Boy who urged the killing of a teacher returns to the same school

[Blandmum]

I saw this in the Times Ed today. I can't find an on line link.

A boy at Gleed Boys School in Spalding set up a website in Bebo that urged fellow pupils to 'kill' a teacher. He also encouraged them to post abusive comments about this young female member of staff.

The Head permanently excluded the boy, but this has been over turned by the governors. The head has to take the boy back into the school. The teacher is off sick, with stress.

Nice.

One of the schools I attended (we moved house a lot) had a well-hidden discipline problem. This was an ex-grammar with an undeservedly great reputation. I remember walking past a classroom and seeing children throwing chairs at this poor teacher. She was young, not long in the job, and her classes were chaos. Some vile children thought it was funny to make her life hell. And the school did nothing about it. And nothing about it when a group of bullies started picking on me.

Based on that experience, I think schools have to take threats of violence, actual violence, and bullying very, very seriously, whether the perpetrator or victims are children or adults.

Absolutely MB. A few years ago my friend was a trainee teacher and witnessed a 14 year old boy pull a knife on a teacher. Now I know that is more extreme than what we are currently discussing but the principles are the same. He is 14yo so he is a child. Does that mean then that he should be treated differently to an adult? I don't think so. This child was permanently excluded from the school.

A 14yo child understands right from wrong and whilst they may lack the maturity when exercising their free will, they do understand that saying and doing things that hurt others is wrong. Consequently, they should face the consequences.

And if that had not been done, a meddage would have been sent to the kids that they could do what they like.

We all know as parents, that dicipline has to be consistant and visible. A child has to know that 'If I do X, Y happnes and because I don't like Y, I'm not going to do X'

I love my job, I love the kids I work with. But I am under no allusions that I'm working with people who think the same way I do. I know that if I show a seconds weakness in some classrooms, the kids will be rioting before I can turn round.

'forgiving' this boy is all well and good, but I can absoluty guarentee that the kids would not see this as the teacher being strong, but of her being weak, and thus a person to victimise and bully. This boy was expelled by his head teacher. His teachers have been balloted and the majority of them have refuse to teach him. He was returned to work bu people who will never be in the classroom with him.

As I say I love my job. But looking after a classroom isn't the same as dealing with kids on a 1 to 1 basis. Classroom dynamics is everything. You ask any teacher, they will tell you the same thing.

I agree with MB (yes, it happens)...
But what I don't have any good idea, is how to punish gravely bad kids, like the one with the knife.
There seems to be a sudden shuddering halt beyond mild detentions.

I agree with everything MB has said from what I gather, so won't bother reposting at present.

what an awful mess this is

I taught at the school where Philip Laurence was stabbed to death
(just outside the school gates, wasn't a pupil at the school)

DC LOL are us agreeing.

Re the knife thing. The child was excluded. Mother was a fool, IMHO. Gov Body upheld it.

There has to be a point where you draw a line and say, this just isn't allowed in our school. And the kids are all the better for it. So for example if a child swears (fuck or cunt or similar), it gets them a 3 day exclusion. Consequently it doen't happen that often. Because the kids know the score, and behave appropriatly.

Lets all ask ourselves this question.

Immagine your dc does something really naughty. Your take what you think is an appropriate action and you punish your child.

Your DH/P/W comes home, and over turns your punishment. How supported do you feel? Do you feel undermined? Do you feel that your ability to deal with dc's poor behaviour has been affected , because now dc knows that he can get DH/P/W to overturn your decision. dc may well now play one against the other.

Why do people think that school will be any different?

I feel this will only get worse until the teaching unions get better legal advice.
What we need is more litigation, which is something I rarely say

When I helped my kids class go to the Nat.Hist. museusm, I got handed an official looking "Risk Assessment".
I learned that you have to watch kids else they do stupid things and get hurt. At least part of that was to help stop the school getting sued if I screwed up.

If LEAs get sued when they knowingly expose other kids and their teachers to violent thugs then they would be a lot less forgiving to violence and threats of it.

What the unions should be doing is putting money into test cases.

And is particularly gut-wrenching when it is the governors who overturn the decision, as opposed to an LEA panel. The anger in my old school over the incident I described was very, very strong. I left not long afterwards, but I can't see how the relationship between staff and governing body could have been repaired in a hurry.

To be blunt, it isn't the GB who will have to teach the child on his return.

Some GB can be excellent. But some need a real reality check. Rather like SMT, if I am honest. I'm fortunate enough to work in a school where both are good. It makes doing my job possible.

Interested that NJ still hasn't commented on the second (possible) accusation that she verbally attacked the teacher in question.

I DID NOT verbally attack the teacher. I have stated that.

just interested that two people on the internet (granted they may be the same person) have stated that you did.

There are a lot of untruths out there so you will have to choose what you believe and what you dont believe

true

martianbishop I agree with everything you've written. It is essential to any civilised society that people who CHOOSE to act in a callous way, intending to cause harm to another person, need to accept that there are consequences. I am disgusted that in this situation the governing body overturned the decision. And dominiconnor - I also agree with you about litigation, and I too am surprised to hear myself say this. If I had been the teacher victim of this pupil then yes, i would definitely have reported him to the police and expected swift action.

you are a troll NJ35 and no mistake IMO.

whatever I try and explain,people come back with a counter argument that they have read or seen on the tv and you choose to believe the worst then thats your choice.I didnt discuss things here to justify anybodys behaviour or decisions,it was just to try and educate people that the truth was not being told.Now people are turning on me and slating my character,all that does is fuel the fire to the untruths.Post as much as you want thats bad about me,judge me,make me seem a terrible person because I know its not true.Sticks and stones really..

you keep harping on about putting your side of the 'story' and telling the truth but you haven't!! you steadfastly refuse to divulge what happened in the meeting with the teacher and consequetly most people here doubt your honesty and integrity.I would just give up if I were you frankly, it's boring now.

Donnie you are the prime example.You do not know me yet call me a troll...what a lovely person you are

what happened in the meeting was we discussed school and subjects!

NJ35 - i accept that this must be awful for you and I admire the fact that you have tried to put forward your point of view. But many people on here (myself included) are not simply judging by what we've read/seen on TV. We are judging by the first hand experience of working our butts off in schools with young people and giving our all to try to make a positive difference to their lives. And the simple fact is that an act like this can TOTALLY DESTROY the lives of other people. I have watched talented, well respected colleagues have their lives torn apart, they've had to abandon their career through stress and their family's lives have been made a misery through one messed-up young person who thinks it's ok to launch this type of attack. Yes, the young person may regret it afterwards - unfortunately that doesn't repair the damage done, and it doesn't get the message across that it is a disgusting way to behave. Teachers, like any other worker, have a right to be able to get on and do their job without threats and aggression.

so the 'verbal assault' is a total fiction then? you state that categorically?

If you don't tell us what really happened, then we can only go on what we have read/seen.

I totaly agree.

As a teacher I would not want your son in my classroom, based on what you have said. Ie that he set up an abusive website to bully a member of staff.

If one of my students did this to me (or for that matter another child or other member of staff) I would not want to teach them.

Returning him to the class buts this teacher, and the other members of staff in the school in an inteolerable situation. A fact that you have never discussed.

Donnie I have answered that already.
Like I said I have nothing to say to abusive people.You can type anything you want,Ironic really that,isnt it easy to type something and suddenly be bullying someone?
I have nothing further to say,im banging my head against a brick wall posting here,for people to just throw false allegations at me and call me names.
I wish you well in your lives.