This school is a private one though, so the WA Ed Dept are not involved.

Yup, but my advice NOT to let your kids go out and play in uniform after school stands...

Thought anyone who removed their child from education had to explain....

I wasn't talking about the uniform Eddie, just the involvement of Ed Dept. BTW, when we left the local school, we didn't have to fill out any form.

My son who goes to a state school came home the other day telling me that "x" is coming back to school today after being expelled for 10 days. Now the boy expelled I have known since Grade 1 and was a nice little boy but does have issues (he is now Grade 7), but apparently he flipped out down on the oval and kicked a little boy in the back, seriously hurting him (but not breaking anything, just really bad bruising).

So the school made "X"

1) Apologise

2) Suspended him for 10 days

3) He came back 7 days before the end of term but was banned from outside play and had to stay in the library during breaks until the end of term.

4) Had one on one tuition and was banned from the classroom until the end of break.

5) The school had a whole school assembly and bullying was discussed and why it is not appropriate

Now as I said I know the culprit and his parents and I was shocked to hear that it had happened, but good on the school and good on the fact that it has been dealt with in such a way that "X" knows the thing he did was so wrong.

I only wish your son had received such treatment, I can understand you not wanting to change schools but in the long run it might be in your sons interest as at the moment your school are really falling short in their "duty of care" to the victim. Best wishes....

If you are enrolling a student in another school straight away you don`t have to contact the DET but if you intend to home school (as suggested by Eddie)then you have to inform the DET and register for home schooling.
Personally I`d be wanting to know why the conversations with counsellors have not been kept confidential - that is another issue I`d definately be pushing with the school. I`d also be asking them in writing what their punishment entails, how many kids have been punished and for what reasons - i.e if a student swears at a teacher how is he punished, if he doesn`t wear uniform correctly - that then gives you an idea of a sliding scale. Then if a student has been suspended for the same amount of days for swearing at a teacher as they had for breaking your sons arm (physical assault is much more serious surely) you again have armed yourself with a bit more info and insight to at least push your point.
The problem is that stuff like this can wear you down enough for you to decide it`s easier just to give up (probably what the school is hoping for), it can put a lot of strain on you and family, hope you at least get some satisfaction to make it worth it.

That's one of several disturbing things that Jules has reported about this school.

The more she tells us about this school the more definite I'd be about taking my child out of it. Tough on the child short term but long term satisfaction is far more important.

And another thing - tell the school to stop trying to pressure you and your son into dropping charges, tell them it is not up for discussion as the friendship ended the day your sons arm was broken and the boy has shown no remorse. The sad thing is that if the kids and his parents had approached you and shown remorse or the parents had been seen to punish the kid, you would have had no inclination to take it as far as it`s gone.

Hi GJ,

My OH made it VERY clear in Friday's conversation with the Pricipal that we were disgusted with their attitude of making us feel guilty about our decision to take things further and we would in NO WAY be held responsible for any further reprocussions to any pupils from this event.

Some of the things the counsellor let 'slip' were designed to shock us into shutting up, I believe. What is the worst possible thing you could imagine the perpetrator saying to a counsellor to alleviate the blame? You can probably guess what he said to her......

My son was really worried about one of his close friends in the group who he believes is self harming. We had a long chat with him on Thursday about who to speak to and how to approach it. It waited for the school counsellor before school on Friday morning. He explained his concerns and how worried he was and the counsellor promised she woudl speak with her before the end of the day.

As my son was leaving the school, the counsellor told him that she was sorry, but she didn't have a chance to speak with the girl concerned as she 'ran out of time' (again was this out fault as our situation took up too much of her time on that day?)

We offered the chance to sit round the table with the boys parents several times last week; each time, this offer was rejected with them choosing to 'see what happens with the Police'

I`m just sitting here shaking my head mate, my daughter goes to state school and is doing well but I`d always thought the big attraction to me of going private is that the they have more teeth where discipline is concerned. I guess it all comes down to whether they choose to use those teeth.

I know - it's just beyond words, isn't it?

If anything, they appear more lilly-livered than the state schools; perhaps there are too many people that hold the purse strings to worry about offending??? who knows!

So the Counsellor is either incompetent or overworked. If it's the former she should be fired, if it's the latter then the school should be finding out why. What's she doing if she can't deal with two children in one day? Especially if one is thought to be self harming? The woman is obviously incompetent. It beggars belief. Does she sleep at night?

I don't think it helps the situation that she's got children at the school. How can she be 'impartial' and anonymous when my son's been round her house for a sleepover with his friend?

I've always been of the opinion that teachers should not work in the same school their children attend. That goes doubly for someone in her position. It's unfair on the child hearing other kids bitching about their parent and it's impossible for the parent to teach their child or child's best friend.

I would have thought it would be really hard for the children too.

Mind you - there's SO much nepetism at our school, it's a joke. Always the teacher's kids / teaching assistants / Class Carers kids that get picked out and sung the praises of in Assembly.

I'm not really selling this school, am I

Sad thing is, if you'd have asked me two months ago, I was really happy with the school as a parent. How quickly things change.