Was my sons detection unfair?

[SassyBear2]

My DS has just started sixth form. They were asked by their form tutor to do a short presentation about themselves to introduce to the class.

DS decided to start his presentation with an animated picture of a sperm cell and said, “That was me nearly 17 years ago.” It got some laughs from the class, but the teacher didn’t see the funny side and gave him a detention.

I honestly think this is a bit much. He’s 16, not a little kid, and in sixth form they should be encouraging independence and a bit of personality. It wasn’t offensive or disruptive, just cheeky humour. A telling off I’d understand, but a detention feels harsh.

AIBU to think the school is overreacting? If so can i repeal the detention or do something?

Sixth former teacher- would have made me laugh but told him to quickly move on to stay on topic!
For what its worth we dont set detentions in sixth form, if someone is misbehaving or whatever after a couple of warnings they are asked to leave the lesson as you would be at university.

There isn’t one selection policy across all sixth forms

hahahahah

YANBU. I don’t think it was appropriate and it isn’t that funny, but it’s not worthy of a detention. Detentions are for when you’ve been reminded what the rules are and you’re still not following them. So unless the teacher had specifically said not to do that, I don’t see how a detention is justified.

If he’s adult enough that a parent getting involved is unreasonable, surely he’s adult enough that he shouldn’t be held back at school for showing a picture of sperm. You can’t have it both ways.

Maybe she is the biology teacher, and issued the detention because the boy referenced just the sperm and not the egg too. Only half of him was in the sperm.

Well, he wasn’t a sperm 17 years ago, any more than he was an egg. He was a fertilised egg. So he fails basic biology.

Either the teacher is uptight or your son was being a bit of a dick. No one on here can say really. I certainly would pick my battles though. Sixth form can be quite a bumpy ride for parents and teens and you might regret making a fuss over a detention.

What is perverted about acknowledging - in the most innocuous manner can I say - how babies are made.

How would you get through Biology or PSHE with this attitude?

I don't think so. I'm sure plenty of science teachers have shown their class pictures of sperms and explained how reproduction works based on it

I think your son is bloody brilliant! First thing I read on Mumsnet this morning and it made me LOL

I think giving any VI former a detention is ridiculous.

I think contacting the school about it is over the top

Ridiculous... sometimes I summer what goes on in teacher's minds.
But technically only half of him was a sperm cell! 😄

@DDivaStar Is biology sex? Hardly the same in the circumstances!

Teacher us an idiot. However, life isn't fair, he just needs to roll with it.

No, but most, all, probably, have some kind of selection policy to do A-Levels whereas colleges take people who have failed exams. You are not comparing eggs with eggs.

I agree - it's good to start with something a bit different. Total non-issue, bonkers to give a detention for it. At most, if the teacher felt it didn't meet the brief, they could have given feedback to that effect.

I’m with the teacher.

If he were making a presentation for a job would you think that “cheeky humour” is appropriate?

Practically guarantee if he'd been at college the tutor would either laugh or not react. Six form college is so much better than six form at school. At college they treat you like young adults, in school (probably because of the environment and they teach all ages from 11-18) they treat you like children, although I didn't think most schools gave six formers detention.
Let him do the detention (life isn't always fair) and I guess he'll have to tone his humour down a bit if he chooses to stay in school.
@ParmaVioletTea but it wasn't a job interview.

That’s really funny …. Now if he’d started with an ‘Andrea jenkyns’ number then absolutely detention… multiple detentions!!

It made me laugh when I read how he had started

Teacher sounds like he is related to the neighbour in another thread hosing off a child's chalk drawing

Over the top giving a detention bit that is certain schools policy

Having had a DS get numerous detentions during secondary school for looking out of window, not concentrating, shirt not tucked in, house badge not on display etc etc ( he has ADHD,) it has been a pure joy that in year 12 sixth form at a different school (they did the course he wanted to go) not 1 detention in a whole year .

This was my first thought too, darn my black and white thinking ND brain

Was it unfair? What do you think, OP?
Your son sounds like a prankster. Has he had difficulty with the transition to post 16?
Perhaps, if you have concerns about the teacher, or about him, make an appointment to speak to the Head of Yr12 or someone on the post 16 pastoral team.

I know! The 6th form college DS went to didn’t even bother telling us that he wasn’t bothering to attend half of his lessons.

Yes, that's ridiculous if there's not more to it.