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Original poster

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

294 replies

Blandmum · 15/06/2007 14:48

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.

OP posts:
NJ35 · 20/06/2007 20:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 20:21

sorry Son,watching big brother and typin wrong words

RubberDuck · 20/06/2007 20:22

My apologies I misread what you said earlier then about making constant complaints to the school. I thought that included complaining to the governors about the expulsion.

I still dislike this situation though. Mainly (as mb has said) there are very few sanctions teachers can apply now and even the ones they have are being eroded.

When teachers can't use after school detentions or get kids to pick up litter in the playground as a punishment (note: generalisation, not referring to your case - just cases across the UK) because parents complain about their kids "rights" over the rights of the teachers to be able to teach in their own classrooms without disruption, then it's an issue to all the rest of the kids who have the right to an education too.

Expulsion is the last sanction a school can apply and we're seeing case after case where that's being eroded too. I certainly wouldn't like to be a teacher although I have a lot of friends who are. Not quite sure how or why they do it, tbh.

AngryMob · 20/06/2007 20:26

I agree with the previous comment:
"NJ35, it is one thing to say it face to face,and you can judge by the tone of voice how serious you should be taking this comment. That is the thing about the internet, you can't".
I think it would be a much more serious issue if the child had said this directly to the teacher.
But there are many people who do not realise the public nature of the internet, and post personal facts, or comments that they would never say in real life.
Some of them do it here on MN, and they are adults, so it is unsurprising that a 14 year old boy would do the same.
Having said that, I think it would be best for all concerned if he moved to another school.
He will always have this hanging over his head at the current school, and there is no way the teacher he was referring to should have to teach him again.

kiskidee · 20/06/2007 20:27

yes eoj, you know me so well from one post.

how well do you know the boy and the teacher in question?

were you on the board of govs? worked for the school? helped the teacher with her pgce?

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 20:27

I havent complained about my childs "rights" i have complained that the procedures have been followed by school,govenors etc and it is not being followed through,I have done everything asked by me by school,education authority etc and this is a kick in the teeth to the chools systems as well as us

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 20:31

Sorry - gotta stop watchin tv and typing.schools system

ViciousSquirrelSpotter · 20/06/2007 20:39

NJ35 I'm sure the facts are not quite the same as represented in the media (when are they ever?) but why don't you just tell us all the facts?

Because without them, on what we know, most of us think the expulsion should have been upheld. I'm quite happy to change my mind about that if facts come to light which make the whole thing look different, but tbh so far in this thread no convincing explanation has been offered as to why it was right and proper to overturn the expulsion. Just a vague assertion that we don't know all the facts. Well no, we don't, so it's impossible to make a proper judgement, but without the facts all we can go on is what's published information.

eoj · 20/06/2007 20:39

kiskidee. Ironic isn't it, you are now getting annoyed because I formed an opinion of you from 1 post. But are you not forming an opinion based on limited knowledge?

Now ask why NJ is stating her case so strongly.

Aahh Irony

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 20:46

I think the main reason to rethink is the fact there were NO death threats made,nor did he "personally contact the teacher and make a death threat" nor did he "incite others to contact her to make death threats" Theres a start. Jamie Bulgers murderers KILLED,he didnt,think thats another fact thats important rather than put him in that bracket

kiskidee · 20/06/2007 20:46

nope. not getting annoyed at all. things on message boards don't annoy me.

just making a lateral comment in my first post.

now, i'm curios why you bit and NJ didn't when it seems to be NJ's battle.

if my lateral comment made you bite, share, please, why.

go on, rate my parent: right here.

ViciousSquirrelSpotter · 20/06/2007 20:48

So what did actually happen?

Why was he actually expelled?

I'm not trying to put you on the spot or interrogate you, just trying to elicit the facts you justly point out we are unaware of.

kiskidee · 20/06/2007 20:48

maybe you want to visit www.ratemyteachers.com and rate the teacher in question?

it also has parent mode, you know.

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 20:50

Why do I want to rate the teacher? How silly is that as an adult to think I would want to!

blackandwhitecat · 20/06/2007 20:51

While, as a teacher, I can see how the teacher in question would be upset about the comment and esp because of the forum in which it was expressed, I do think some of you and the school and press are taking the comments of a child a bit too literally. As NJ has said how many of us say, 'I could kill such and such a body' without actually meaning it? My children sometimes say thy hate me and they wish they had a new family or whatever but I never take them seriously. As an adult I am aware that children speak out of anger or frustration and without thinking of the consequences in a way which adults usually don't and so I don't burst into tears when my kids speak like this to me. The tone of the comments made by the boy with slang language etc strike me as a poorly conceived, badly expressed sort of black humour made because of his anger etc. Kids say this kind of thing to teachers on a regular basis but his comments were given more power because they were accessible to others and encouraged others to make similar comments. Obviously the comments were offensive, immature and highyl unpleasant and need to be punished but I agree with NJ that the response was highyl exaggerated and counter-productive.

If the comments were accompanied by real threats or physical aggression that would be one thing. But my impression is that tehy were just words not meant to be taken literally. Has your son ever been involved in physical aggression or other sorts of threatening behaviour NJ? If not, I really don't see that the teacher is unsafe.

NerdMagnet · 20/06/2007 20:53

Is the teacher off school with stress in direct relation to this incident?

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 20:54

Blackandwhitecat-he has never been physically violent with teachers or pupils alike-i do remember a push n shove in PE a year ago if that counts with his friend over a minor thing

blackandwhitecat · 20/06/2007 20:58

My sympathies then NJ. Obviously it was a terrible mistake of your son and obviously insulting but what a massive and stupid over-reaction and incredibly counter-productive. It seems quite obvious to me especially given your son's tone and language that he didn't mean his comments to be taken literally. Most schools I have worked for would have closed down the site, punished the student, kept the whole thing as low key as possible and tightened up their Internet policy and complaints procedure.

kiskidee · 20/06/2007 20:59

i couldn't care less whether any parent is interested in rating a teacher. the facility is there and 'nuff parents seem interested in passing judgement on what occurs in classrooms when they have never done a day of teacher training themselves or have ever spent a week in any of their teenage child's classrooms.

NerdMagnet · 20/06/2007 21:01

But this incident didn't occur in the classroom.

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 21:01

fine,but would you feel it was unjust if your childs education was at stake and also the teachers career may be ruined by the press as well-i am.

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 21:03

it didnt occur in the classroom,and he has never threatened her in the 2 years previous,it was a stupid thing he did and i dont dispute that.

UCM · 20/06/2007 21:10

NJ, can I ask are you a regular visitor to this site, not that it matters, but I really feel for you and the way you type, without stopping as such, no paragraphs, but occasionally putting in punctuation makes me thing that you are a regular.

If you are, there is no bloody shame in sticking up for yourself or your kids.

Just wondered....

UCM · 20/06/2007 21:10

think that

ViciousSquirrelSpotter · 20/06/2007 21:11

Well to be fair, there's no shame if she's not a regular.