To refuse to send DS12 to detention

[AlwaysTheGoodGirl]

I know everyone thinks their kid is perfect, but mine is super-conscientious, and every day he comes in from school saying most of the kids just mess about and break things all day and all he wants to do is get on with his work.

Anyway, his class have been given detention tomorrow after school, and the teacher (supply teacher as far as I can tell) has sent a really angry-sounding explanation for the detention. I know DS is going to be gutted about losing his 100% positive points record more than anything. He's been invited to an awards evening next week for achieving 100% positive points, so I know this is going to cloud it for him. And me! I'm gutted too!

Is it any good ringing the school to complain, or is this just a suck it up situation?

Just to be clear @Spirallingdownwards I didn't make that comment in my email to the school, just on here out of pure frustration. But don't you think it was strangely angrily worded for a professional? I do.

I think the previous poster nailed it when they said the supply may have thought it was an internal logging system.

But wherever you are saying it please don't refer to a professionally qualified person as a 15 year old unless they are 15. As I said I was entirely on board with your whole case until you resorted to this as an insult (whatever forum you are saying it in).

I think that was clear to everyone else. Also, you said the supply teacher 'sounded like a 15 year old'. It was hardly the worst insult to throw around. You didn't swear.
I've noticed a trend (on here and IRL) where any criticism of teachers is shot down in flames with 'you don't know how hard it is, you're part of the problem, we work so hard'. Other professions are incredibly hard work as well (social work, social care, nursing to name a few) and some people are good at their job and some people are shit.

Thanks @HappierTimesAhead I think I was quite restrained! In fact, ds remarked last night that the supply teacher didn't seem as if he wanted to be there from the start of the lesson. And now his form tutor has emailed me with a diplomatically worded comment on this teacher to the same effect.
Also, the amount of teacher-bashing I face at work and in other circles is ridiculous and I always stick up for them, so I am definitely not in that bracket.

Group punishment can be highly effective in teaching children the importance of not going with the mob. It also can improve behaviour as peer-to-peer behaviour regulation is often more effective than adult to student at that age.

Or it can fail hard, because the kids who want the miscreants to behave don't have enough power or influence to enforce it. And because the kids who might otherwise be inclined to behave see less reason to do so, if they're going to be punished the same anyway.

If one or two people are behaving inappropriately and the whole group is punished for it, you can get this 'peer regulation' effect. It's the idea behind doing it in a situation like a military boot camp, where you're also trying to build group identity and cohesion. For obvious reasons, it isn't a good strategy to use with children.

Teachers use it when what seems like the majority of a class of children are behaving badly. In that case, the children who aren't participating in the behavior are likely to be some combination of generally well-behaved, introverted, timid, conscientious, etc. This small group of children will not be able to exert peer pressure on the rest of their class. The only message it's sending is that they might as well act up if everyone else is doing it, because they'll be punished regardless of their personal guilt or innocence.

I totally agree. My children go to a rough school with some really terrible behaviour but they have NEVER had a class detention. In fact, they've never had a detention. The school are really good at making those kids who work hard and behave well feel special. That will get the most of out of them. To be honest, there aren't really supply teachers anymore, just cover teachers and they will be quick to get the 'on call' teacher if undesirable behaviour gets out of control.

OP, I think maybe you need to find out how behaviour is managed generally apart from this one-off incident. But it sounds like actively trying to move schools may be in your son's best interest because believe Y8-9 will only get worse.

I have a friend like this is who always challenging her kids detention, as a former educator it actually has put me off
her as a friend. Her kids will blatantly lie and she will back them and be straight on the phone, but sometimes they even admit to being rude to teachers for no good reason and she will share it with me like it’s a funny joke? I don’t see her getting on the phone to discuss her children’s behaviour then. She also played down when her child slapped a TA in primary school.

That said re. This specific situation I don’t agree with class detention unless every single child deserved it and this teachers note seemed a bit unprofessional.