To think this teacher was rude ?

[Goolagoo]

I’ll start by saying I’m a teacher myself so I understand how - for want of a better word - annoying it is when children are in and out of lessons.

My son is in y5. He has a very high prescription for his glasses . He’s also very clumsy ! He has had to be picked up from school a few times because of his glasses being broken - even the spare - and he can’t see barely a thing without them so they have to be fixed straight away . A few times this has been in PE that they have been broken. One time another child hit him , they broke , and my son was put in isolation for hitting him back and no one told us - he sat their all afternoon being unable to see ( the optician said they needed fixing straight away as not wearing them is a massive strain ) . There have been times no one has told us they are broken and he has been left like it all day and even shouted at for not reading - when he couldn’t see !

Hes quite self conscious so the optician suggested contacts. He was keen , he’s done really well , it’s only been a few weeks and we thought this takes away the problem of the glasses being broken . However , a few times over the past 2 weeks they have felt funny in his eyes or moved and he’s had to take them out ( he’s gone to the head , who is very supportive and wears contacts and said he would help him ) . He told us that his teacher said if he left class again he wouldn’t be “ allowed “ to wear contacts at school and also told him he only has 30 seconds to take them out . He’s a quiet boy so this has upset him ( he also has great attendance and is doing very well academically) .

I have had a message form her saying “ Hi , can DC stick to glasses at school as he sometimes can’t take them out and then can’t see “ - no reasons as to why it’s beneficial to him etc , not even a thank you just a blunt message . Bearing in mind he can always take them out it’s just a few times - maybe 3 / 4 in 2 weeks - that he has needed support . The head has no problem and has said they will do everything they can to support him and that they think it’s a great idea .

This message from his teacher has really angered me - I find it rude that she thinks she can just decide that he can’t wear contacts to school !

I agree not rude but to the point. 40 mind every 2 weeks is a lot.

Maybe contact lens on sports days for now. Made multiple glasses for other days.

It's not a disability unless they are registered blind. Millions of people wear glasses and it doesn't take time away from school/work.

It’s not a disability but it is a medical need.

When you try to dictate something over which you have no authority, then people will go over your head to someone who has that authority. The teacher doesn’t just get to decide that the child’s medical needs won’t be met in her classroom.

Parents should support the teacher to the extent possible, but ultimately they are not your servants whose only concern is to make things easier for you.

It sounds like the school are failing to keep him safe at school and are not meeting his medical needs. I'd at the very least arrange a meeting with the head and new teacher in the new school year. The current teacher I'd email back outlining the difficulty he has had with glasses and contacts.

I'm afraid many parents have had to be "that parent" when they have a child whose needs are not being met in school, and you realise what you are up against and have to go into battle fo advocate for them.

I've worn OrthOK lenses for around 15 years. They've been great for me. But they are the 'hard' lense variety and can feel uncomfortable. It takes a while to get used to them. When I first had them they could only fix prescriptions up to around -5 but that may have changed and they now can cater for worse prescriptions.

They're not cheap mind but the cost is worth it. (For me anyway). I just put the lenses in at night, go to sleep, take them out in the morning and ta-da...20/20 vision!

I really hope you can get them for your lad; they will change his life!

I am a doctor and when giving email advice/responses to patients (who can sometimes be rude and unreasonable) I would never send such a brusque message. I go above and beyond to be polite, however stressed I am. That’s professionalism.

Some teachers have a really odd way of communicating with parents, like they are also pupils. It’s strange they can’t distinguish the different roles.

Keep schtum? Why should she?

I have been a hospital consultant in the NHS for 30y. If people receive poor care or rudeness from a doctor, I encourage them to raise it or complain. How else will standards improve and reflection happen? Sometimes the professional is at fault and sometimes not. But it needs investigating. I would never tell someone to shut up because they are not a doctor themselves. Why are teachers different?

The message isn’t rude but maybe be you perceived it that way with the mind frame you were reading it in.

i would try and find out what the difference between home and school is. Why does he have no problems at home but problems every other day at school?

Contacts seem like the right choice, all will be forgotten after the 6 weeks holidays.

Wow some real idiots on here! Xhuld needs contacts so should be accommodated. End of. Keep going upamd ignore the idiots who don't put child's health first!!!!

The comment that you had implied child’s teacher is incompetent was not addressed to you, OP.
I must have missed the mention of your direct response to the teacher having received the message before contacting SLT or did you not include it?
@MirrorSmall I totally agree with your points about professionalism, calling out poor care and rudeness, however, as a consultant you have a secretary to type up and send your dictated points, teachers don’t. We speak at 110 - 250 words per minute whereas the average typing speed is half the initial figure. Brevity on teachers’ part therefore can appear brusque. It doesn’t mean they’re not professional. Oh, to have the time.
@Goolagoo Contact lenses worn during P.E. might well be the way forward.

Your ignorance is showing. We do not have secretaries to do this stuff. I type all my letters and emails to patients. I had to teach myself to touch-type at 50. I then have to upload all my clinic letters and manage appts. We don’t have admin help.

And I know all about time pressures as a busy doctor dealing with life and death issues and a huge waiting list! Are you suggesting doctors have lots of spare time?!

I don’t think you were happy about a non-teacher having an opinion on your job. Yet you spout incorrect comments about mine. Oh the irony!

She is referring to me. The funny thing is I am a qualified teacher. As I said I got my PGCE from the prestigious IoE of all places! I've seen a lot of rubbish teachers in my teaching life, and I've seen many amazing teachers. I think teaching, especially in Primary, is a forward facing role, you need to communicate effectively to parents about their very young children, who are entrusted to you for such a large chunk of their day. If you cannot deal with that, you really should not be a teacher. It's that simple. It's part of your job remit.

As I am often forwarded to consultants’ secretaries, it was a fair assumption to make that you too had one. At my GPs’ surgery there are admin staff who arrange appointments for instance.
You’ve misunderstood. The point I made was that teachers are short of time, not that doctors have lots of spare time.
As a medical professional and a former teacher can’t we work together to focus on the OP’s situation and effect a solution? Surely that’s why she posted.

I agree. Some people are focusing on the (minimal) effect on the class and the teacher caused by him briefly leaving the classroom. Not the profound effect on your child of being unable to see and then being punished for it. And no teacher should be shouting at a little boy.
The lack of understanding and empathy in schools when children have a health problem is appalling. Your son’s vision deficit could potentially be classed as a disability, but even when a child has a recognised disability they can be very dismissive. My child’s school certainly was. They were given clear instructions from an NHS practitioner who did assessments in the school, consistently failed to pass the instructions on to the class teachers, and basically couldn’t be bothered with even the smallest adjustments- none of which would have affected other pupils in the slightest.

“ Hi , can DC stick to glasses at school as he sometimes can’t take them out and then can’t see “

Is that actually what the teacher said? It doesn't make sense. - "Them" implies taking the glasses out.

If not, then what did the teacher actually say?

But she already has a solution, agreed by and supported by the head.

the reason I’ve started it now is so that he gets used to them in school. He’s fine at home and has no issues - he gets them in and out easily*

He is pissing about then, isn't he ?

Comments claiming the school are not keeping him safe and failing to provide a medical need are incorrect. The OP seems to be getting confused with real medical issues such as pupils who need to leave lessons to manage diabetes/check levels etc, which is obviously perfectly fine as that is necessary. From the OPs description above, there is no medical reason for him to wear glasses apart from his own personal preference. If he isn't able to mange his contacts, it is not up to the teacher to provide for them when there is a perfectly acceptable alternative.

I'm surprised the school isn't putting their foot down more strongly to be honest, I know my school would as it's quite dangerous If a child is coming to school with contacts that he cannot use properly. Has the OP considered what will happen if the headteacher is off site and there's no one else around who knows how to help? It's actually quite irresponsible of her.

Unfortunately, if the mother isn't prepared to put the effort into ensuring her son can manage his contacts, it isn't the school's job to step in to do it for her.

From the OPs description above, there is no medical reason for him to wear glasses apart from his own personal preference

Seriously?!

Oh here we ago again, another arrogant doctor who think they know how to do another professional's job better than they do!
You are only dealing with one patient at a time, you do not need to be concerned about how their actions affect 29 others!
We must have had at least 5 doctors come into our Trust in the last couple of years wanting to retrain as teachers. None of them could hack it, one was found curled in a ball on the floor crying. You have no clue, so kindly, I suggest your comment is of little relevance.

I suspect the HT was happy to help out the first time, but not when it has become an 'every other day' occurance. She is the one most affected, and she has probably asked the class teacher to email home.

Yes...seriously.

What part of my post was unclear?

It's ironic you are calling people idiots when your post is riddled with spelling mistakes...