Is this discrimination?

[Citymum7676]

Name changed for this post

Here is a situation that happened in the class (maths, y6, private school).
Children asked to draw a resort. I think the topic was space and proportions.
Child A draws fountains and hills.
Teacher asks: so, what are your ideas?
Child A: fountain and hills
Teacher: that’s not a good idea
Child B: sea
Teacher: brilliant
Child C: fountain!
Teacher: that’s an amazing idea! Fountain!!

In the end of the class: you should do this and that, not some kind of rubbish like your work, looking at child a. Work was not submitted to the teacher, they were only discussing ideas.
Child A felt discriminated. Child A is of different race whereas child B and child C are white. After the class child A’s friends told him that his ideas were the same so why was the teacher favoriting other kids? This teacher was substituting for a couple of classes and does not teach this class normally although is a head of maths.
Mum of child A (me) very very hurt to hear

@Fullyhuman

People calling this a quibble and who ‘wouldn’t make the racism connection’ - I’m guessing you’re white?! 10/11yos are old enough to know when something feels wrong. I would believe the child. I’m so sorry, OP. How horrible.

Thank you fullyhuman. The older the child gets and the more of “these things” they notice the more I can’t explain these things to him. To those people who think it’s not racism related: I am sorry but maybe you should try being in these children’s shoes for a day or two and experience it yourself and then make your judgements.

@AbstractHeart

Occam's razor: What is more likely? That the teacher misheard it as "mountains and hills"? Or that she's risking her career by being openly racist?

Why do you think the teacher was risking his career? He is a head of maths, he was substituting for two classes. He knows that parents probably will not complain for something that a substitute teacher has done, as they know they are getting their usual teacher back. He knows it’s very hidden as well. He’s not risking much, except his own karma.

Anyway thank you everyone for your comments. I just wanted to share my pain. I hope this society gets better. Any teachers and educators out there, please incorporate Antiracism training for teachers in your schools. That’s it. No judging for this teacher, if he was racist, then karma will get him.

Teachers as others employed by the government are under so much scrutiny over everything they say and do whether at work or in their private life - all are acutely aware that such allegations can ruin your career . The problem is that it is so easy to claim people are racist and often even when unproven the stigma persists. I do think public sector workers and teachers in particular are hugely stressed by the witch-hunt culture which makes them fearful of saying anything

He's head of maths? So why did you say he wasn't a permanent teacher and that he wouldn't know who was more able? He'll be familiar with all the data and will be very experienced in differentiation.

I could maybe believe that a sub from an agency might say something racist but an experienced teacher and member of SLT? Very unlikely!

What a waste of a thread of you're not even going to speak to the school. To be honest, I'm sometimes not listening properly by the end of a discussion if I'm thinking about what resources I need to give out, or distracted by a child about to misbehave at the back, or aware that the head is prowling around in the corridor and I don't want her to come in at a chaotic transition point in the lesson - the children wouldn't be aware of any of these things but I could very well quickly praise a final couple of ideas, not giving them much thought, before moving the class on. Not ideal I grant you, but that's the reality of a classroom sometimes.

@AbstractHeart

He's head of maths? So why did you say he wasn't a permanent teacher and that he wouldn't know who was more able? He'll be familiar with all the data and will be very experienced in differentiation.

I could maybe believe that a sub from an agency might say something racist but an experienced teacher and member of SLT? Very unlikely!

Being a head of maths and saying one idea by one child is rubbish and the same idea by another is very strange differentiation indeed..

And the same idea by another child is brilliant

I was always told it doesnt matter what you meant to say, if the reciepant feels it is discriminatory, you are the one in the wrong. I'm sorry your son was upset by his teachers comments.

Just one thought: do you think it could be the combination of sizes that would make the task difficult? So something small like a fountain on its own can meet the requirements. Something large like a mountain or the sea can meet the requirements, but when combining things of vastly different sizes, the task becomes difficult to achieve?

Oh so now he used the words rubbish and brilliant, did he? Stop twisting the details to fit the narrative you want to tell.

You weren't even in the room in the first place so none of us know exactly what was said. This thread is pointless nonsense!

The OP said that he was A head of maths, not THE head of maths.

In the private sector it would be common perhaps, if a prep school with an attached senior school needed a supply teacher and a senior school teacher was available to cover, then they would. It certainly happened at my children's school.

@AbstractHeart

Oh so now he used the words rubbish and brilliant, did he? Stop twisting the details to fit the narrative you want to tell.

You weren't even in the room in the first place so none of us know exactly what was said. This thread is pointless nonsense!

One idea is amazing and one is not a very good idea. What does it change???? I think you should not read this thread if you don’t like it.

@Bunnyteams Yeah maybe I shouldn't. It's annoying when an OP starts a thread to ask a question, most people give her the answer that she doesn't want, & then instead of just accepting that her question has been answered she gets defensive and doubles down. Why bother asking if you already made your mind up?

What are people defending this teacher so much for. He did not mishear anything as it was drawings. So yes, I would wonder why the same ideas are good for one and not the other.

OP, you are a parent of a BAME child, I assume you are well versed in racism. To top it off, your DC also felt discriminated against.

I have heard parents of colour described discrimination from their DC teachers before, it's not new. Two even had one teacher do this to their DC from different classes, but same school. Teachers are people as well. Anti-racism should surely be taught. I would keep an eye and ear out whenever this teacher takes your DC class. Hopefully your DS will never deal with him again.

Sorry this happened to your DC.

@Mummy195

What are people defending this teacher so much for. He did not mishear anything as it was drawings. So yes, I would wonder why the same ideas are good for one and not the other.

OP, you are a parent of a BAME child, I assume you are well versed in racism. To top it off, your DC also felt discriminated against.

I have heard parents of colour described discrimination from their DC teachers before, it's not new. Two even had one teacher do this to their DC from different classes, but same school. Teachers are people as well. Anti-racism should surely be taught. I would keep an eye and ear out whenever this teacher takes your DC class. Hopefully your DS will never deal with him again.

Sorry this happened to your DC.

Thank you for getting my point. Unfortunately it exists and sometimes teachers have subconscious bias.

I am afraid the view that it matters how the other person feels not what you meant or said is the exact reason why people on the public sector become anxious about what they say. Very little is phobic language

[quote AbstractHeart]@Bunnyteams Yeah maybe I shouldn't. It's annoying when an OP starts a thread to ask a question, most people give her the answer that she doesn't want, & then instead of just accepting that her question has been answered she gets defensive and doubles down. Why bother asking if you already made your mind up? [/quote]
Teacher is an adult and child is a child. There can be thousands of adults like you defending a teacher (who has not even been accused of anything yet, but his actions are questioned!) and there must be someone on child’s side who can listen to his story and make sure it doesn’t happen again to other children. So if it’s not your favorite thread, please read other threads you enjoy

A six sense is called that, because you are picking up cues from your experiences. You know very well, when a person is being sincere or mean.

The OP posted about 'brilliant' and 'rubbish' from the original post. Why are racism excusers always thinking they are picking holes or picking arguments apart. Sorry, but that was not a gotcha moment.

*sixth

@Mummy195

A six sense is called that, because you are picking up cues from your experiences. You know very well, when a person is being sincere or mean.

The OP posted about 'brilliant' and 'rubbish' from the original post. Why are racism excusers always thinking they are picking holes or picking arguments apart. Sorry, but that was not a gotcha moment.

What you call sixth sense is actually unconscious bias. If you experience something a lot then you begin to expect it and will interpret neutral situations in that biased way. It's something we are all susceptible to unfortunately.

The beauty of children is that unlike adults they do not have bias. That’s why my DC and his friends could not understand the logic behind the teachers behavior.

How strange. There could be a million reasons why that was said which are nothing to do with race. Doesn't mean they were right to say it (although they may well have been) but why race? I am a member of a minority and unless I'm really clear that something is racist I would never suggest that was the link. It's so damaging as it distracts from genuinely racist incidents.

Unconscious bias is not something you experience, it's something you are told or fed. ie. a stereotype like that black people are lazy/dangerous/ stupid.

It's not something you experience. You do not get a sixth sense telling you that a child is stupid.

The black child however, will have come across those who have been fed all sorts of rubbish about black people and will act a certain way towards him because of what they have been fed. That child then develop a sixth sense about how these individuals act towards them through experience.

Very sad and unfair. And the quicker we acknowledge and become aware of those actions, the quicker we get rid of such situations.

@Mummy195

Unconscious bias is not something you experience, it's something you are told or fed. ie. a stereotype like that black people are lazy/dangerous/ stupid.

It's not something you experience. You do not get a sixth sense telling you that a child is stupid.

The black child however, will have come across those who have been fed all sorts of rubbish about black people and will act a certain way towards him because of what they have been fed. That child then develop a sixth sense about how these individuals act towards them through experience.

Very sad and unfair. And the quicker we acknowledge and become aware of those actions, the quicker we get rid of such situations.

Being told something is also an experience.

A person who is brought up being told black people are inferior will have that bias and when they come across a stupid person who happens to be black they will assume they're stupid BECAUSE they're black.

A black person who is brought up being told to expect racism will have that bias, & when they come across a person who is being unfair to them they will assume it's because the person is racist.

I like everyone on this thread was not in the room, children don't always report what was said exactly. I would surprised if an experienced member of staff displayed racist behaviour. As I said before such allegations destroy careers and the witch hunt across many public services is scary making teachers and other professionals very weary and wary. Racist behaviour should be challenged but seeing racism when it isn't there is not helpful.