AIBU to think holding children down for “educational” purposes is bad?

[MakingM2]

I watched “Don’t exclude me” last night and there were some interesting ideas but I’ll cut to the chase.

In one scene, if you haven’t seen it, the teacher is physically restraining a very young boy who clearly has additional needs. They are basically on the floor in the playground. She is holding him down. He is pulling her hair. It’s all fairly horrific. She claims this is “trauma informed practice”.

The deputy head said - it feels wrong when you do it and it feels wrong when someone else does it.

…and my thought is “Sir, that’s because it is wrong”. You are teaching this tiny child that a more powerful person can physically force them to submit to their will - and that this is something that is ok. You may as well get a cane out.

Having been a governor in two primaries and friends with teachers and teacher trainers, I personally can’t imagine many teachers would want to undertake this kind of “behaviour management” even if the children do become more compliant afterwards.

And it occurred to me, given we think that observing violence is bad for children, should we really be doing this type of thing?

So am I being unreasonable to think violence (of any kind, with any justification) has no place in an educational environment?

YABU - nah, this is fine, stop being so precious
YANBU - education should be violence free

Things on the EP front have drastically declined in a very short space of time. My DD's school had similar to described by @drspouse in 2019 and no longer can. Its hideous the situation.

But we do have an abundance of OTs here! Typical

The SENDO at the LEA thinks we should source our own OT and the "Inclusion manager" thinks he shouldn't have OT "until he's more motivated". It's in his EHCP.
If you are also in the NW mum do PM me!

My son has complex needs and has been restrained at school. He is now in a different school as he could not cope in the previous school at all. The restraints and seclusion only made the situation worse, to the point he hated school. He is now in a much more suitable school where they focus on what his needs are, rather than the behaviour.

That restraint on the show was completely unnecessary and dangerous. She was holding that child in a potentially dangerous position and there was no need for the restraint in the first place as he was not a danger. She was shouting at him about bad choices and blaming him for tripping over the balls, exacerbating the situation. If that was my child there would be absolute hell to pay.

there is a charity that can help with funding reports for parents in certain circumstances. There are restrictions and they do have limited capacity, but worth a mention.

www.parentsinneed.org/