AIBU to be shocked by language used by head teacher?

[LargeGlassofRed]

Dd2 came home today and said the head had lost it and ranted at them calling them 'antisocial low life scum' ! Am I overreacting to think this is totally unexceptable?

Another 12 year old who's never heard the word scum...

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You are allowed to criticise teachers.

But NONE OF US HAVE THE FULL FACTS!

Also, as I said before, I'm sure you have said something in anger, tiredness or frustration that you have regretted/not mean. Doesn't mean you're a 'shit' mum/colleague/friend. It makes you bloody human.

Imagine, this scenario;

You've had three weeks of broken sleep looking after your newborn - most you've had is a few hours. It is really hot like it is now and you've been trying to look after your 3 year old as well. You've got a cracking headache. You've made a roast chicken dinner for your family and sisters family because she is away with work, and they've invited themselves round for dinner. Then during the meal, your BIL pipes up and says "The roasts could be crispier". You react by saying something like; "You ungrateful sod"

And then, your sister rang you up a few days later and said "My son says that you called my husband an ungrateful sod at dinner the other day, all because of roast potatoes."

Does that make you a bad person? Does that mean your sister has the entire story? Does that mean you are a 'shit' Sister/Aunt/SIL? Do you genuinely think that BIL is ungrateful?

Of course not.

So, THAT is why people are 'defending' the HT.

I'm worried about the standard of education if 12 year olds don't know the word "scum" here. Rather than harass the school and speak to a very busy head teacher about something as ridiculously inane as this, maybe you should be practicing reading with your child to introduce basic words to them.

Well as long as you're happy now OP that's all that matters .....sigh

Agree with winward

LOL..OP my Ds 12 has just been reading this over my shoulder and asked what low life scum means. When I explained he said If the HT had said that he/she could of probably gotten the point across in a more mature manner grin.

Really?? So he knows fuck, cunt, twunt, cocklodger etc etc but not managed to come across 'low life scum'? How very remarkable of him. Perhaps try him on 'sockpuppet'.

If be worried about the standard of education at a school where a HT thinks it's ok to call year 8 girls low life scum.

Meh. Not ideal but unless the HT was right in their face yelling it at them then to be honest I think he/she has a point.

The depressing thing is that the teacher's response was a realistic assessment of the situation. No wonder kids feel that after they've done something as utterly cretinous as set off a fire alarm and arse around during an evacuation that if they go home and tell their patents the big man said mean things, that's what concerns the parents. Not the actions of their children.

highalert

Read my last post.

"Scum" is a bit OTT. But setting the a fire alarm off is naughty

I've just asked my 8 year old what she thinks "scum" means. Her response was: poor person. Apparently she had heard it in an episode of Horrible Histories where a Victorian rich person referred to a poor person as scum. Know what the topic of conversation will be at bedtime tonight

If this did happen, they deserve to be called it. I'm pretty sure that the fire brigade have to come if a fire alarm goes off, leaving at least 1 engine short should there be a real emergency

I just have my ds (also 12 and yr 8) this scenario and asked what he'd think if the HT called them low life scum.

He said "nothing - I'd be concentrating on getting away from a probably burning building and thinking it serves them right for being idiots and messing around".

Well that's good

You wasted a bit of his time...

Oops not allowed to criticise teachers on MN. Silly me.
Gosh all those threads where people with limited knowledge of how schools work tell teachers how to do their jobs and accuse us of being power hungry evil people must be fake.

People CAN criticise teachers and ask questions. All we ask is that it is done in a measured way that is polite and appropriate for the situation. Aka, don't just go "my child says... my child would never lie/omit info/exaggerate" and then decide you are reporting someone/ kicking off without all the facts.

So what do those complaining about the heads language think about those that set the fire alarm off?

Highalert
Maybe he did. . That would make him a shit HT though.

No it makes him human.

Boney- they're clearly the sort if parents who recognise themselves in the OP.
And their kids will sail through school with the "nerrr telling my Dad on you" mentality...instead of concentrating on respecting their educational establishment/providers. Then they'll produce entitled kids who think the same. None of them will ever be HTs though.

Maybe they will find other jobs where it's ok to call their clients/customers low life scum though. I mean if it's an appropriate thing for their HT to say it, he taught them that at least.

I really hope there's a job some day that is just telling half wits who set off fire alarms or make fools of themselves during evacuations that they are low life scum.

Highalert

Its apparently ok for them to set off fire alarms and mess around during life threatening situations when they are bored. So I am sure that they will be out of the job before they get a chance to call clients names.

But then I suspect they will expect mummy or daddy will jump in and get them their jobs back.

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Please read my scenario and let me know your thoughts

1. Almost everyone in the workplace has had a poorly timed or worded rant at some point.

1. I'm more concerned that there are parents who think it's fine for people to piss about and show off during an emergency evacuation!

... then again, that would explain why when we had a real evacuation we had some students lined up in non alphabet order because "it's just a drill". It wasn't. And even it was just a drill, there's a reason we have procedures. Just follow it so we can establish if anyone is missing instead of acting the clown.
Gosh. I told them to stop acting like juvenile fools and line up. I can see some MN getting annoyed already and calling for my blood for daring to tell children to behave appropriately.

But what did the Y8/9 girls DO? Show their ankles to Y11😯?
And, for that matter, did the HT confirm either that they were the group he was addressing OR that he used the expression 'antisocial lowlife scum'?!