Couldnt' decide to put this in Parenting, Education, SN, Pregnancy etc... but had to come here to share the wierdest incident....

[kiskidee]

A friend of mine has a friend who is pg and is on a feeding tube for medical reasons.

She was dropping her son off at reception and four dads approached her and asked her if she would mind either dropping her child off earlier or using a different entrance.

she went to the school to talk about their 'request' and she was told that it was a private matter and the school wouldn't be involved.

The dads should be the ones dropping their dcs off earlier if they really feel their dcs might be upset. Everyone should have an equal right to use the door and it is bullying behaviour by the dads.

. hope you can urge this poor lady to complain to the school. and as for the fathers - they should grow up and/or grow a pair.

That is totally unreasonable!!I hope your friend complains to the school.

This is appalling, and the behaviour of the school is disappointing to say the least. Kiskidee, go ahead and offer to write to the governors. Maybe you could even draft the letter for her. and she could sign it herself? Whatever, this should not be allowed to go unchallenged.

Poor woman. The other parents should be ashamed of themselves.

Sadly they aren't that unusual - there were reports over the weekend of parents complaining that soldiers bady injured in Iraq were daring to use a public swimming pool.

I know a school with a pupil who has a feeding tube. Are the school supposed to exclude her?

I don't think so.

Hi, I've just registered to add to this debate! I am the friend Kiskidee talks of - and friend of the Lady with the feeding tube.

I'm totally outraged about what happened. I only learned of it around 4 weeks after it happened.

My friend says it's dealt with. For a while she used the different entrance, lately she has removed her feeding tube (it was a nasal one). The tube was purely in place because of hypermesis in pregnancy and not something she would usually have.

The fathers in question, gave their reason as it was putting the other children off going into school.

So nice of them not to educate their kids about others needing medical devices that they need not be afraid of - and instead teach them it's okay to shun people who are sick or disabled and segragate them.

I'm seriously having 2nd thoughts about this school following their "It's a private matter" policy.

My hands are tied, I feel I cannot rake it all up again without my friends permission, and she is having a very difficult time in her life at the moment - and is feeling too vulnerable to cope with more already.

I also feel particularly bad that she was approached by four men in this case, as she has a hard time trusting men anyway. I know she was very frightened and shaken - even though they approached her politely (albeit totally incorrectly and immoraly though!!!).

My friend did use a seperate entrance, and had permission to drop her son off early from the class teacher for a while, then she removed her feeding tube (although she may need to put it back soon as the sickness is not better yet).

Poor woman. Absolutely outrageous. But if she does feel she's put it behind her and doesn't want it raked up, then there's little you can do about it. Are your children at the same school? Maybe you could ask them generally about their discrimination policies, without saying it's been raised by any particular case. And remind them of their legal duties under the Disability Discrimination Act - or at least ask if they are aware of it.