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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School punishment

54 replies

Schnookypachooky · 12/11/2022 10:20

Aibu to think that it’s abusive to make a class of 7 year olds sit for 20 minutes without being allowed to do anything at all as punishment because they were too noisy?

OP posts:
Zosime · 12/11/2022 11:06

Good for the DC to control themselves, reflect and look inwards for a short period of time.

Most people would probably benefit from taking a period of time each day to sit quietly with no distractions (including no screens).

Coolyule · 12/11/2022 11:07

Abusive?! Not remotely
as pp has said are you sure it was 20 minutes? My 7 year old wouldnt be able to reliably understand the concept of 20 minutes.
but even if it was, it’s not abusive to be bored for 20 minutes if they’ve been disruptive and difficult for the teacher.

GreenWheat · 12/11/2022 11:09

Oh good grief, what a ridiculous dramatic response. No, it is not "abusive". Do you know what that word means? One of the reasons class discipline is so poor is that the kids have parents who think consequences for poor behaviour is "abusive"..... I think 5-10mins would have been more appropriate at that age though.

PinkSyCo · 12/11/2022 11:09

I actually think it’s a really good punishment IF the duration of it was cut by half, so teacher imo was a little harsh but abusive? No.

ImustLearn2Cook · 12/11/2022 11:09

I agree with pp that 20 minutes would be a waste of time because not many 7 year olds would be able to sit still doing nothing for 20 minutes. They would become disruptive before 10 minutes was up.

They could reasonably be expected to do a quiet activity or listen to a story for 20 minutes but that’s being engaged in something interesting.

Thatsshallot1967 · 12/11/2022 11:10

Don't think it's abusive op. It's frustrating for the teacher and a rather strange punishment though.

As an aside, it's my guess that there will be a small handful of children who did nothing and are being collectively punished for the misdemeanours of a majority. I could bet on that. It used to happen a lot when my DC were in primary and also secondary.

DriftwoodOnTheShore · 12/11/2022 11:11

Don't be ridiculous.

VioletLemon · 12/11/2022 11:12

Contravenes all right minded policy around promoting positive well being and behaviour, borders on bullying.

WhiteFire · 12/11/2022 11:18

Are you sure it wasn't just the 2 minute silence?

Sherrystrull · 12/11/2022 11:20

I teach this age. I agree it sounds like a thoroughly fed up teacher.

Seriously, try and keep a class of 7 year olds quiet and then comment...

Georgeskitchen · 12/11/2022 11:22

If anyone is still wondering why there are so many feral brats causing trouble with no consequences, here lies a big clue.
I remember the days when if you got into trouble at school and yoir parents got wind of it, you would be even more up shit creek.

Zosime · 12/11/2022 11:25

Are you sure it wasn't just the 2 minute silence?

Good point!

StickySnotBalls · 12/11/2022 11:26

In what way are you thinking it's abuse?
Good for the teacher

Feysriana · 12/11/2022 11:30

It is cruel. And cruel is abuse. So actually yanbu.

Also bearing in mind that in 16% of children have special needs such as ADHD, which won’t have been diagnosed yet at age 7, that’s a lot of SEN kids being punished in a way they can’t cope with.

The bigger worry is why the school has a teacher so incompetent that they think this is a good idea. It’s going to make the children worse behaved, not better, and 20 mins of forced inactivity is 20 minutes lost learning time. Teacher would have been better off making them run laps of the playground / setting extra learning / making them pick litter on playground.

Sounds like the teacher was a sadist on a power trip.

I would raise it with the head re “Was the teacher’s action part of the school’s agreed discipline policy? If yes why is your policy so old-fashioned and ineffective and how was the 20min period chosen? If no how are you going to discipline the teacher and what is your plan for avoiding this in future?”

ClocksGoingBackwards · 12/11/2022 11:32

20 whole minutes? Are you sure that really happened?

No, it’s not abusive. It’s pointless because the same message could be delivered with five minutes being made to sit in silence, but it’s ridiculous to suggest it’s abusive.

MajorCarolDanvers · 12/11/2022 11:32

To all that abusive is absurd

Pieceofpurplesky · 12/11/2022 11:33

Were you told 20 minutes by the child? I bet it wasn't that long / and could very well been for the silence

GlassDeli · 12/11/2022 11:34

I don't think it is as non-useful as you might think. Life does involve the skills of learning to sit quietly at times, dealing with boredom, having some self control, being with your own thoughts and not just rushing noisily headlong into the next thing. The world is 'always on' these days. It won't have done them any harm.

StickySnotBalls · 12/11/2022 11:35

Spot on @GlassDeli

Yellowdahlia12 · 12/11/2022 11:36

Feysriana · 12/11/2022 11:30

It is cruel. And cruel is abuse. So actually yanbu.

Also bearing in mind that in 16% of children have special needs such as ADHD, which won’t have been diagnosed yet at age 7, that’s a lot of SEN kids being punished in a way they can’t cope with.

The bigger worry is why the school has a teacher so incompetent that they think this is a good idea. It’s going to make the children worse behaved, not better, and 20 mins of forced inactivity is 20 minutes lost learning time. Teacher would have been better off making them run laps of the playground / setting extra learning / making them pick litter on playground.

Sounds like the teacher was a sadist on a power trip.

I would raise it with the head re “Was the teacher’s action part of the school’s agreed discipline policy? If yes why is your policy so old-fashioned and ineffective and how was the 20min period chosen? If no how are you going to discipline the teacher and what is your plan for avoiding this in future?”

Easy to spot the you have never been a teacher. On what planet is sitting quietly 'cruelty?'

Untitledsquatboulder · 12/11/2022 11:36

@Feysriana why is it cruel? You get that you can't change the actual definition of words to suit your narrative right?

Namenic · 12/11/2022 11:38

No. I’m sure kids have to be silent for SATS tests.

ThanksAntsThants · 12/11/2022 11:41

Why is it abusive, what is abusive about it? I don’t think it’d be very effective, but I’m struggling to see why it would be classed as abusive. Just because somebody doesn’t enjoy something, it doesn’t make it abuse. You entirely degrade the word abuse when you apply it to something like this.

Dogsogdog · 12/11/2022 11:46

Cruel ? Abusive ? Ffs give over

Coolyule · 12/11/2022 11:49

WhiteFire · 12/11/2022 11:18

Are you sure it wasn't just the 2 minute silence?

Yes, this is a good point!