Wendy

I prefer it too. I was horrified when they told me what she had been up to

My son was the one that always got bullied at primary school - mostly because of his excema (he's 18 now).

His excema seemed to clear up when we moved here, and he hasn't been bullied since we got here thank goodness, but I know how much it affected him when it was happening. We never got anywhere with the teachers either, it's very frustrating.

HelenTD

Interesting that you mention eczema. A couple of weeks before our UK trip this year, our youngest started a rash on his legs. The GP didn't know what it was, prescribed a couple of ointments, off we go to London. The day after we got there, he started developing a rash which spread to his whole body. We didn't know the cause, but a consultant there thought it was due to the antibiotic ointment. Travelling with a bag full of lotions and potions, it cleared up on holiday. Back to school in Perth, he had a supply teacher for 2 weeks, then The Teacher From Hell returned - and so did my son's eczema. I found out that another boy in the class had his psoriasis flare-up. Thankfully this teacher is away this term, so the eczema has gone too. BTW, this teacher has been bullying my child this year.

Wendy

Stress is something that makes my lads excema worse, the other seems to be cold. Seems that your youngest may have the same problem with the stress related rashes?

I hope you manage to get something done about the teacher. That's a lot worse than a kid doing the bullying!! Makes me mad.

HelenTD

It's definitely stress related! I'm working on the teacher issue, the man just shouldn't be working with kids. If a school has a culture of bullying, it can be much more than kid-kid bullying. I've also seen teacher-parent bullying (not the other way around), plus parent-parent (the delights of P&C meetings). The principal just lets it all happen, but then he bullies parents and kids too.

IndieG

This is so disturbing

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/te...028-174xo.html

paddyo

Now see, I don't get this. To me, if the Principal has reprimanded her and informed you then to me thats the case closed. The 'offender' has been dealt with in a sensible manner and you as parent informed 'FYI'. Its closed, no need for the mother of the other child to say anything. That would get me riled if it happended to me! I would go for the other parent quite offensively, saying "Its been dealt with by the school, my daughter has been reprimanded and I have been made aware, no need for you to have a go at me, if you want to do so then bring it on sista, I come from Oop N;rth and I am street!!!". lol
Well, ok the last sentence was in jest, but seriously, leave it in school if the school manages it well. If its not managed well then try and sensibly resolve it between parents with both kids involved. Any earblasting sounds like over protectiveness and usually where I come from kicks it all off!! How many times in my childhood did I see families come to war because of their kids fighting, the parents wouldn't speak to each other for weeks but the kids would be playing together quite happily within days!!

GeordieGeek

Great thread.

We have 2 and 3 year old kids hear in the UK and are heading back over to Oz and Nz next April after travelling in both when we were carefree 5 years or so ago specifically to investigate whether emigrating might be an option.

Due to their ages we are thinking of longer term prospects say 10-20 years time which simply due to the amount of natural resources and farming that goes on in Oz would mean Oz would be able to be able to be much more self sufficient if the World's economy stagnates / is in a depression etc

We are not blinkered in terms of Oz being perfect compared to the UK as the UK great history and scenery but the weather does lend itself to more outdoor opportunities in my opinion which is important for our wishes for our kids.

Cape Blue

I am not sure that the policy is insane, in the past some people would head from school into agriculture and some into manufacturing, both of which required manual (unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled) workers, as these sectors automated and reduced in size the UK became more of a services economy and required graduates in IT, design and media.

Interesting article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11438140 - shows the UK has a lower graduation rate than the OECD average. Also shows many other countries have higher targets and that the recent Brown report is seemingly wanting more students in higher education (just wants them to pay for it themselves).

I find it sad that those in their 40's got free degree education in the UK but now do not want to pay the necessary taxes for the current generation to get the same - pulling up the drawbridge.

Seneca21

And older - anyone over 40 with a degree now should be given a special retro grad tax to help the younger gen. I'm sure they wouldn't be too keen on that, but fair's fair.