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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Teacher binning clothes

79 replies

DownToTheRiver818 · 21/03/2018 15:44

DS (10) was back from residential trip today, tearfully the first thing he said to me off the bus was that Mr X put his wellies, jacket & waterproof trousers in the bin that morning. He said he’d taken them off after a muddy activity and hung them/put them where they usually do. He was told they’d been binned as he’d left them out.

It sounds like they’d been told to pack them immediately and ds hadn’t heard/hadn’t been listening.

Is this ok even if a warning has been given? It’s not punishing him so much as us.

He could well have just said he’s binned them but has kept them separate as ‘lost property’, maybe to teach him a lesson?

I’ll be seeing teacher after school tomorrow to clarify but WIBU to ask that they are replaced if they have been chucked?

OP posts:
MissionItsPossible · 21/03/2018 15:56

Of course not!! The cheek!

Kitchenbound · 21/03/2018 16:22

What. The. Fuck.

I don't care how many warnings involved those clothes best just re appear pronto. If the teacher took them away to effectively scare the crap out of your poor DS for not paying attention well I guess that's one thing (still kind of a git thing to do). If he seriously binned those clothes... unnacceptable. If they have been binned then the teacher is required to replace them he had no right to do it.

MrsHathaway · 21/03/2018 16:26

Gulp.

One thing to abandon the odd pair of socks/pants left in a bathroom, but that is not cheap even if cheap (IYSWIM - wellies for a 10yo won't be under a tenner anywhere, ditto even a pack-a-mac and thin waterproof trousers).

I'd ask for clarification but there's not much that can be done now. You'd only be influencing future procedures.

chickenowner · 21/03/2018 16:28

I bet that the teacher has the big bag full of abandoned clothes.

chickenowner · 21/03/2018 16:29

bin bag !!

arethereanyleftatall · 21/03/2018 16:30

Wow, that's a bit harsh from the teacher! I'd hear teachers side of the story first though when you see them tomorrow.

sonjadog · 21/03/2018 16:31

It seems unlikely that he just chucked them out like that. I would reserve judgement until you've spoken to the teacher.

Glumglowworm · 21/03/2018 16:31

That sounds crazy.

I’ve take both children on adventure holidays and yes it’s a nightmare getting them to look after their stuff, but that’s part of the territory of taking kids away! I might throw away an unclaimed sock or pair of knickers, but only after asking the kids to claim it. Anything else if no one claimed it after being asked, if I knew it belonged to my group I’d take it with me and send a note to parents asking if they’d lost anything to get in touch. A sleeping bag got left once but there were several groups there so we didn’t take it, the activity centre kept hold of it. When it turned out it did belong to one of our kids (who had denied it when shown it and asked), her parents were able to arrange for it to be sent to them. If I’d kept something for a while and asked parents an it still wasn’t claimed then it would go to the charity shop.

But tbh it’s so crazy that I’d be surprised if it’s the whole story. Ask the teacher calmly what happened. If it turns out it did happen exactly as your son said then absolutely complain.

Greenyogagirl · 21/03/2018 16:32

It’s never ok to take and throw away someone’s belongings!

upsideup · 21/03/2018 16:43

Similar happened with to us last year, though it wasnt quite so expensive, my kids wellies, rain coat an waterproof trousers are worth well over £100!
DD took in a Jojo bow to put in her hair which obviously wasnt part of the school uniform but her teacher took it off her and put it in the bin.
I assumed that he has just confiscated it so went in the next day to collect it and he said he had really put it in the bin, apoligised and gave £10 to replace it.
Presumably if he hadnt and I had reported it to the school he would of got in serious trouble.
Definately you need to make sure you get the clothes or the money to buy new ones back.

KatherinaMinola · 21/03/2018 16:49

That does sound crazy so I would check teacher's version of events, but if he has binned the clothes then I would insist on them being replaced, and I would continue to escalate the matter until they were.

KatherinaMinola · 21/03/2018 16:50

Even if he pretended to bin them, I think that's still wrong and unnecessarily worrying for the child, and I would make that clear.

FlakyToast · 21/03/2018 16:51

I'd be shocked if this happened and your ds wasn't confused by the teacher putting them in the lost property bin! I'd be speaking with the head if this is accurate

Trinity66 · 21/03/2018 16:52

I would certainly be up there wanting them back, it's not like it's your son who's going to go out and buy new stuff is it?

FlakyToast · 21/03/2018 16:52

I assumed that he has just confiscated it so went in the next day to collect it and he said he had really put it in the bin, apoligised and gave £10 to replace it.

WHat was the teacher's excuse? I'd be furious, the fact that he stumped up a tenner shows he knew he was in the wrong. I would have been worried about his temper

NotAgainYoda · 21/03/2018 16:55

You need to speak to the teacher

I mean, we can, and do make up all sorts of shit one way or the other here on AIBU but you need to speak to the teacher

colditz · 21/03/2018 16:57

I'd be more concerned that this teacher thinks he has the right of disposal over someone else's property, and where else has he got his boundaries messed up?

And no, £10 does not cover wellies and waterproofs for a 10 year old, nowhere near. Closer to £30.

I'd be taking this further

ikeepaforkinmypurse · 21/03/2018 16:57

Of course speak with the teacher first and go from there.

Original poster
DownToTheRiver818 · 21/03/2018 16:57

Yes I’ll reserve judgement, it was a proper waterproof jacket which cost around £30 iirc, adult size wellies were maybe £15 and the waterproof trousers were also around £15 - I’d be very surprised if they are actually binned, especially as the school is in the most poverty stricken area of our town. We aren’t in financial hardship but that’s completely beside the point.

I’ll update when I’ve spoken to teacher tomorrow afternoon, DS has form for not paying attention when he should, but a better punishment could have been given if needed.

OP posts:
LostMyBaubles · 21/03/2018 16:58

Hope its in the lost property!

CisPinkHoodie · 21/03/2018 16:59

Yes I think you should

But it's too late now: there'll be dozens of posts slagging off your child, and dozens slagging off teachers and we'll all be none the wiser Smile

reallyanotherone · 21/03/2018 17:02

I'd be more concerned that this teacher thinks he has the right of disposal over someone else's property, and where else has he got his boundaries messed up?

This. I let dd take in a lip balm once in reception as she had sore lips. Teacher confiscated it, as understandably they have a rule (that i didn’t know) about lip balm as if the kids share it round etc...

Somewhere along the line after confiscation it got lost. Teacher was very apologetic and offered to replace it (it was an expensive one as dd has allergies). Said it was her responsibility to give it back to us as she had taken it.

  • obviously i refused the replacement offer- i’d let a 5 year old take it in so had some level of expectation it would get lost!
CrochetBelle · 21/03/2018 17:04

They're not 'lost property' if they're labelled, surely?

torthecatlady · 21/03/2018 17:04

I'd be surprised if they were actually thrown away. Shock
If they were, I would be asking for them to be replaced.

SquirrelsareUs · 21/03/2018 17:07

Just a thought.... the teacher didn't put the muddy, wet clothes in a bin bag rather than in the bin, did he?
That would make more sense.

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