To think that the teacher who left the child to die

[Fruitysunshine]

I have pondered over this story since it broke and my heart goes out to the parents over the loss of their son, his death being so avoidable.

Am I being unreasonable in thinking that the teacher who neglected to help this young lad dying from an asthma attack should be charged with manslaughter in one form or another?

It is not a case of asking a stranger for help but more the issue that the school had a duty of care towards the lad and by refusing to assist him in an emergency after being asked by pupils, she directly contributed towards his death.

Is that unreasonable or am I getting too emotive about this?

it is so terrifying. the thought that many many children were in that woman's care. it is seriously shocking. i hope she won't be allowed to teach again.

But the worst thing is ,it doesn't surprise me, I know many many wonderful teachers. And then I know some I would be unhappy letting look after my cat.

HERE are the DCSF guidelines. If what your school have in place is inadequate then take action to get it changed - just write to head teacher and/or chair of governors

It's crystal clear in here what should have been done (and as I've said before should have been common sense/compassion for another human being in this case anyway...)

"142. When a child has an attack they should be treated according to their individual
health care plan or asthma card as previously agreed. An ambulance should be called if:
the symptoms do not improve sufficiently in 5-10 minutes
the child is too breathless to speak
the child is becoming exhausted
the child looks blue
143. It is important to agree with parents of children with asthma how to recognise when
their child?s asthma gets worse and what action will be taken. An Asthma School Card
(available from Asthma UK) is a useful way to store written information about the child?s
asthma and should include details about asthma medicines, triggers, individual symptoms
and emergency contact numbers for the parent and the child?s doctor."

I am completely stunned that the teacher hasn't been charged for manslaughter.
She was told by a child that she should call an ambulance, yet she ignored this, and other pleas for help.
She was directly responsible for his tragic death

I think the trouble with asthma is that most sufferers have it quite mildly - still frightening enough, but not life threatening, and this causes people without asthma (or without contact or knowledge with severe asthma) to assume it isn't life threatening.

Hopefully schools can learn from this, and make sure all teachers are aware of asthma and its possible consequences.
My DS is asthmatic, and I have no idea if the school has a policy on attacks, it never occured to me that it might be necessary, but you can guarantee that at 3.30 today, I will be talking to his teacher to make sure there is a policy in place, and that every adult in the school knows about it.

She should be ashamed of herself. She is responsible for his death and should be prosecuted. I can't believe she is still Teaching. This is just horrifying, so awful that someone "en loco parentis" could be so callous.

This story made me so sad and so angry.

As a practice nurse running asthma clinics, currently studying for my Asthma Diploma and having 1 (maybe 2) daughters with asthma it fills me with horror that a teacher would be so cavalier about a pupil's health.

No, teachers are not doctors or nurses but they are partly responsible for our childrens' emotional and physical health and wellbeing whilst they are at school. I wouldn't expect all teachers to necessarily follow a medical protocol for an asthmatic child but I would expect them to call for help if they couldn't manage a situation where it was obvious a child was unwell.

My last job was as a School Nurse and I was part of a team responsible for implementing training and management of asthma in schools. The number of school staff that had absolutely no idea as to how asthma can present, and how serious it can be, was significant and took a lot of input to the schools to impress upon them the need for training.

Many schools sent the lunchtime ladies, office staff and a couple of TAs to my brief, basic training sessions as they considered them unimportant. I find that quite shocking really.

"My DS is asthmatic, and I have no idea if the school has a policy on attacks, it never occured to me that it might be necessary, but you can guarantee that at 3.30 today, I will be talking to his teacher to make sure there is a policy in place, and that every adult in the school knows about it."
exactly 3cats3dogs
If not, refer them to the links I posted earlier, in this case the guidance available is pretty good, all we need is for every school to implement it...

Sidge It's really a shame that more people don't take advantage of the training sessions you offer. My DD has asthma, and I was horrified when her school nurse (who insisted, despite doctor's notes to the contrary, that DD's inhaler needed to be kept in the office for safety reasons) REFUSED to give the inhaler to DD when she was having difficulty breathing. DD was 8 at the time, and thankfully had the presence of mind to get to the main school office and insist they call me immediately. I then picked her up and took her to get medical treatment. The next day, I went in to speak to this school nurse, who stood there disdainfully saying "it's not an asthma attack if they can speak or function at all - an asthma attack is when they are laying on the floor, gasping like a fish out of water!" THAT was her criteria for letting them use their inhalers!!! She stated that anything less than that was either a child talking themselves into being ill or faking it to get out of class. Needless to say, DD's doctor hit the ceiling and actually RANG the school nurse and spoke to her, and he was absolutely livid. (I'm sure it didn't help that his own son was in DD's class in school and was also asthmatic - I imagine he could easily place his son in that position!)

It really should be compulsory for all teachers to attend annual training in life support. Schools should also have automated electronic defibrilators and oxygen (not sure if they do already?)

At the very least, this child died because of her arrogance and gross negligence. If not manslaughter, then isn't there a charge of allowing the death of a child?

She certainly shouldn't be able to work with children or vulnerable people again.

Verity - can you laminate a card that your dd can just show someone if she needs her inhaler and can't ask for it? It really is disgraceful. You could use this case as a starting point for another talk with school.

This is very sad. Can you imagine as a parent in this situation, how your grief would be compounded by the fact that the death could probably have been prevented?
As other posters have said, schools do have a duty of care. I really dont think the teacher/school can hide behind saying things like, we are not medically trained etc.
One doesnt have to be trained to see when someone is having difficulty breathing. You dont need First Aid training to know that if someones lips are turning blue, or becoming exhausted, you need to phone an ambulance, or seek medical advice.
I do think someone should be held accountable in this case-if not one individual, the school or LEA for not keeping checks on how procedures were being implemented. Not out of spite, but on principle-something went badly wrong and as a result a young boy lost his life.
Im interested in what others think would have happened if the dc had been with their parents when this sitation arose. Eg, if parents had waited and waited while dc became distressed, and not sought medical advice. Would they be held accountable? If so, I think someone should be held accountable in this case.
Sorry for long post, just very sad for young boy and his family.

I am that not all teachers are trained in basic first aid TBH.

This story is horrendous and shocking. I can't believe that the teacher involved was not penalised in any way at all.

She either didn't know or chose to ignore the rules of her workplace - that should be a discipinary matter surely?

Let alone the fact that she clearly has no common sense at all.

And that one of her pupils died FGS.

I was in tears when I saw this story on the news a while ago, and again last night.
YANBU, the teacher should face charges
I work with children in a nursery and we have detailed proceedures to follow in the event of a child having an asthma attack.
I would find it hard to live with myself if a child in my care died.
Teachers need to realise that you cannot separate care from education when dealing with children. They are vulnerable and need to be treated as such.
I do hope that she loses her job at the very least.

Verity - I give DD her inhaler about 5pm & she goes to bed at 8 she sleeps much better than when she has it at 7:30

regardless of school policy etc, is it not commons sense that if a child is struggling for breath and taht struggle gets worse, not better and is going on for hours, that an ambulance might be needed?

hiding behind policy or lack thereof, or lack of knowledge thereof is pointelss

where was the common sense, not to mention empathy?

am v v glad my DCs are at a school taht takes this sort of thing v seriously

inhalers taken to field/gym, and when the children go for a walk round the park etc

i have a thick booklet of the policy re DSs allergies, with signed action plan of what to do in an emergency.. it has a list of which teachers are trained in epipen useage, the school nurse has a copy, etc etc etc

forgot to say, I am terribly sorry for the family.it must be so horrific, not just to lose a child, but to know he was suffering and his death could have been prevented

As a CM, we have to be First Aid trained, and hold a separate Asthma policy.

I have two mindees with inhalers, which are kept immediate accessible and given at set times a day (how hard would that be in a infants school, all the inhalers kept in the office, given at lunch time at one time, if need be one also kept on the teacher)

I also keep one each in my first aid kit for when we are out and about.

It is not hard, it will save a childs life.

I am very aware as DS and DGD and myself are all asthmatic.

This teacher should be prosecuted

I agree it's got nothing to do with policy. How dare she be a teacher and then do that? Parents take their children to school expecting them to be safe. What is she, some kind of sociopath or something?? I hate her, she disgusts me as a teacher and a human being. If she has children I'm sure she would have got help for them
And if she was in a meeting didn't the other adults have an awareness of what happened if the meeting was interupted? Lets just carry on while he dies
and [stupid stupid useless wankers emoticon]

When I was at school, one of my best friends began to have a severe asthma attack. He was taken to the nurse & sat in a room whilst she bossily told him to 'pull himself together' & 'just breathe' because he was 'getting himself into a state'. I suggested that an ambulance was called & was told snippily that they wouldn't call an ambulance until he stopped breathing, because his dad was on his way & his dad could take him to hospital when he arrived. Luckily his dad did arrive in time, but it could have so easily gone the other way - & the ambulance policy was beyond ridiculous.

I thought (hoped!) that that was an isolated incident - it's very worrying that it's not.