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Original poster

Is this assault? - confrontation between headteacher and 6 year old

116 replies

ptangyangkipperbang · 31/10/2007 13:09

DS1 (age 9) came home from school yesterday talking about what had happened in assembly. He said a class 1 child was misbehaving so the head shouted at the child (loud enough to make one of the special needs children cry) and got him to come out to the front. He then said the child had to go to his office. The child, for whatever reason, refused to go. I know this must have been frustrating for the head and he wouldn't want his authority undermined, but DS1 said the head then marched the child the length of the hall, pushing him in the back to make him move. DS1 said the whole school (nearly 200 kids) sat in stunned silence.
I've had my doubts about the leadership of this head and have heard him shouting at pupils in a bullying manner but do you agree that by doing this he has overstepped the mark?
By the way DS1 is usually a reliable source!

OP posts:
NAB3 · 31/10/2007 13:13

Mum instict says I would not be happy if that had been my child.

OrmIrian · 31/10/2007 13:13

I think he sounds as if he isn't coping very well. If you don't want your authority undermined in front of the whole school don't risk doing something like that in front of the whole school. He should have perhaps told him to come and see him later.

Poor child .

brimfull · 31/10/2007 13:13

definately not assault imo

Original poster
ptangyangkipperbang · 31/10/2007 13:15

But is that the right way to treat a 6 year old child? Is assault only if you actually thump someone?

OP posts:
OrmIrian · 31/10/2007 13:16

Agree with ggirl. I don't think it's assault but that isn't really the point is it?

RGPargy · 31/10/2007 13:18

Not assault. Teachers were always pushing kids in their backs to get them to move when i was at school!

brimfull · 31/10/2007 13:18

Head shouldn't be scaring the children by shouting so loud.

Original poster
ptangyangkipperbang · 31/10/2007 13:19

I am also worried about DS3. He is currently in the school's nursery unit. Next week they will start going to the 'big school' for assembly once a week. He is only 3. Imagine a class of nursery children witnessing such behaviour. It hardly paints a positive picture of the 'big school' they will attend next September.

OP posts:
PeterCushion · 31/10/2007 13:20

It isn't assault.
It isn't best practise either.

I assume the parents of the 6-year old know what happened, and have been able to discuss more effective measures with the HT.

Fully grown man VS 6-year old should not have led to public humiliation.

sandyballs · 31/10/2007 13:21

Don't understand how that could be classed as assault. It doesn't seem too harsh to me. The kid was out of order, and maybe it will stop some of the other tear-aways from trying it on. I do think some schools have gone too far the other way IME, too mamby pamby.

Original poster
ptangyangkipperbang · 31/10/2007 13:22

RGPargy - I know it wasn't assault when I was at school. I still shudder when I see a white plastic ruler because I was rapped across the knuckles with one so many times . However, things have changed so much (too much in my opinion) but surely the head should be following the rules of 2007, not 1977.

OP posts:
TerrorMater · 31/10/2007 13:26

It isn't assault. It isn't good practice.
Hard though when a child will not budge. Been there...

ScaryScienceT · 31/10/2007 13:28

Not assault.

SofiaAmes · 31/10/2007 13:34

Bet everyone behaves themselves a little better next time. I think it's a pity teachers have their hands tied nowadays with regard to disciplining children. So much time is wasted dealing with poorly behaved children. And it takes away from the education time for the rest of the children.

lou33 · 31/10/2007 13:36

according to a policeman my friend was talking to the other day, even someone bumping into you in the street is counted as common assault , so i would assume that it would class as assault, yes

elliott · 31/10/2007 13:39

SO, what is best practice? What can he do in these circumstances?

wannaBe · 31/10/2007 13:39

definitely not asalt. And Imo not too harsh either. If the other kids sat in stunned silence I would like to bet most of them won't be trying the same in a hurry.

Imo it's gone too far the other way with teachers not being allowed to discipline children.

irises · 31/10/2007 13:40

Yes, legally it could be assault, but as others have said, the child was being disobedient and altho' the head was a bit ott, kids have to learn to behave themselves.

Original poster
ptangyangkipperbang · 31/10/2007 13:42

I do agree that teachers hands are tied and it must be difficult to know what to do in such a situation. However, I think if I saw a 6 year old child pushed around like this in a supermarket by a parent I'd be aghast but in my opinion the fact it was a headteacher makes it a 100 times worse.

OP posts:
LadyOfTheFlowers · 31/10/2007 13:43

When I was in school (a good school btw, I left in 1999) boys were dragged indoors by the scruff if they were fighting and 'encouraged along' if not walking fast enough when asked to do so as was described in the OP.
I don't know if this is acceptable anymore and if my DC came home and said the head had moved him along like that, I would have told him he should not have been naughty then!
Maybe I'm a bad parent tho....

elliott · 31/10/2007 13:45

I am genuinely curious - I can see that what the head did isn't great, but I'm struggling to see what the better alternative is?

irises · 31/10/2007 13:45

No, I'm with you Lof the f.

There's far too much namby pambying with kids these days.

I wouldn't advocate a return to the casual whacking of kids that went on in my school, but children should, within reason, be obedient in school or it would be chaos.

TerrorMater · 31/10/2007 13:51

Well, when it happened in my classroom, I sent for a senior member of staff, who then sent the whole of the rest of my class out onto the corridor. After 10 minutes, and the arrival of another member of staff, the child finally exited, and we just about had enought time to clear up.

Hard in assembly.
Disruptive to all pupils.
Pain in the arse.

Obviously better to avoid getting intot he situation in the first place, but some situations, and some pupils, are hard to avoid...

Original poster
ptangyangkipperbang · 31/10/2007 13:54

I know I'm probably sounding really wishy washy and I totally agree that children are allowed to get away with too much today, but why disrupt the whole assembly? Surely he could have left the child standing at the front while the head got on with assembly. He could have said something along the lines of "I'm not letting you get away with disrupting assembly for everyone and will deal with you later". Then finish assembly, dismiss the rest of the school and then clip him round the ear . I think the thing that worries me most is the little reception kids who have only been there a few weeks seeing the head 'lose it'. I know you want them to know what kind of behaviour is acceptable/unacceptable but the head's reaction seemed too extreme.

OP posts:
LadyOfTheFlowers · 31/10/2007 13:56

I know schools are getting laxer and have their hands tied on what they can and can't do as people sue left right and centre etc etc. adults cannot touch children anymore for fear of being accused of being a bit wierd.
(ie: last year dh and I took DS1 to see Santa. Both of us were right next to him holding his hand. I asked to take a pic, Sants said yes so I went to put Ds on his lap, he went nuts saying its not allowed anymore - We were right there! Off topic but YKWIM?)
Boys were dragged by the scruffs in secondary school, I can't remeber anything like that going on in juniors or primary, except one very bad kid who was going nuts so was actually carried, kicking and screaming off the playground.
I dread my kids going to school. I had a lot of respect for teachers when I was at school and would not have dreamed of pissing about in assembly or the like.
School is very different now so I am probably way off the mark anyway plus my kids don't go yet.