Can't decide if teacher is unreasonable or justified?

[rosbif]

DT's are 6 years old and have been going to the swimming pool twice a week with their school class since September. Last Thursday was their last session and they were really looking forward to it as they were having special games and snacks afterwards. However, their teacher (who has been great in general with them and they have just started a new school etc) forbid the whole class from going to the pool as there were three children who were apparently naughty and refused to stop talking all morning (and had been like this all week). I have checked and it was indeed the whole class and not just DT's telling me this and them being naughty. MIL is furious and thinks it is deeply unfair but I can kind of see that there may be some arugument for collective pressure on the children who are constantly disrupting lessons. Do you think the teacher was unreasonable? Apparently, the trio have quietened down a tad now...

It's not really a good idea to punish the whole class for the beaviour of a few, but I can that the collective pressure may be a tactic that works. However, maybe there were other factors involved - perhaps if those three children didn't go it would cause a problem with staffing and supervision?

peer pressure does not work at this age!

I hate that punishing everybody cos of what a few did. Its unfair. But schools do it.
I'm just your school goes swimming tiwce a week! I've never heard of that!

The swimming was only until last week so for two months of the academic year, they are doing something else sporty now! I think wotulookinat may be on to something re supervision - if they didn't take just the three naughty ones there would be no one at the school to look after them

i don't think the swimming lesson should have been cancelled for the class.

Even if they were only having a fun session, it is a valuable expereince for them.

Much better to have kept them in for playtime if she had to punish the whole class.

Alternatively, tell the three unruly children they could not swim and sitr at the side, watching everyone else enjoy themselves.

What would they do if a child was at school but had a note to be excluded from swimming?

had you paid for these lessons?

I think the teacher was rather unreasonable in preventing the entire class having their last and special swimming lesson. IMO the swimiming lessons are too precious, being so few in number, to waste. If the teacher wanted to use this punishment she should have applied it somewhere else . Balancing it out, I think the loss that the majority suffered by not being able to swim is greater than any benefit the punishment may had on the 'trio'!

No lessons are not explicitly paid for but it is a private school so I guess we do in a way
If your child is ill then you are asked not to send them that morning or afternoon to school as there is no one to supervise them.
I do feel that it was a bit unfair really but don't think I will take it any further. However, they have a trip to see the fires tation tomorrow, if this gets cancelled I will be fuming

Was it a qualified teacher?

Yes, a very qualified teacher will lots of years of experience.

I just asked because new teachers now get taught that punishing the whole class because of the behaviour of a few can be a bad thing, causing resentment towards the teacher.
I'm sure he/she was doing what they thought best.

Yes, I am sure you are right. It is very harsh but on a positive note the trio have been much better since last week and have not disrupted the rest of the class. She is a very good teacher imo so I was a bit surprised by this punishment. DT's are struggling with reading a bit and she has given up half her munch hour to give them some extra coaching which I thought was very kind. Hence, I don't want to rock the boat too much...Thanks for all your very valuable feedback

I'm glad it worked. Maybe the shock factor worked on the trio of chatterboxes.

Yes you could well be right! MIL still hopping mad though...

Its always difficult to get to the bottom of things with kids. For example my 2 boys 15 year old and 12 year old, when they start at each other at home, its always he said this and then i said that. Then the other one will tell me the exact opposite. Resulting in me sending them both to their rooms.

The children you are talking about are a lot younger, but hopefully you can see where im coming from.

Completely wrong to punish children who have done nothing wrong. The 3 should have been stopped from going, not the whole class.