Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to let this go, or should I complain about son being 'hit' by a teacher

251 replies

narisha99 · 25/06/2019 19:56

So, DS10 was chatting in class today while watching a video (educational, relating to the subject) and was told off twice by the teacher for talking. Fair enough. The third time the teacher hit him on the head with a book!

DS says it was hard, ie more than a tap, but wasn't enough to cause any type of injury. DS wasn't hurt or upset at the time, but was a little embarrassed and did in fact stop talking.

Whilst I don't think the teacher should have done that, its nothing more than I would have done at home, so I am tempted to leave it.

But DH thinks it is totally inappropriate and we should be complaining to the head in the morning.

WWYD?

OP posts:
AlwaysCheddar · 25/06/2019 20:14

Then they should shut up the first time.

boobirdblue · 25/06/2019 20:15

@narisha99 oh bless is he just a chatterbox and he was bored so disrespected the teacher three times?

Ahhh I thought he sounded like a badly behaved brat of course it's not his fault he's just bored..,.

Ginger1982 · 25/06/2019 20:15

Yeah I bet he wasn't 'hit' at all. Sounds like he could be massively exaggerating. Have you had any concerns about the teacher in the past? Could you email the teacher and ask for some clarification?

Jemima232 · 25/06/2019 20:15

So it's common assault on three kids now?

I'm surprised by the number of people not bothered by this and telling the OP to let it go.

Tableclothing · 25/06/2019 20:16

Poor judgement by the teacher (to say the least). They should know better than that. I think it might be worth mentioning to the Head, yes. I'm pretty sure they would want to know.

boobirdblue · 25/06/2019 20:17

Pain in the arse not areas!

Bloody autocorrect!

HappyHammy · 25/06/2019 20:17

Were they hit or just a tap, I'd speak to the teacher first to get their side of the story and tell d to show a bit more respect.

DaisiesAreOurSilver · 25/06/2019 20:17

FFS get a grip, OP. Your kid was being a pain, address that not try to get the teacher sacked.

Stressedout10 · 25/06/2019 20:18

@GibbonLover
I guess I am one of those parents. However never having laid a finger on either of my children (I don't believe in corporal punishment) I'll be dammed if I let someone else do that to my child . Certainly not a teacher who could of used any one of the many legal forms of punishment which I would have backed up 100%

Ravingstarfish · 25/06/2019 20:18

common assault using a weapon
It’s no wonder kids aren’t bothered about school when teachers can’t address poor behaviour. I bet it was a tap on the head to surprise them into listening rather than assault with a weapon!

boobirdblue · 25/06/2019 20:18

@Jemima232 it's four, it was three plus the OPs bored chatterbox.... common assault on all four, life term I reckon.

boobirdblue · 25/06/2019 20:19

@Stressedout10 are yours bored chatterboxes too?

Jemima232 · 25/06/2019 20:20

@boobirdblue

Duh. I can't even count now.

DareDevil223 · 25/06/2019 20:20

Another 'nasty teacher' thread, oh joy.....

HiJenny35 · 25/06/2019 20:20

Oh please he didn't hit him he tapped him on the head with a book.

Tableclothing · 25/06/2019 20:21

Quite surprised by some of the responses on this thread. When a thread is about physical punishment of children by their own parents it tends to be 99% condemnation. Maybe this thread has just attracted different posters but I'm astonished by the people who think it's somehow OK for teachers to behave like this, or that responding to low-level misbehavior by hitting children on the head with objects is acceptable behaviour management.

Physical punishment of children is never acceptable in schools. There are circumstances where physical restraint is the least worst option, but that's not what was happening here.

LolaSmiles · 25/06/2019 20:21

I'm surprised by the number of people not bothered by this and telling the OP to let it go.
I think some of us are just advocating some reserving judgement rather than going in all guns blazing on the grounds that some badly behaved students have ended up in some bother (when students who've been badly behaved, especially groups of friends, have form for minimising their own actions and exaggerating staff actions in order to displace the attention).

Of course, if they were indeed hit then it needs reporting.

boobirdblue · 25/06/2019 20:21

@Jemima232 I think you're right, I should've listened more in class! 

@narisha99 have the others been hospitalised or are they recovering at home?

NameChange9854 · 25/06/2019 20:22

Of course it isn't appropriate for a teacher to hit children but I'm kind of with the OP that this instance probably wouldn't meet my threshold for making a complaint.

Ilovemylabrador · 25/06/2019 20:23

Contact the teacher direct and Ask what happened? See if they apologise / admit if they upset and apologetic no need to go further but tell the teacher you will sanction at home as well as school and support the teacher if it happens again, but for their job etc please don’t make physical contact - job done!

creamofcarnation · 25/06/2019 20:23

Complete works of Shakespeare or a skinny paperback ?

Stressedout10 · 25/06/2019 20:24

@boobirdblue
No both of mine know better I have and would always backed the school up, but none of the teachers at our school were ever so incompetent as to need to resort to violence

OhDearGodLookAtThisMess · 25/06/2019 20:24

As always on MN, a massive over-reaction.
There is no way that this teacher "hit" anyone. At the very most, I suspect it was a jokey tap on the head to simulate the beating that he would have got for real 20 years ago.
I think the OP has the right attitude - her son is probably exaggerating, and shouldn't have been misbehaving in the first place.

That said, for the teacher's own protection in future, it might be better if she didn't do such a thing again - because, as this thread demonstrates, there are too many people with zero grip on perspective or sense of humour.

creamofcarnation · 25/06/2019 20:25

Drama llamas

boobirdblue · 25/06/2019 20:25

When a thread is about physical punishment of children by their own parents it tends to be 99% condemnation

Physical punishment........ a tap on the head by a book? Let's be honest that's what it was, the same way you'd tap your own child to stop them doing something.

Let's be honest there badly behaved 10 year olds who are being told for the third time on one lesson we're tapped on the head..... you believe that IP/ child is whiter than white, wouldn't do a thing wrong or exaggerate. I don't he sounds like hard bloody work.