dotty

I am currently looking after my friends lovely little child while she is in Hospital. Yesterday I pick him up from school to find him, red sweating, obviously been crying. Seems straight after lunch which is about an hour they had PE. Which means basically 2.5 hours out in the sun straight, newish school, basically no shade areas. Anyway it seems hes told the teacher hes just to hot to keep on playing tiggy and refused to play anymore. According to 3 witnesses to this shes stuck her face about 6 inches from his and shouted, get up keep moving, about 3 times.

Horrified, I bail up the teacher this morning, and ask what on earth is going on, she starts shouting at Me!! that its hot 32 degrees her job is stressful, school cant afford shade areas, kids should do as they are told. (Despite being on the verge of collapse it seems). Kids own fault he had no water, (despite fact he had water bottle I find out they are not allowed to take them as it encourages magpies).

Frankly I feel like making a big stink to the school, I mean I know its hot here in summer everywhere not just here, I am not some picky mum, my problem is why are chiildren (aged 6) still being made to be in the sun for such a long period in the middle of the day. The teachers attitude frankly is appaling, no concern for anyone except herself. I cant believe this sort of cra* is still going on with sun cancer education and all. Surely teachers cant carry on screaming at kids these days??

I guess I am just letting off steam, but heat here is a real issue for kids, everywhere in summer in OZ. Is this practice going on everywhere?? Get up and keep moving in 32 degrees seems barbaric to me. I'm so mad I feel like ringing the school. Any mums out there have any feelings on this, like would you be angry?

Jirrupin

Well I am not a mother but I think the school should be aware of both the situation where children are in the sun for too long and also the stress it is placing upon the teacher.

I would phone and put it in writing, from your experience it would seem that this is situation could get much worse, you only need to have a child collapse and they would be in more trouble.

The school should review its policy on drinks and time spent in the sun, I am learning that magpies are a problem. (not another one )maybe children should be allowd to enter the premises every 15/20 mins and get a drink and cool off for a few mins.

Teachers shouting in the face of a small child would be in my books need to be challenged, if she/he is unable to maintain composure they can easily step over the line and hit a child.

I have seen it more than once. You can give them time now to put in preventative measures.

HiddenPaw

How awful. I can't believe that a country with one of the highest skin cancer rates and a melanoma clinic on every corner would allow or even promote that kind of irresponsible behaviour.

Did they even provide sun cream for him? or are parents advised to bring their own. Do they tell kids to bring hats for outdoor PE? Regardless, if a kid has neither sun cream, water or a hat or is in distress from the sun he should be allowed some relief from it.

I think the teacher is highly irresponsible and agree with Jirrupin that a formal complaint should be made. Because otherwise if the teacher continues to subject kids in her care to this kind of treatment, it could have serious repurcussions on someone's health.

Good luck Dotty, I think you're right not to just turn a blind eye to this.

HP

aussie bloke

this should not be a problem,

it is a rule at my kids primary school of
No hat = No Play, same with drink bottles.
you were right to pull this teacher up on this matter.
by-pass her and go to headmaster to complain.

DianeOZ

Too Right, I would be doing my nut and asking for a formal apology from that bloody teacher. No way should she be shouting at a 6yr old like that. If she can't keep her cool in the heat how the heck are kids supposed to manage.

I assume they had hats on cos it's usually a no hat no play policy but after 2.5 hrs that is not enough, they need to cool off in the shade, and replenish their fluid loss.

Grrrrrrrrr.

Loopy

Too right, just hope the teacher wasn't acting on superior's instructions! No right whatsoever to shout in a child's face - lucky it wasn't some of the kids I've met , they'd have decked her!

I was shocked this week too, taking a child to T-ball practice (not my child). The coach was dealing with a couple of kids who'd been disruptive, ok they definetly needed telling off but he threatened to beat the cr*p out of them and offered them a fight, they were about 9! One of the mums got up and marched over, I thought she was going to lay into the coach, but she turned round and started yelling at the kids too!! Unbelievable!

Go Dotty, get it sorted!

Loopy

dotty

You know the more I think about this (trying to take my time and calm down before reporting it) the more disgusted I am.

What on earth gives a teacher the right to terrify a small child by screaming or shouting into his face!! Let alone push a child beyond physical comfort levels, into a dangerous situation. I am still finding it hard to believe this has gone on.

As for sunblock, schools dont provide it, parents or carers in my case put it on before school, however no sunblock is effective for more than 2-4 hours so by the time they get out into the sun its worn off. Broad brim hats are compulsory thank goodness.

Speaking to a few friends this morning it seems this particular teacher is one of the schools 3 screamers, little if anything seems to be being done despite heaps of parents being aware and complaining about it. So does this mean its allowed?? I am all for discipline of children but screaming into faces seems more like abuse to me.

Even more worrying was this teacher said she was going to "talk" to the little fellow about yesterday, when I asked if I could be present she said NO.

Jirrupin

I think your experience raises several different issues, the school i assume it is public, hould have policies to deal with situations like this. They should ensure they are catering for the health and well being of staff and children. It may be that this teacher was also dehydrated and this can obviously affect the way you function. I think the head is the first port of call now you have tried to speak to the tecaher in question. If you do not receive any joy look to the Board of govenors, or even the social services.

I understand that the Social sevices aren't as active over here and that they do not have the degree of intervention we have in UK. although the childcare law over here is very similar . Therefore this activity of screaming at children may be accepted at the moment but that does not make it right and i believe it needs to be challenged.

I think challenging can be done in a helpful way, does the school have a school nurse who can advise of health policies, etc for teachers and children. health and safety at work and all that.

From experience when your angry it can be difficult to get the point across, especially when people do not want to hear or understand.

If the school has three screamers maybe it doesn't see a problem with this kind of behaviour, or maybe it is a sign that tecahers are under pressure and that this isn't being acknowledged by the head.

Do they have a parent/teacher body maybe this is another way in to create change via other parents.

MrsDagboy

Dotty, I would be livid, bypass the teacher & go straight to the principal. No child should be[list=a.][*]forced to participate in an activity that makes them feel uncomfortable or puts them in physical distress or danger
[*]denied access to water or shade at any time regardless of whether its 32 degrees or not[/list=a]

That is child abuse.

WheelsOfSteel

Take it to the top. Don't waste your time on the monkey, talk to the organ grinder!!!

dotty

Thanks guys, I really wanted to give myself a couple of hours to make sure I was being rational about all this, and the more I have thought the more I know its wrong. The fact that everybody here has been so supportive and quite clearly in agreement has helped too, I honestly was quite shocked at the whole affair. How that teacher has the qualificatons to work in a school is beyond me, academic maybe, but human skills no way on earth.

I have rang the school and asked to see the principal, who it seems cannot see me till Friday afternoon. The kids have sport again tomorrow, I have decided to just be popping by right on sports time and see exactly whats going on. Anyway I'll post back when I hear what the school says. Thanks again.

jockney

Hi,Good idea,watch sports and take a video camera in case they close ranks on you.If it was my daughter,well,lets say I would be glad I`ve finished with my police reports for visa purpose.I hate bully`s,and think I may have over reacted in that situation.Dont let her get away with it this women sounds dangerous!!

debsy

Go on Dotty - go and give them what for!

How awful, we spend all of our time telling our chiildren the importance of drinking lots of fluid in the heat and using the correct sun protection and then some idiot goes and treats them like this.

Out of order!!!

suz

Lets just hope this is just a one off incident, so many times you go in to see the schools about one thing or another and they smile and say yes we will do all we can then blow me down its happening again the following week. Regarding the shade thing, the same in our little primary school, but the PTA got together this year and raised enough funds to build a pergola type thingy, mind you it took allot of events and one of the parents who just happens to be a builder for this to happen, surely over there you would think a shady area top of the list????

Go for it Dotty
Suz

mr mover

Dotty you are a serial Sh**t stirrer, is this another of your Knock the aussie life posts , every story has two sides , i would like to hear the teachers side , some kids know how to milk the system even at an early age............... MM