How much fuss would you make over this?

[Sapphire387]

DS has lately started Year 7. First food tech class. He has told me that another boy was waving a sharp knife at people and wouldn't stop when asked. My understanding is that he didn't approach anyone but was more... gesticulating with it, in a threatening kind of way? Another teacher was called and the boy was removed from the class and not seen for the rest of the day.

I've emailed DS' form tutor to say I am concerned about what he has told me, and asked what steps have been taken / will be taken.

AIBU to be quite disturbed by this? (YANBU) Am I overreacting? (YABU)

What more would you want to know? The boy wasn't seen for the rest of the day and another teacher was called. Honestly, you're in for a long road.

I suspect most of these replies are from parents of children in schools where knife crime is not an issue.
I'm a relaxed parent, but agree this was an incredibly risky situation that didn't end badly because luckily the child decided to comply.
In your shoes OP I'd want to know who thought it a good idea for students, new to the school on the first lesson, before any trust could have been built, to be given access to sharp knives.
I'd want to know what changes the school intends to make to prevent this sort of risky situation recurring.
I'd want to know what the procedure was for managing these incidents, that didn't hopefully rely on keeping your fingers crossed the child decides to obey 'another teacher'.
I wouldn't expect to know details about the child, but would want to know how the school intended to protect its students.

Have a biscuit and calm down

It was a food tech knife

It wouldn't have been that sharp

Sharp enough to cut vegetables? It's sharp enough.
Theres nothing in my post that suggests I'm anything but calm. So please don't try to belittle with cheap jibes.
Your experience may have led you to believe this is a non issue. Mine has not.

It sounds like it was dealt with well. What do you think should have been different?

Some poor bugger has got to reply to your email instead of doing something productive.

Oh blimey you asked what they were doing, whatever gave you the impression you were entitled to know what was being done with someone else’s child. Good lord.😧

I work in such a school, we wand children periodically becuse knife crime isnsuch am issue for us and would be one of the people charged with removing the knife, but I don't know what OP thinks should have been done differently?

In your shoes OP I'd want to know who thought it a good idea for students, new to the school on the first lesson, before any trust could have been built, to be given access to sharp knives.

What an utterly ridiculous statement 🙄

Quite, you don't build trust by singling a child out as not to be trusted in their first lesson.

Where on earth have you got that from? Of course you don't single out one child as not to be trusted. You don't trust any of them with sharp knives on their first lesson, when you have no idea of their behaviour.
Theres nothing ridiculous at operating a little due diligence.

Well thank you for your insightful rebuttle there. Your wise words have opened up a whole new perspective.🙄

But PP doesn't want him to use a knife until he's known? So you prevent the whole class cooking? For how long?

Yep, that's right, give them no utensils at all. No flames in science. No bats in PE. No climbing walls. No sharp pencils. No hot food or drinks.

@5128gap you have completely and utterly lost the plot.

It had been dealt with, I wouldn’t have asked the particulars of how. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be concerned about it though. How could any parent not be bothered that someone was waving a sharp knife around in an aggressive manner in the same room as their child, didn’t stop when asked and had to be removed? This isn’t normal behaviour surely? And all that in some of the other posts about hair getting set on fire etc Thank fuck where I’m from secondary schools are not like this. People I know who have done time in prison would be shocked at the thought of someone having their hair set on fire.

Well thank goodness for that. Good to know you have learned something 👋

@5128gap

I grew up in a school that regularly had children expelled due to knife violence, gangs were prevalent in the local area and some even took firearms into school.

But I still think you're being ridiculous

If he had tried to stab someone I might have seen your point, but he was just mucking around ffs

He was removed and it sounds like he's been suspended. I still don't know what anyone thinks should have been done better. Probably the staff are trained in restraint, should it have been needed, which it wasn't.

If you don't think he should be singled out, what form exactly should due diligence take?

I think you are overreacting but I sympathise. I have a child that age and wouldn't like this either. I think if there was no evidence school had dealt with it then I would understand your concern but it seems to have been swiftly resolved.

It's not a comfort but the children could bring a knife into school anyway if they wanted so knife crime is always possible. The reality is this kid was just being an idiot and was never really going to harm anyone. Just have faith that the vast vast majority of children are decent. We can't keep them away from every potentially dangerous item just in case they decide to use it as a weapon we just have to have faith they won't.

Welcome to secondary school!!

You are massively projecting, yes. I have no idea what your situation is and it sounds very difficult so i wish you all the best with resolving it. I don't treat my son as a 'precious little darling', nor do I think it is making him the 'centre of attention' to be uncomfortable with another child waving a knife aggressively in class.

I've been attacked with a vegetable knife in a kitchen, by someone who never displayed any signs of violence previously. He, also, started off by waving it around and when I intervened to protect the children in my care, he turned the knife on me. I was lucky to escape with my life and the repercussions have been life changing for me. I had to leave my job due to PTSD. If my child came home and told me about this incident, I, too, would want reassurance from the school that this boy is not allowed to use knives during lessons ever again. It's his own fault, there is no 'just messing around" where knives are concerned. I've seen how quickly these situations can get out of hand.

@Eightiesgirl that is horrific, I am so sorry. That kind of thing was my fear. Like yes, it all ended ok today, but what if it hadn't? Very first lesson with knives and the kid is waving them around at people.

For those who suggested it, I can assure you DS is not 'traumatised'. It's more my thoughts of 'what if' and not wanting it to happen again.

I also don't recognise all these reports of violence in secondary schools. We had drugs and teenage pregnancies when I was at school, but not violence like that, that I can recall. Quite awful to think that is a common experience.

Thank you for all the responses - as many of you have said, I will try to trust that the school have this in hand.

The boy showed no contrition and apparently denied the whole thing despite several students and a teacher all witnessing it. It worries me.

My son is in Yr 7 and I definitely wouldn’t have emailed over this!

The school dealt with it.

The boy showed no contrition and apparently denied the whole thing despite several students and a teacher all witnessing it. It worries me.

How would you know that? You've no idea what's happened since or what sort of crisis he was in.