To think letting a 7yr old sit next to an Emergency Exit on a coach is wrong?

[Sixer]

Especially after he opened the Exit, thinking it was a window, therefore setting off the alarms on the coach, being sent to the Head, then kept off lunch play time as a punishment. Surely this seat should be reserved for an adult?

I would expect a seven year old to know better to be honest. Being kept off lunchtime play seems a perfectly fair punishment.

Why? By seven he should know enough to know what a door looks like, surely? Teachers response is perfectly reasonable.

Did he do it again? Or was he being given a second chance?

I agree with Lady GP.

Yes, I would have thought he would have been able to read the signs.

YABU. It's not wrong

yabu
(nice to see you Sixer)

His reading isn't brilliant, he is SEN, and tbh has been on a coach twice before. He honestly thought it was to open a window. There were no chances given, or explanations given to those sitting next to an emergency exit. As in don't touch, look at the sign!

and you 2shoes!

You didn't say in the OP he is SEN.

Well she's said it so therefore I don't think YABU at all. Teacher must know his level of reading and to be honest I say any 7 yr old - SEN or NT should been told "this is an emergency exit - do not touch it or try and open it, the alarms will go off". Easy. Poor little mite bit unfair to punish a kids when they had no idea what they were doing was wrong in the first place.

if he has SEN then YANBU

Ah, the AIBU by stealth, my favourite kind

(psst, Sixer, if you come back on in a few posts and thank named individuals for their helpful comments, I'll be your friend for life )

So, I need to say something to school. Even without being on an IEP, it still doesn't sit right with me that a 7 yr old shoud sit next to the Emergency exit. It is then the responsibilty of that child to open the door in an Emergency. He's a figgit, can't sit still, i'm only glad the flippin coach hadn't pulled away. How to I approach this? Is this an H&S issue?

Well, I have to say I don't agree with you, Sixer. My seven year old is a right little monkey but if she did what your DS did I would be quite happy that the school had punished her appropriately. Year Three children (and my DD is only just seven) should be able to keep their hands to themselves IMO.

Sorry Twirly, didn't realise I had to state in the op that my DS has SEN! please forgive me!

So I'm wrong to be upset, that my ds is upset, because it was his responsibility to read the sign on the Emergency door, and to be thankful, he didn't decide to open the 'window' on route? If he had, who would have been responsible then? I take it schools do a risk assessment when taking 7/8 year olds out on coaches? Thank heavens they don't let children sit next to Emergency Exits on planes!

Oh Thank you everyone for your helpful advice, you've been a great help! BoF

Of course you're not wrong to be upset. FWIW, I would be kicking up a stink myself (having a fidgetty SN dd myself). Good for you being a good sport though

Thanks Bof for the support. Why do I feel like a weirdo?

Because it's really late and only weirdos are up! Me included. I bet there will be a few replies in the morning that give some more balance. If you think it was unfair the way he was treated, you are quite entitleed to say to the school why- and I bet nobody else, if it was their child, would say any different. You know he wasn't just being a little git, so it was unfair what happened.

On an aeroplane it wouldn't be allowed - is that any comfort?

Pregnant women aren't allowed to on an aeroplane either (what in case they are so vast they get stuck and everyone perishes in the ensuing pile up?) and DS, who has physical disabilities, isn't either (see explaination above I guess).

Bof have i met you in another maybe sensible life? You sound like my mum, and yes, I shall go to bed now and sleep on it! hen

Night night!