be fine, and if she actually believes children with SN are just little shits, then she ll come back strongly - and you ll know she's not the kind of person you'd like as a friend!

Sparklysilversequins · 27/03/2014 15:29

I see the usual disablist and ignorant posters are out in force.

I do wish they'd fuck right off elsewhere.

WilsonFrickett · 27/03/2014 16:16

Sparkly if I wrote a post that went along the lines of 'Back in my day, disablism' was just called 'being an ignorant cunt'' would everyone bring the lolz, do you think? Grin

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 27/03/2014 16:18

I would Grin

WilsonFrickett · 27/03/2014 16:26
Wink
consideringadoption84 · 27/03/2014 16:44

I'm glad most people don't think this thread is identifiable to her profile.

Well, the picture is gone. The reply I got didn't really give much information as to her actual thoughts (no reason why she should tell me though). She just replied. 'Meh, whatever, thanks for the heads up. Maybe you're right.' At least it's gone.

Wilson - Now that is funny. I wish I'd thought of writing that underneath the picture. Not that I'd have dared. Best to keep educational politics off fb when you're a teacher I think!

OP posts:
PolterGoose · 27/03/2014 16:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sparklysilversequins · 27/03/2014 17:26

I would be aching with laughter myself Wilson.

WilsonFrickett · 27/03/2014 17:33

I luffs my people. Perhaps that career in (highly-specific) stand-up does beckon, after all?

OP, I would be even more Angry after that response - do you think she went 'feeck, that's terrible, that's not what I meant, nooo, take it down quick' or 'meh, considering is right, my HT might see it or one of the little shits' parents, yeah, should probs take it down or I'll get a rocket'.

sunshinemmum · 27/03/2014 17:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

frizzcat · 27/03/2014 18:00

considering well done for confronting/questioning

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread