Is this punishment too harsh for the 'crime'?

[sandyballs]

I usually support the teachers 100%, if my DD's have done wrong then they face the consequences etc etc.

However! I picked my DDs up from school yesterday, they were the last out as usual, and they dashed off to get their scooters whilst I chatted to a couple of other mums. DD1 pushed hers back to me, DD2 scooted back across the playground. I heard a teacher shouting and DD2 went over to her and I understood she was telling her off for scooting across the playground when the whole school has been told several times not to do it. Fair enough. DD2 then comes over and says she has been told not to bring her scooter to school until after half term!!

Harsh or fair? I would understand a week or two, but until half term!! My DDs are 10 and in year 6, they scooter to school with their mates every morning. DD2 had to run with them today.

Sorry I haven't been back. Thanks for all replies. I spoke to DDs about this in more detail over the weekend. The whole school have been told in assembly on a few occasions not to ride scooters in the playground and they were also told that the punishment would be missing break the next day. They have never been told that a long ban would be enforced. Neither of my DDs have scootered in the playground until this incident, so DD2 hadn't had previous warnings, this was her first 'offence'. So it does seem that it was one teacher handing out a cross spur of the moment punishment, rather than a school-wide decision.

I agree DD2 should have been punished, she is 10 years old, she is in year 6, she knows the rules and as someone said below she should be setting an example to the younger children. Yet I still think it is a ridculously long time to ban her scooter!

School ends at 3.15, it was nearly 3.30 when DD2 scootered across the playground and there was only me and another mum or two chatting, the playground was practically empty. This is why DD2 thought it would be ok. I'm not excusing her, just setting the scene!

I think I'll write in her contact book tomorrow asking if DD2 had misheard. She's learnt her lesson, lots of tears this morning as DD1 and friends scootered off. I agree that i shouldn't just ignore it, as it does sned the wrong message to DD2. Particularly as secondary school is looming.

Thanks for the update, sandyballs. I realise now that I'd misunderstood your earlier posts (and had thought the several warnings were specific to your DD, not general to the whole school).

It's right that she was stopped and told off, but the punishment should have been in line with the penalty announced to the school (ie losing break). I hope that a word with the teacher sorts that out.

Personally, and from this thread this is probably just me, but I'd be really annoyed at the effect on MY time, or DH or whoever takes the DC to school, in your situation. Getting DC to and from nursery (she is 3.5) and getting to work is a serious stress and a serious time sink for me, and I'd be very annoyed at an extremely long-lasting significant inconvenience. How can they tell you how to transport your DC to and from your house anyway? Why not just find a way to lock up the scooter near, but not actually in, the school? (aside from any concerns about undermining the teachers and so on). I think it's crazy that schools seem to think they can dictate something this logistically important for the whole family. Or maybe she could cycle instead and leave the bike there if it would help with your morning.. (not that you've mentioned the inconvenience factor but this could be a way of getting her there at a pace consistent with her friends, too).

Wellthen sorry, but I must also take exception to what you have said: I quote you where you put, in bold part of what I said, i.e.:
" younger/less experienced/ childless (!) ones don't really understand the implications of casually thrown around punishments "

What I actually said, in context (that all important thing we strive to teach our DCs??):
"Sometimes, though I too am a great respecter of my DC's teachers, some, especially the younger/less experienced/ childless (!) ones don't really understand the implications of casually thrown around punishments."

You then go on to say:
"As all three of those terrible things you list I take great offence at this. How dare you suggest some of us are not good at our jobs simply due to age, experience or whether or not we have children. Having a child does not make you an expert on children - surely things like super nanny are testament to that?

I am almost disappointed that you, as a teacher, refuse to countenance that these things could possibly be factors that might lead to an over-hasty response or disproportionate punishment. It's via a recognition of what our motivators and drivers are in decision making that we mature and gain experience. All professionals need to constantly reflect on this so as to 'grow'. No one has suggested that 'Having a child does not make you an expert on children'- and neither does being a teacher, either, whatever you might think- However, one thing I believe just about everyone who has children would agree on is that your life perspective is never the same again once you have your own children. It just isn't. I am suggesting that having your own children (and being involved in the 3 ring circus that is The Morning Run) one just might consider the implications of what you're imposing, a 6 week scooter ban in this case, to be a bit heavy handed. You might therefore draw on your immediate experience of what a kerfuffle you are imposing on that family, of the actual impact of that upon a probably normally well-behaved DC. And make it a week instead.

There is a reason why school staff are finding it increasing difficult to enforce rules on school grounds. Some parents think the rules do not apply to their child.

Scooters are banned on our playground too but children ride them, usually in rings around their parents, who turn a blind eye.

These are the same parents who park on the zigzag lines outside the school gates. Depsite being repeatedly asked not too.

How the child gets to and from school is not really relevant here. The fact that she broke the rule about riding the scooter on the playground is the only issue. And if it has to be a months ban in order to get the message across, then so be it.

If it causes inconvenience to the family, who is responsible for that? The teacher who enforced the rule, or the child that broke the rule? Helping children to learn to accept responsibility for their own actions is a really valuable lesson.

This particular teacher doesn't have children

I think the issue at stake here is WHY does it HAVE to be 'a month's ban' to 'get the message across'?

a) It's not a month's ban, it's the rest of the half term
b) it seems that this punishment wasn't pre-determined- the DC's were told that the penalty was missing the following day's break.
c)The arbitrary nature and scale of such imposed punishments might explain in part why schools 'find it difficult to impose rules on school grounds'!