To think that whilst DS' comment was wrong it was not racist?

[HaHaLOL]

DS is in year 7. An Indian girl was talking very quickly in English to him and being silly. He said "stop talking flippin' Hindu".

Today we've had a letter saying he has been given a Senior Staff Detention, in big bold letters - "for making a racist comment". He told me he had to write a letter to her and her parents (don't have a problem with this at all). This is all because the parents have made a complaint against him.

Now he has a fiery temper and we can imagine him saying sth like that out of anger/frustration. DH is sure it's not actually a racist comment and thinks it's like saying to someone "stop speaking double Dutch" and he thinks its PC gone mad.

DS' head of year told him today that his comment will go to the local council and be recorded in a "racist comments" book. Is this true?! Surely she wouldn't have made it up!

I would add that DH's best two best friends are Chinese and Indian. We lived in Asia for a year. DS went to a huge international school. He would have had more nationalities in his class than the whole of our town I would imagine. His best friends were Japanese, Korean, American and English. For 2 years DS has been learning Mandarin. I cannot imagine a more culturally aware 11 year old among his peers.

DH wants to write to the Head to challenge the racism angle, particularly if it's gone down in some record at the council.

I hope this post doesn't offend anyone. I just want to get some other views, please.

Thank you.

What histrionics - your whole family will not be branded as racist! Though the best way to ensure that happens is to keep denying that this was a racist incident. One racist incident does not make an entire family of racists you know I'm sure your ds will not make the same mistake again.

You have my sympathies op.
My 11 year old ds has ASD. He struggles with understanding jokes,sarcasm etc and has a receptive language problem. He also mimics others around him to fit in as he has few friends.
Shortly after he started at a new school a crowd of boys were making jokes about sheep in the vicinity of a Welsh lad. Ds then also made a remark thinking it was a joke and meaning no offence, but was reported to the council as being a racist (the other children weren't). Yes he was wrong in what he said but he needed to have that carefully explained to him, not labelled a racist. I do think that some schools are very quick to judge children (and their families) rather than teach them why something is wrong in the first place.

claig, how far do your concerns about noting things on children's school records extend? Do you think, for instance, that schools shouldn't note on their files when they are punished for being rude to staff, disruptive in class, or being involved in violent incidents?

My son has Aspergers and says what he sees. I'm surprised, judging by the way this country is going, that he has got through his special schooling without being incarcerated for racism. (He wouldn't understand it even if you spent 10 years explaining it to him - it would be illogical.)
I have three children with AS. They still manage to get through life without racist comments. However, if your chld were to say something and you folk understood his differences, I am sure it would be fine. Perhaps a bit more work at home may help, only I'm not entirely sure that that's what you want, is it?

This is the trouble claig - the 'boot is on the other foot' now and anyone so inclined can play the racist card at any perceived slight whatsoever.........and there is nothing that can be done about it.

It is a sad sad world for all of us.

For over 50 years I have read Science Fiction - and in that time I have seen many thing come true, and many things invented that were written about.

And this Big Brother attitude is just one of them......and it is slowly slowly taking hold. Be warned.

Greenwinegums, did the school act upon the sheep/welsh comments as a racist incident? Was this in England?

Oh, and when my allegedly 'racist' disabled son was called spastic and retard by various children no reports were filed to the council then

Icimoi, I think anything that may harm their future prospects should be considered very carefully and there should be no obligation to report but should be at the teacher's discretion and should be open to objection by the child and parents. I think the Coalition did the right thing to make it not an obligation. I think the situation should be standardised across all schools and records and files should be reviewed and information should be allowed to be removed from records.

anyone so inclined can play the racist card

You know, I had a bet with myself that we would find that phrase popping up at some point, but I'm really quite sad that I've won the bet. Looking at this thread, you could almost complete a Daily Mail racism bingo card.

tron yes it was in England and treated as a racist incident.

The council reporting thing is a red herring. It does not identify or cause harm to your child in any way.

Greenwinegums I don't know about back when it happened, but how it certainly would be.

DH is currently writing to the Headteacher. Not to say that DS should not have been punished. But about the racism and how it's been dealt with ie head of year calling DS in and telling him this will go to the council etc. etc. If they are taking it that seriously they should have called us in and talked to us about it etc. First we heard about it was a letter in the post (although DS did tell me about it yesterday).

Bugger, meaning that a disablist or homophobic incident can be reported in the same way.

Detentions, apologies etc are punishments that do not remain on record. Things like this on record are worrying.

But, Claig, schools do sort of need to know whether a child has a record of misbehaviour, don't they? Don't you think that if, say, a child has a record of violence it shouldn't be left to the teacher's discretion as to whether it is noted on their school file? After all, the next year's teacher certainly needs to know. The records are fully protected by the Data Protection Act, after all.

Amazed greenwinegums about that, and totally sympathise. Can't believe the school made an issue if it and ver disappointed to hear that

HaHaLOL, try to verify that this will not go on his record or anything that identifies him. If it is anonymous, then it is not too bad.

Thanks Tron