Isolation booths

[Pliudev]

Ok I'm ready to be shouted down by long suffering teachers but isn't the use of isolation booths an infringement on a child's human rights? I've read today of a child who attempted suicide while being kept in one of these punishments booths for prolonged periods. And of a boy who spent 35 days in one. What have things come to when schools can inflict this kind of punishment? In both of these cases the children had mental health issues. If parents isolated their children in this way wouldn't that amount to abuse? And isn't it an indication of failure on behalf of schools that there seems to be growing use of this kind of punishment? And how can schools justify fining parents for taking children on holiday if it is ok to suspend their education for long periods in isolation?

I was an occasional visitor of an isolation space back in secondary school 12-15 years ago. It was punishment for disrupting the rest of the class while they were trying to learn!!
I was sent there to catch up on lessons & homework, quieten down, and see that my disruptive behaviour had consequences. It was no doubt a nice opportunity for the rest of the class to focus too.

Would I try and behave myself in class the next day? Yes, usually.

That was before every naughty child had a mitigating circumstance. I was a chatterbox and liked clowning around, distracting others and generally being a bit of a pain for my teachers. Grew out of it eventually (mostly).

Nothing against isolation booths.

but the real problem is shit mothers

Just mothers or can we include fathers as well?

isn't the use of isolation booths an infringement on a child's human rights?

It's about the human rights of all the other children (and staff) that child is exposed to. When children are being bitten, punched, kicked, having their hair pulled, but schools aren't allowed to exclude, what else is there to do?

I am wondering why it is seen as such a big deal for secondary aged children not to talk during lessons? I can't see the big deal with that.

claire who was talking about not talking during lessons? Did I miss this or have you missed something?

In the article there was mention of a pupil placed In isolation for 22 hours in one school week, so not able to talk during that time?

What exactly are you referring to?

I have read the whole thread and there are several posters talking about draconian schools who require pupils to be silent during lessons. That is why I said I do not see the big deal.

I left a school where a Year 9 girl had to stay in lessons with her rapist in order to protect his human right to an education.

People like the OP and finishers on this thread have zero fucking idea what they are talking about.

I have come across that scenario too captain

Sexual assault in secondary schools is on the rise, fuelled by the horrific and barbaric pornography teenage boys are accessing freely all the time on their phones so is a scenario which is being replicated up and down the country. Attacking schools for isolation policies is ignoring the actual problems facing schools on an unprecedented scale. Knives, drugs, sexual abuse and rape are not unusual occurrences - and I’ve only ever taught in nice middle class schools. Reading finisher’s ridiculous and ill-informed comments on this thread along with the angry emojis would be laughable if there wasn’t such a crisis engulfing education.

I grew up in a very rough area and although I went to school with boys who ended up in prison, in the classroom itself serious disruption was very very rare. I have never been in a classroom where we had to be evacuated because another kid was throwing furniture about.

I am well aware of sexual assault in schools.

I am well aware that some schools do not follow proper guidelines and that they should (but do not) separate victims and alleged perpetrators in the case of rape and sexual assault and fail to safeguard children.

It took Mothers who had children who were raped to get guidance changed.

I bet it will take campaigning by mothers to stop isolation techniques being used incorrectly.

I bet it will take campaigning by mothers to stop isolation techniques being used incorrectly.

But do what instead?

Yes campaigning to stop isolation will not work unless there is an alternative.

People who work in schools and understand what is actually happening should be determining isolation policies, not mothers who have read an article in The Guardian and think they have the slightest idea how behaviour can be managed in a large comprehensive school when CAMHS has been slashed to the bone and there are no resources for anything.

What captainbrickbeard said. x1000.

and the government is wondering why so many are opting out of the system to home educate or taking kids out in droves

bloody schools have gone a police state

different subject i know but my niece is 6 and y1
she came home the other week with a a4 telling the parent when to put her to bed and when and what to feed her and check boxes if they have done it,if they had they got house points if not they got in trouble apparently they were studying social care

my sister put it in the bin and put in a complaint to the head about infringing on family lives,as did many other parents

schools are way to involved in a familys private life these days and parents are letting it happen

Those mothers again ... like the two mothers who campaigned about the sexual assault of their children.

captainbrickbeard

I never said I should determine policy.

Sorry my use of emojis upset you and have a biscuit 

Captain is absolutely correct

There is nothing wrong with using isolation booths as a way of targeting negative and poor behaviour, as long as children are given appropriate work to do.

The cases referred to in the OP were not like that, the children were literally shut in a booth with nothing to do. Whilst it appears on the surface that it takes a lot of bad behaviour to get there in reality it doesn't.

Fwiw my views are not based on a guardian article. As hard a concept it may be to grasp, some of us have had actual contact with the schools involved.

I spent alot of time in isolation when I was at school.
It was horrible being sat in a tiny room by yourself all day with work just given to you so you had no idea what you were really doing.

Sadly that was a better alternative for me when every other single child in every class would take my things, throw things at me, slyly hitting me all when the teachers back was turned. I spent about 2 weeks a time in isolation until they would suspend me.
My dm idea of punishment was more isolation in my bedroom. I was only allowed to leave it to use the toilet. This lasted about a year then the bullying seemed to slow right Down so I didn't need to be isolated.

I'll never forgive those teachers for not believing what was going on when their backs were turned. I know for a fact they saw/heard alot more than they let on.

I HATE alone time now. Even though I crave it I just don't like being alone and I do blame all the above.

When children are being bitten, punched, kicked, having their hair pulled, but schools aren't allowed to exclude, what else is there to do?

This is why isolation happens. And why it will continue to happen

At one time a teacher could refuse to teach a child who attacked her/him. Children who repeatedly attacked other children or teachers were expelled. Full stop.

Time to go back to that.

We could expel children for having sen or the wrong shoes or a ruler the wrong length as well. In fact, we could just stop compulsory education altogether and send children out to work instead.

and the government is wondering why so many are opting out of the system to home educate or taking kids out in droves You could argue that this is exactly what they want to do in order to avoid paying for support.

Isolation should be used for two reasons:

To allow a disturbed class some peace from persistent disrupters.

To spend time on more 121 basis with offending students. They should have access to appropriate work, and their time needs to be spent productively.

Often these children are some of those with the biggest problems and time can be spent talking and extrapolating information from them can can help in the classroom.

However, they also need to reflect on their behaviour and be willing and able to be reintegrated.

A week in a refocus room with good support can set a minor offender straight again.

However, we do now have more seriously damaged (from neglect, poor parenting and various other reasons) kids in schools and sometimes behaviour cannot be controlled.

There are a great many students who would benefit from being in alternative provision at secondary as mainstream us just too much for them and unsurprisingly, they act out from fear, anxiety and misunderstanding. This doesn't excuse the behaviour, as their classmates deserve a decent, undisturbed education but what can schools do with children who cannot fit into the social model expected of them?

It's a no win situation. Isolation = failing those kids. Having them in class = failing the other students who's education is affected. Every way the schools cannot win.

Schools have no support. They're doing their best with spectacularly limited resources and funding. TAs and SEN provision is cut to the bone already. There's just no bodies or money.