wetwang

Interesting headlines in this months French Newspaper.

A British woman has sold up and gone back to UK because her child was smacked by a teacher at school. There is now a campaign to ban all smacking in French schools.
This has been the case in UK for years now with, I believe, negative results.

I have witnessed the kicking of a bully in a french playground , on the same leg that the bully kicked his victim, by the on-duty teacher in full view of all the waiting parents at the school gate. The parent was then called forward by the teacher who ordered the bully and the parent to apologise to the victim, to the scarcely concealed delight of the other mothers.

Any do-gooders, psychologists, Christians, Liberals, etc. out there who think the teacher was wrong?
Any Right wingers, Colonel Blimps, 'Didn't do me any harm' Paedophobes, Daily Mail readers etc think the teacher was right?

Anybody who ticks 'none of the above' have a view?

Ka Ora!

What did the child do to deserve being smacked? I have no issue with sensible discipline, But I draw the line at third parties thinking they have the right to discipline a child in the fashion. If some one did that to my children at school, I would return the gesture.

le plumber

My wife is a teacher, and she teaches to the ages of 15 -20 year olds - the naughty ones. She says that as much as she usually gets on with most of her students it's their parents who are the nightmare. She gets letters from parents complaining about detention, and bad marks etc and when they are called for a meeting some can get quite threatening. Shes been in teaching a while and takes it all in her stride, but younger, less experienced teachers can feel 'overpowered' by both students and parents.
I'd swing for some of them if I had half the chance so I don't really see the problem. I prefer it like that than in the UK - over there you can't even put suncream on a 5 year old whos sat in the sun without being accused of assault. You smile at a kid and everyone thinks you're a paedophile.

Swings and roundabouts.......

wetwang

Its unclear what the child did or how it was smacked. Because 'The child wasn't concentrating' quoted the mother. The headmaster defended the smack saying that teachers should have a right to defend themselves. The child was only 3 in a nursery attached to a primary school where smacking is the norm so it sound a bit extreme.
It also seems extreme to return to UK because of it.
The French mothers seemed indifferent to the news when the Brit started making a fuss.

White-ishRose

when did two wrongs ever make a right? I have no problem with sensible discipline, and children should grow up to know what is right and what is wrong. I also have no problem with parents forcefully disciplining their children, but I am not sure that a teacher should ever kick a child. I have heard so many stories of French teachers smacking very young children - it seems to be the norm.

I also know of several instances where parents are called into school for a meeting between a, say, 5 year old who was daydreaming in class. The child had to apologise to the teacher for not concentrating. If you can't let your mind wander, explore and imagine at 5 years old, then when?

French children are taught, and indeed the whole society seems to revolve around conformity. Rebellion and individual thought is stamped out - where is the freedom in that? They all dress the same, eat the same, do the same. Have you ever seen a French punk, for example?

wetwang

not a punk, but hundreds of EMOs and Goths

dennerlymum

As a primary school teacher in the uk, I have never ever found the need to smack a child; good discipline started from day one meant that by the end of week 2 I barely needed to raise my voice!! (I have to add I taught 3-7 yr olds - not generally difficult in terms of behaviour; thought occasionally challenging)
I have to agree with the plumber thought that it wasn't the kids but the parents that were awful; I once had a parent that lost it completely in a classroom when I was alone with me; I was backed up to a wall as they screamed at me literally millimetres from my face: I was terrified and needless to say I never spoke to that parent again without a third party in the room!

I would not particularly have a problem with a child of mine being smacked if I felt that they merited it.. what would merit it I am not sure.... I did complain when my daughter got detention last year for not having a book 2X and then on a joint project, which she had done most of, not bing able to hand in the project as the other child kept forgetting to bring their part in! I felt that as they had failed to control the bad behaviour that was ongoing in the class all term, that this was stupid!

analyst

My daughter did 1 year of her UK law degree studying French Law at Univ of Bordeaux. She was astounded at the expectation (insistence) of conformity of the student's work.

The French students are more-or-less told that their essays must be structured only on the lecturer's material - what we would call 'regurgitation' in UK, for which our students would be severely criticised. They absolutely must comply with this (we will tell you how you must think - but actually, don't think, just repeat).

On the other hand, UK students are expected to show analysis, evaluation, synthesis and extensive research of other sources - an absolute no-no in the French education system.

I have to say I found this quite an eye-opener and certainly not what I might have expected.
Yes, subservient conformity is how I'd describe it.

Ka Ora!

It should be documented why a smack was necessary. I disagree with smacking a 3 year old in a maternelle. If it's the norm there, then the Government inspectors need to go through the school assessing things because it could be the teaching attitude that is causing the need to smack in the first place.

It all sounds a bit fishy, Legging it back to the UK over one smack seems like a bit of an overreaction unless there is a bit more to it. Here in the back end we still have 3 Maternelle's we could send our youngest too. So if you don't like one you go else where.