Is this a conflict of interest?

[timetablechaos]

Looking for some advice or perspective on something that’s been really bothering me, as it’s had a huge emotional impact on my DC.
My child (14) has spent the last 6 years heavily involved in a high-level extracurricular activity (think 12+ hours a week). They’ve worked really hard and been fully committed. At the end of last school year, they had the opportunity to apply for a place to continue with the activity. Historically, all children who have done this activity for several years have been offered continuing places.This year, 6 applied and 5 were awarded places. The only one not accepted was my child. There have been no behaviour issues, no cause for concern or issues raised throughout their time in this organisation - this is not the point of my AIBU but I'm adding for context. This decision came completely out of the blue with no feedback and was really upsetting. Understandably, DC is devastated.

Now this is my AIBU- My child had paid-for private lessons in the main skill of this activity with a teacher who also works at the organisation that awards the places. I'll call him Mr X. He taught DC for 3 years and was always happy with my child's performance. At first, things were fine, but Mr X had a habit of being very unreliable (frequent cancellations, no-shows without warning, etc). After a lot of patience, we ended the lessons earlier this year and found a different teacher.

I’ve now learned that Mr X was involved in the selection process for awarding continuing places this year. I think it's important to also mention that he currently teaches 4 out of the 5 children who were awarded continuing places in the program in separate private paid-for lessons (outside of the activity) as he used to do with my child. I was not aware he was involved in this year's decision and only found out when I asked for feedback on why my child didn’t receive a place. I was told it was a 'group decision by key staff' including Mr X. I can’t help but feel this is a conflict of interest as Mr X had a previous teaching relationship with my child (which he possibly now perceives in a negative light), and he currently teaches the majority of the children who were successful in a private capacity. It is not unreasonable to assume that consciously or unconsciously he might favour his own pupils for these really sought-after places and that he should have recused himself. Teaching this skill is his main income. Am I wrong to think this raises questions about the fairness and independence of the whole process?

Do you know for sure the tutoring relationships weren’t known about? He might have declared them. There should have been some criteria they were assessed against.

is it that there were only 5 places, or could more children have been put on the team (or whatever it is) if they wanted?

Absolutely a conflict of interest

I appreciate your post and completely am not here to say that my kid is the best in the world etc which is why I said in my OP that that is largely irrelevant. I’m asking if this particular situation involving this teacher is a conflict of interest. I think that even if my child was objectively the weakest performer that they should still be subject to an open and transparent process free from conflict of interests and bias. It’s the process that I’m questioning.

I don’t see why he would be in the process if these were known about and given due consideration as he teaches or has taught all but 1 child privately outside of the organisation.

As I see it it depends on how the activity is organised and governed....for instance are they a charity? are they publicly funded? are they a national body? Are they affiliated or federated with a national body? The less "official" the governing body, the less chance you have of getting anywhere with your issue. Do they publish their policies and processes anywhere? If its a really niche activity then it may well be run by a small group of people who will do what they wish

Unfortunately OP I have experience of my kid doing a sport that is completely non-transparent and cliquey at the highest level, so I truly sympathise, but I think it was the wrong move to sack Mr X and unfortunately your child is now paying for it. It's unfair, but I doubt they will accept it. 😕

Yep- I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.

Yes they are a charity and a very publicly scrutinised one at that.

I agree with you op.

Either the selection process should take input from ALL the children's teachers or NONE of them.

What you describe (assuming you have got it right, of course) sounds like a conflict of interest and potential for fraud (essentially selling the places).

Is there any appeal process? Can you query it with the organisation? Can your child apply again at a future date?

It may be a conflict of interest, but would that have bothered you if your child had been one of the five selected?

Can you asknfor a Subject Data Access Request for your child to see the notes of all the meetings and emails and text messages etc?

The fact you stopped lessons with this man and then your child was the only one not chosen out of all the ones he is still teaching…you don’t need to be a brain surgeon to put 2 and 2 together!!! Go to the top straight away and point this out and make it clear why you stopped the lessons was due to his behavior and this clearly is the backlash your son has now and you want it sorted!!

Sorry OP, but it seems that you already believe there's been a conflict of interest and want the MN collective to support you in this view, but based on the info' you've put out here, we simply don't know. And, more importantly, nor do you regardless of your suspicions (which are also, inevitably, going to be biased). @Hankunamatata 's advice to gather more information is spot on. You say that 5 places were awarded this year and that out of the 6 who applied this teacher coached 4 of the successful applicants - so what about the 1 he didn't coach? Why were they successful, but not your DC? Also, you need to look at the history of the process. How many places were, for example, awarded in the last 5 years and how many of these places went to students coached by this teacher as opposed those who weren't?
I'm really sorry your DC didn't secure a place OP and I totally understand their huge disappointment when it's something they've worked so hard for, but as @Hankunamatata has advised, you need to find out a lot more about how the selection process has been run (this year and historically) before accusing someone of a conflict of interest when the broader evidence may not support that view.

Firstly, this is completely irrelevant to my question. Secondly, I dislike nepotism in all its forms and would have been very disappointed to hear that any child had potentially been treated like this.

Yep, from what you say, you sacking him and using a different coach/teacher is what has in all likelihood lead to this.

I wouldn't be able to let this go. I would write/email the regulatory body explaining your son's commitment and achievements alongside his good behaviour and state that you expect transparency as to why he wasn't selected to continue. If there isn't a shortage of places to continue it's clearly sour grapes here. Would also be clear about the conflict of interest and what you suspect to be the reason for him being left out. Kids feel helpless to deal with this kind of thing, definitely speak up and loudly.

This does remind me of the way orchestras go about filling places in their sections. The section principal normally has a very influential say in who gets the job, and section principals are also frequently professors at conservatoires. They are known to favour their own students....

I agree that a broader picture may be useful but that does not negate the focus of my original question about whether a conflict of interests has occured here.

I think you're right to feel aggrieved, and to take this further.

Also I think some posters might have missed this very relevant context from your OP:

"Historically, all children who have done this activity for several years have been offered continuing places."

and the answer is "maybe" I think you have got good grounds to think there might have been but you, us, no one, will know until you get to the facts. which is what @timetablechaos and @Hankunamatata have said.

My daughter competes nationally and internationally at a niche sport where it's frowned upon to change coaches. The first coaches she had were dismissed and they expected her to follow them to their new base, which we did try to do, but was unsustainable due to the distance. When we left, they blocked us both and had the audacity to crop her out of photos. I have no doubt that if they were to come across her in future, they would disadvantage her.

We moved to another coach, who we have been with for just over a year. Unfortunately she has become very unreliable and cancelled every lesson between March and July and so we asked her permission to add a second coach to the training, and just today I cancelled lessons with the previous coach to continue with the second and add a third coach to the training plan. I have no doubt that this coach will fine with my daughter in the future.

So I think you'd know from the behaviour of your coach whether they are likely to have disadvantaged your child. The Governing body for my daughter's sport is actually very responsive and would definitely chat through concerns, so that might be something to look into. My feeling is that yes, it's a conflict of interest, and they should have a thorough paper trail of criteria used etc.

So this individual privately coaches some but not all of the DCs who have applied for further training. And 'coincidentally' all those who have private coaching from him have been selected? That's almost a textbook definition of a conflict of interests.

And no, the onus of proof does not lie with you as a PP said because any reputable governing body would be looking into this. All you have to do is raise the question and politely ask what criteria were used regarding the selection decisions...

FWIW both DH and DS work in sport (DH primarily with governing bodies) and have said this sounds as.dodgy as fuck.

my nosey nosiness just wants to know what activity it is! I'm guessing some form of martial arts 😊
On a serious note I think PP's advice to ask for data disclosure is sound and it would definitely not be crazy to ask for a more detailed breakdown of the selection process and state your concerns about the (very clear) conflict of interest to the governing body.

If this had happened to my DC, my first step would be to ask for written feedback in a non confrontational way. There may be other factors at play here and it is unlikely that they made a completely one dimensional decision. For instance (not saying this is the case and without knowing the activity, difficult to come up with relevant examples) - candidate B is the most technically skilled but their creativity is lacking. Candidate A is the most highly accomplished but not a team player. Candidate C is very talented but doesn’t listen to feedback and would not benefit from this opportunity. Etc. It also is entirely possible that this individual declared their conflict of interest and only facilitated the conversation. I don’t think you know enough to go in all guns blazing.

Except that he doesn't coach 1 of the 5 applicants who was selected.
OP absolutely shouldn't go in all guns blazing - that could end up being humiliating for her. She needs to find out more about the process and its outcomes for a number of years to establish if there's a pattern of this teacher's applicants always being successful over those he doesn't coach (i.e. find evidence to support her theory).
Of course, if all OP plans to do is find out more about the process and why her DC was unsuccessful (either to help her DC understand it or to appeal the decision - if that's possible) then that would be fine, but throwing around unsubstantiated accusations never ends well for the accusers.