Backpack strap cut with scissors

[IkeSmile]

Hello everyone!
Back in December I needed your advice for actions against the school who covered bullying of a migrant child. Here we are again, with the same child and his backback strap being cut with a scissor. You can see in the picture that it's a clear cut.
Question?
React and complain in writing or ignore it?
I feel is the same child or a friend of his, acting like a thug? The only people wurh access to the cloakroom are teachers and the pupils.
Thank you!

Are you in Ireland? As your saying all the staff are Irish?

Surely children’s safety scissors couldn’t have done that?

Maybe they could.

My child cut a large chunk out of my heavy, lined curtains with a small child’s safety scissors when he was five. The curtains were made of quite a thick brocade-type material.

I was shocked at how easily he’d done it and how sharp the scissors actually were. They were of a type routinely found in schools and playschools.

Destroying property is a common tactic by bullies when they can’t get to you mentally or physically anymore. I had a bully spoken to at work and put in their place by management and a week later my coat was cut . Could not prove anything.

your son shouldn’t have had his backpack cut and it does sound frustrating that the school don’t seem interested to investigate. Someone purposely damaging another’s belongings does not necessarily mean that they will stab someone next time. I don’t understand why you are referring to people as migrants or Irish - what do those facts have to do with anything?

I took that (moths) as a typo for months not maths.
Definitely not in ROI I think, as OP speaks of Year 3.

I live in rural Ireland in an area that is more culturally diverse and heavily tourist driven but many of the locals are incredibly racist against non Irish born people, particularly if English isn’t their first language and they’re not white.

They just don’t make it blatantly obvious unless they assume their audience is likely to agree with them and then they happily rant away. It’s utterly vile that they’re passing on their racist nonsense to the younger generation.

My teen son is friends with a lot of the Ukranian kids at school and I’m horrified at the bullying they endure from some of the native Irish kids as a result of racist bollocks spewed no doubt from their ignorant parents.

This is the wrong incident to pick as your fight because you don't have any evidence of who did it. I think that is why you are getting YABU responses.

Keep the diary and complain hard on incidents for which there is evidence. In England you'd escalate to governors if no joy from the head teacher. But choose your battle based on what you can prove, not just suspicions.

A change of school would likely be easier on your child, and would send a strong message to him that you believe him and that he deserves better than this.

I doubt OP is in ROI @FuckityFux. They don’t have Year 3 here. Northern Ireland maybe.

Sorry your child is being picked on OP. If the staff aren't taking it seriously is there another school you could switch to?

You're right. I misread.

NI it's p1 to p6

You sound a bit racist yourself actually, with your constant reference to people being Irish and the staff being Irish. I presume you are in Ireland , so .............

It is appalling that your child is being racially bullied , but thats down to the bully and the bullys family. The blanket smearing of people who are Irish smacks of racism from you and any wont be doing you any favours.

Sorry you are going through this. We went through quite a lengthy bullying investigation a few years ago. Afterwards, little things would happen randomly, the worst being that my DC’s instrument got broken - snapped in two.
The school investigated and couldn’t get to the bottom of it. They said the most likely explanation was that a cleaner did it when they were hoovering. We don’t believe that for a number of reasons, but there were no witnesses so nothing could be done. However, due to the situation that had gone before, and the possibility of it being a deliberate act by another child, the school replaced the instrument immediately.
whilst the whole incident was frustrating and upsetting, the school’s gesture of goodwill meant we maintained a good relationship and level of trust.

This advice was in the first reply you received.

I'm very sorry your child has been bullied, that must be horrible. I suggest you do not mention the % of Irish pupils or teachers at the school. It won't help your case. And you risk accusations of racism back at you.

I ddin't read it like that, I read it that Op and her family are one of only a few from outside Ireland and are being treated differently because of that. Its more that they are being treated badly as "incomers" than Irish people are all racist
I could be wrong though

OP was making the point that the staff are the same nationality as the bully so she feels like they are protecting him. That isn't racist.

Well she’s accusing the school staff of racism based simply on their nationality.
What would you call that?

This sounds like a terrible school! Is there any possibility of moving your child to another?

I've never known a primary school to use sharp scissors. Usually, they're the round ones that are pretty useless for anything except paper. The constant turnover of teachers and lack of supervision sounds concerning. They're probably rewarding the bull because the teachers themselves don't want to be targeted by him!

This.

Putting a complaint in writing seems to mean it gets treated seriously - and if you do via e-mail or dated letter - (keep a copy) you can refer back to it in future if needed.

Some schools are bad with bullying - and I know a few kids who in end just moved and were so much better off having done so - despite dire warnings problems would just follow them.

I agree.

If so it reads oddly, because from details the OP has mentioned it doesn’t seem as if she’s in Ireland. Not ROI anyway, unless she’s using unusual terminology for the classes?

Some corrective actions to prevent recurrence? That's what is expected in my workplace.
Get CCTV?
Lock cloak rooms, have staff present when they are open?
Count sharp objects in and out of classroom stores?

Obviously I don't work in a school, I work in aerospace where mistakes can cost lives so maybe I am overreacting about a few sharp objects in a school....

The massive problem here is the school's attitude to bullying. It's always reflected from the top down and the Head doesn't care so no one else does either. My DC were at a primary school with similar useless head.

Let your son know it's not okay. I found it effective to go calmly to the teacher of Head and say, so if someone cut the straps from your work bag, would you be happy the matter was closed same day with no investigation? Press for an answer. Also ask to see the written bullying policy and check they have followed procedure. And complain to the Governors.

Lots of people will think this is OTT. But we either condone bullying or we don't. I don't. So make it as difficult for them to as you can.

Highly unlikely the op is in Ireland as a 7 year old would be in either senior infants or 1st class, not year 3.

I'm assuming the OP is in Ireland and that is why the majority of children and teachers are Irish.