Should a teacher override a doctor?

[LadyMuck]

Ds1's hand got trodden on yesterday in the playground. After he did his homework his fingers had swollen noticeably so we went to the local minor injuries department who referred us to hospital this morning. His hand was xrayed and the fingers aren't broken, but the bruising is quite bad, and he was given ibuprufen last night and this morning. His 3rd and 4th fingers of his writing hand are strapped together and the dr advised him not to write or use the fingers until Friday, keep them elevated and use icepacks as necessary.

Dropped him off at school and spoke to his class teacher, looking to see what we could do about writing as I don't want him to have 4 days of work to catch up on next week. She said that actually the class would be having "standardised tests" for the next 2 days and ds1 had to write, and there should be no problem as it was multiple choice. She did say that had the finger been broken then of course the situation would be different.

Now if we were talking about a matter of life and death then I suspect that ds1 could do the tests - he might get uncomfortable but it would be possible. Nevertheless that isn't the medical advice that we have been given and I'm at the teacher's response.

WWYD?

[katiestar]

If the school have encouraged him to be there then I concede they should not have made him write,but encouraged him to lose his left hand

[Hulababy]

Didn't I read that the doctpr said he was okay to be in school? If so, then of course he should be there, with his sling, and with your cntact number should he get worse.

Missing a number of days school would be unnecessary IMO. He can still be learning whilst he is at school, even if not writing.

And he doesn't need to write to participate and engage int he lesson. The teacher can see to that.

The teacher, however, should definitely not be going against medical advise. I am still shocked she made him write after being told he must not. I think that warrants a complaint TBH.

I have had children in my class - both as a Y1 TA and as a secondary school teacher - come to school with broken arms, and damaged fingers. As a teacher you work round it and provide alternative ways of engagment for the child. If there was lots of writing to be part of the lesson I made sure the child got a photocopy of the work for his/her books after too.

[LadyMuck]

Katie - read the posts fgs, he didn't say that it had to be elevated and iced. He said that if it became worse then it had to be elevated (which means put in a foam readymade sling ie not involving the school)and use an icepack if necessary. If it became that bad then I would take ds1 home, but why would I let him miss 4 days of school unnecessarily? Now there may be an issue that even though I have passed on this message to school office and teacher, they choose to ignore it and not let ds1 have access to phone me or use his sling - but in that instance surely it would be they in the wrong, and not me or the dr?

Think that you're trying to defend your earlier misunderstanding. The dr clearly expected him to be at school, as did his teacher.

[katiestar]

LadyMuck If the doctor had told me his hand should be elevated and iced,it would be elevated and iced.As that couldn't happen at school he would have to be at home.

[carriedababi]

i would give that teacher a piece of my mind

what a pratt

[Mmmmcoffee]

OK, there's a clear point here. The Doctor said, categorically, not to write or use the hand, and to keep it elevated. End of story. Tell the teacher you'll take it up with Health & Safety if she forces him to write. The school is required to provide a scribe if a child cannot write. It doesn't matter if the fingers are bruised or broken, the doctor's advice is clear.

[LadyMuck]

MissM, no I haven't taken it to the head yet. We are barely 3 weeks into the school year and I would only do that as a last resort. We have got to deal with this teacher (in her late 40s/50s) for another 9 months.

If, on the other hand, I find that she has caused ds1 any unnecessary discomfort or pain, let alone injury, then dh will be unleashed!

[LadyMuck]

So Katiestar, given that the dr, teacher and school office indicated that he should be at school, and none of them has suggested that he shouldn't be, how do you reach that conclusion? Merely by the mention of icepacks (which are treatment for any bruise)?

[CoffeeCrazedMama]

Could I just point out here that just because nothing is broken it doesn't mean he is ok to write and that the injury shouldn't be treated with care? I take it that this teacher is not claiming to be a hand therapist as well? The hand is a delicate network of ligaments, tendons and nerves, and permanent damage can be done to these if injuries like the one suffered by the op's ds are not treated with care.

My ds fell awkwardly on his hand, bruising the joints of his two middle fingers when he was small. He had to wear a splint and attend the clinic for weeks to check his mobility. Though it was finger joints, the therapist said the tendon in his palm could be affected if we didn't take care.

Also, I have pretty painful osteoarthritis in my thumb joints because I sprained them years ago (lifting hefty toddler) and didn't go to doctor and get it strapped. Just kept struggling on with normal life...

[katiestar]

Ladymuck to answer your question.Your DS should not have been in school.
You have not followed the doctor's instructions.you say he said that your DS's hand needed to be iced as necessary.The school's ice packs are for FIRST AID.i don't think they would even be allowed to administer them in other circumstances.
However I do think you have a very valid point as to why your DS didn't receive first aid at the time of the incident and I would certainly follow that up.

[MissM]

LadyMuck have you involved the headteacher yet? I know you said you were reluctant too, but it sounds to me as if you must! You are completely within your rights to insist on this if nothing else, and your doctor will back you up.

Understand your reasons for not wanting a fight, but I think this teacher is taking this too far (and as an ex-teacher I am always defensive of my people!)

[LadyMuck]

Sorry katiestar, but which is it? You seem to think that he was both a burden to the school "in case" he needed to wear a sling, and that he should have done multiple choice with his left hand (which by the way has not been suggested by the teacher - she made him do english comprehension with his right, despite a face to face mtg and a follow-up phone call!).

If you had made a face to face request and a follow-up phone call based on medical advice that you had been given by a professional who had examined your child both the previous evening and that morning would you really think it pfbish or unreasonable to be annoyed that the teacher ignored the request entirely? I did make it clear in the OP that if it was that important I thought that ds1 could do the tests, I am just rather surprised at the teachers insistence, and a bit suspect that she is calling on her previous professional training to back this up. I have no idea as to why she changed professions for example.

As it happens ds1 seems to have survived yesterday without any problems, or at least that is what he is telling me. From my perspective it is too early in the school year to wage war against his class teacher, so I'm waiting to see what happens. We have not yet raised the issue that the incident occurred when 20 Year 3-5 boys were left unsupervised for 20 minutes, nor that the teacher did not give any first aid or record the incident in the school accident book. If the teacher is overly critical of ds1's presentation of his written work yesterday then we'll probably drop her an email to remind her of the fact that he shouldn't have been writing in the first place and ask to meet with her if she still has an issue.

[MissM]

I don't think she's being unreasonable in sending him to school. Her son has hurt his hand, but is perfectly capable of being in school and can still learn without writing. I think good on LadyMuck for not keeping him off school until his hand's better which is what a lot of parents would do. No, the school shouldn't be expected to nurse him but I don't think she's asking them too. She's just asking the teacher to respect the fact that the Dr's advice is that he's not to write.

[Stayingsunnygirl]

Ah well, katie - we can agree to differ, can't we.
I do still think that the wider point is valid - generally speaking, a teacher shouldn't be overruling a doctor's advice.

[katiestar]

Stayingsunnygirl -good point, well made and I had missed her reply.But i do think it is unreasonable to send a Y4 child to school who can't write and expect them to not only cater for that ( very likely distracting the others doing their work ?) but also to nurse him with ice packs and slings.Also you can take ibuprofen doses at 4 hour intervals (obviously up to the max)
At the end of the day the child could quite easily have done a multiple choice with his left hand.So i do think the Op is unreasonable and PFBish

[Bucharest]

Forget the teacher, you need to speak to the HT or whoever is in charge of pastoral care. The rights or wrongs of your son writing with his left or right hand notwithstanding, this is some power- crazed know it all who because she used to press the X ray button thinks she knows better than the medics. I would be absolutely fuming in your place.

[minimu]

What right has the teacher to override the Dr? Would she like it if the Dr came in and set the work for her class! Stupid teacher and I would talk to the head about it.

[ThingOne]

I would be annoyed. Something similar happened to me when I was at school and the bloody power-crazed teacher made me sit the test. It was an essay so I wrote it with my left hand. She refused to mark it as she couldn't separate presentation from content. And then she said she was sorry, she hadn't realised I had REALLy hurt my hand. Witch.

I agree with the advice to email and cc the head.

[Stayingsunnygirl]

The OP doesn't say that the Dr said he could go to school, but does imply it (by saying that the doctor said no writing 'til Friday - most kids do most writing in school, imo), but anyhow, LadyMuck did clarify later on that the doctor did say that her ds could go to school, and that he could participate in the activities that didn't involve writing - question and answer sessions in class, reading etc.

As this information had already been given, your previous post ("YAB a bit U because you are not following the Drs advice either !! The Dr said he should be at home RICE ing it") was somewhat critical as well as inaccurate.

[katiestar]

Well your OP doesn't say that the Dr said he should go to school.What he said is that he must keep it elevated and use ice packs.Are you (and the doctor) expecting the school to do that.If he can't participate in school activities then he should be at home (unless of course it is a longer term ailment such as a broken leg)

[MissM]

How old is your son? I only ask because there are few tests that a child HAS to do at this stage in the term. And if he really does have to do them then the school can (and should) provide a scribe. Get a letter from your doctor informing the school that the doctor has advised against writing and take it to the headteacher today.

[brettgirl2]

Frankly the teacher sounds like a power crazed arse.

I think you should complain.

[scaryteacher]

e-mail the teacher outlining the conversation you had with her; reitierate the advice the doctor gave and ask for an explanation of why your son was writing.

Copy to the head. Sit back and wait. It works.

[LoveBeingAMummy]

PS i would keep at home as well seeing as you can't trust what she says