A victory for internet bullies? The resignation of Andrea Chapman

[MrFibble]

This story really saddened me. I cannot believe that a head teacher has been driven to resign over this. When did the fate of a lamb become so important? Why the hate campaigns? I simply do not understand.

story from times here

Does anyone have any insights for me?

Totally agree with you. Very sad that an imaginative head should be pilloried like this. The press can really abuse its power sometimes.

Trial by Internet....what a society we live in.

Sounds like she was a big factor in turning that school around. She'll be an asset to her next school.

We used to adopt animals from the local farms when we were are junior school. Chicks, sheep, cows etc... And we learnt how that roast chicken on a Sunday got there. And yes it was sad but there wasn't hysteria. And yes one of my friends turned veggie because of learning about Doris the chicken's fate.

So let's keep to the myth that burgers grow on trees to protect our children's feelings.

I feel really sad about this.

I've just noticed another thread about this topic in chat.

I just do not understand this sentimentality. Why is it so wrong to teach children where their food comes from?

I think I will go and read the Animal Contract again.

Just awful awful awful

What a stupid, sad thing to happen . Poor woman.

Our local primary school is looking for a new head - d'you think she'd apply? I'd love for someone with that sort of imagination and involvement with the children to teach my children (who do, BTW, know where their food comes from).

Very over the top imo...people eat animals I have always explained to my children where meat comes from and what different foods are made of..

My MiL was horrified when ds (then 3) came out with 'I like lambs.... I eat lambs and pigs and cows and sheep...'

However, I, as a vegetarian for years would much rather he knows what he is eating rather than thinking meat is something that comes vacuum wrapped in the supermarket.

Its awful that she has been hounded out of her job for this, particularly as the school has clearly been turned around by her work. No doubt another school will now benefit from her inspirational leadership... I wonder what sort of head they will manage to recruit for a school where parents have done this to the previous incumbent.

You can't mess with the animal rights nutters, they will bomb your house, dig up your grandma, send you death threats.

Do we know how profoundly distressed the children were? Are there any reliable reports on this? I'm genuinely interested to know.

I do not think that the hounding and threats were in anyway justified.

BTW have you read the Animal Contract? I've not read it for a while but it is very interesting. Personally I don't see what is so wrong about caring lovingly for the animals that you are going to eat. Ever seen how guinea pigs are treated in Peru?

Aargh, I'm getting off topic. I don't intend to get into an animal welfare type debate - I was more hoping for a discussion on the power of the internet and the effective bullying campaign there appears to have been.

You can care for the animals that end up on your plate. In fact I believe the more care and love - the tastier they'll be. This is people ( sounds like many not connected to the school) being OTT. So many kids do not know about how food begins. They think it comes from Supermarkets. It's so wrong.

As a kid it was all hands on deck for lambing session in our area. And we saw lambs born dead. We bottle feed some. We adored them. We saw them go to Market to be sold to become lamb chops.

It's real. It's abit upsetting at times ( I am softie) but hey ho that is how it is.

And I am picky on where my meat and veg comes from. I like to know what field the cow grazed in.

Whats more important to these parents who were pleased she's left, their childrens education or a flippin' lamb?!
Traumatised my arse, I have dogs, when they die the DCs will be upset of course, but will they need counselling? I shouldn't think so.

I hope she finds a really good school and wish her well.

theshriekingharpy

as a local i feel I am better informed than many who rely soley on the daily mail and internet for their info and opinions

below is my post from the similar thread on chat, which i hope you find informative, and below that a summary

"OK, I live a couple of villages away from the school in question and have followed this story in the local papers etc, Several of our local secondary school have working farms, where children can learn real animla husbandry skills outside of the classroom. These are supported by most people and have been a local tradition for many decades. (Doubters google school farm tenterden or school farm ashford). They are forever under threat for building housing on , despite the fact that we need to look to ways of importing less food in future.

my understanding is that only a TINY minority of parents, one very vocal one in particular, were against this scheme, parents who perhaps had a history or OTHER reasons for not getting on with the head.

MOST of the parents were delighted with her approach and the way she had made so many improvements to their school in a few short months of being there. there are always a few idiots who do not like change and like to cause trouble.

My concern is with the children who, armed with the full knowledge, voted to send the sheep to Market and were then made to feel like they were terrible people because of the huge uproar against this in the national media. it is a farming community FGS!

(by the way, i have also heard that its name was never Marcus, but actually Market, and that it has just been misquoted ad infinitum in the media)

poor woman drummed out of a school she was good for, because of a few people getting the media and countless others WHO HAVE NO PERSONAL INTEREST in the matter to cause a stink

shame on all of them ""

so an excellent headteacher, who has done wonders for her school and is supported by governors, staff and the vast majority of parents, and who has brought to the school an innovative project which all the kids were fully briefed about - they VOTED to send the lamb to market remember - feels she must leave her school rather than put the local community through more hell from media intrusion.one or 2 vocal parents (and it really was just a couple) she could have coped with, or they could have removed their kids to another school if they really wanted to, but with the national media running the story as a negative thing, and thousands of people who know NOTHING about the school, the headteacher or the local area shouting their mouths off about it, what else could she do now.

poor woman - and poor kids who are losing an excellent head and may even feel their vote has caused this - they had to walk to school paste mouthy "animal rights" protesters and hoards of reporters and wondered WTH they had done wrong

Thanks for that Peedoff.

no probs MrF, hope it was informative

people going on about something they know very little about is one of my pet hates TBH

heaven knows what some folk would think of
this other local school

running their school farm as a proper working business indeed and selling turkeys to be eaten at christmas LOL

Not a foregone conclusion at all ShriekingHarpy, I was raised with sheep, like PancakeFlipper was involved in lambing etc.

We were kind to our animals and sometimes hand fed them and would pat their heads as we went past and still quite happily sat down to a roast lamb.

My DS has been out on the station and cuddled the lambs and is able to make the connection between animal and meat.

It is quite sick I think for people to disconnect so much, that feels morally wrong to me, not teaching children that we eat animals, even animals we are kind to and look after.