Official complaint against primary school teacher

eurokev

QuadaLumpins wrote:

Are you a primary school teacher kev?

No

My wife and a lot of friends are though. I hear a lot of stories about parents like yourself as a result.

I've also trained hundreds of youngsters, and encountered a few of said parents myself in this setting also.

QuadaLumpins

eurokev wrote: »

No

My wife and a lot of friends are though. I hear a lot of stories about parents like yourself as a result.

I've also trained hundreds of youngsters, and encountered a few of said parents myself in this setting also.

Ah now it makes sense

Just to clarify ... you are saying I shouldnt be making a complaint against a teacher who is blatantly bullying a child?? (Not just me saying this btw ... a few other parents are joining in the complaint).

Tommy Kelly

eurokev wrote: »

No

My wife and a lot of friends are though. I hear a lot of stories about parents like yourself as a result.

I've also trained hundreds of youngsters, and encountered a few of said parents myself in this setting also.

You don't even know what the complaint is and you're already taking sides and being a total knob about it too.

eurokev

QuadaLumpins wrote:

Just to clarify ... you are saying I shouldnt be making a complaint against a teacher who is blatantly bullying a child??

No, as you said you wouldn't discuss.

I assumed because you gave out 2 days ago about the lad not getting enough of a run in a blitz that that was the reason.

I've obviously assumed wrongly, but you haven't furnished any details so I can't comment.
If you want to post details for a fair discussion then work away

QuadaLumpins

eurokev wrote: »

No, as you said you wouldn't discuss.

I assumed because you gave out 2 days ago about the lad not getting enough of a run in a blitz that that was the reason.

I've obviously assumed wrongly, but you haven't furnished any details so I can't comment.
If you want to post details for a fair discussion then work away

Ok ... totally understood. Mistakes happen and it’s easy to be misunderstood based on a short post. I didn’t want to say too much as it’s a complicated situation and I’m just trying to do the right thing here. The last thing I want is anyone hurt or fired.

Miaireland

If it is impacting on your child's school attendance or you are concerned that they might not want to go to school because of the issue it might be worth contacting a School Welfare Officer for advice.

whelan2

QuadaLumpins wrote: »

Ah now it makes sense

Just to clarify ... you are saying I shouldnt be making a complaint against a teacher who is blatantly bullying a child?? (Not just me saying this btw ... a few other parents are joining in the complaint).

Do not under any circumstances mention other parents when making your complaint. You are dealing with your child only.

Aquals

Unfortunately QuadaLumpins there can often be a bit of a “boy who cried wolf” scenario in many schools. Because a minority of parents will complain to the school and teachers when there is absolutely no need to, others that have genuine complaints might not be taken as seriously as you’d like to be. It looks like that’s what’s happened here in this thread anyway!

You’d be surprised at how much of a teachers time is taken up by silly complaints from parents!

RealJohn

QuadaLumpins wrote: »

Just to clarify ... you are saying I shouldnt be making a complaint against a teacher who is blatantly bullying a child?? (Not just me saying this btw ... a few other parents are joining in the complaint).

It's highly unlikely a teacher is bullying a child. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Far more likely is that the child is disruptive on a regular basis, and that the teacher has attempted to deal with this themselves, in a way the child doesn't like. Some of the other children are siding with the child, which could be for various reasons but it's usually as simple as backing your own peer group over the teacher when it comes down to it.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that the teacher definitely isn't bullying the child, but ask yourself why would they? We, as teachers, have more than enough on our plates without singling students out for unfair treatment for no reason. The child who you're alleging is being bullied is very likely provoking a response from the teacher. Whether that response is appropriate or not is something I don't know without specifics. It's possible it's not, but that doesn't make it bullying.

In fact, if a bunch of students and their parents (most of whom have nothing to do with the alleged bullying, based on what you're saying) are banding together to make a complaint, and saying that the child is doing nothing wrong, you might want to question who is bullying whom.

Like I said, it's possible that the teacher is bullying your child. I won't tell you that it doesn't happen, but it's a tiny proportion of the time. Children throw the word "bullying" around for everything these days though. I would suggest you proceed very careful with any complaint you make against a teacher. Quite aside from the damage it can do to the teacher, it's damaging to your child if they start believing you'll back them and their behaviour not matter what the circumstances.

Sheep breeder

RealJohn wrote: »

It's highly unlikely a teacher is bullying a child. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Far more likely is that the child is disruptive on a regular basis, and that the teacher has attempted to deal with this themselves, in a way the child doesn't like. Some of the other children are siding with the child, which could be for various reasons but it's usually as simple as backing your own peer group over the teacher when it comes down to it.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that the teacher definitely isn't bullying the child, but ask yourself why would they? We, as teachers, have more than enough on our plates without singling students out for unfair treatment for no reason. The child who you're alleging is being bullied is very likely provoking a response from the teacher. Whether that response is appropriate or not is something I don't know without specifics. It's possible it's not, but that doesn't make it bullying.

In fact, if a bunch of students and their parents (most of whom have nothing to do with the alleged bullying, based on what you're saying) are banding together to make a complaint, and saying that the child is doing nothing wrong, you might want to question who is bullying whom.

Like I said, it's possible that the teacher is bullying your child. I won't tell you that it doesn't happen, but it's a tiny proportion of the time. Children throw the word "bullying" around for everything these days though. I would suggest you proceed very careful with any complaint you make against a teacher. Quite aside from the damage it can do to the teacher, it's damaging to your child if they start believing you'll back them and their behaviour not matter what the circumstances.

Agree with what your saying, but a lot of problems start with poor teachers and their attitude to kids, a couple of years back we had a problem with a boy in class bullying the girls splitting and biting etc and the teacher was doing nothing due to the child’s mother was a yummy mummy and deemed important for fund raising and took a while to sort. Two years later had the young teacher who spent much of the time in makeup mode and coppers and phone in class was not teaching and kids getting bored and hating school. A lot is down to talking to the principal.

Pawwed Rig

RealJohn wrote: »

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that the teacher definitely isn't bullying the child, but ask yourself why would they? We, as teachers, have more than enough on our plates without singling students out for unfair treatment for no reason. The child who you're alleging is being bullied is very likely provoking a response from the teacher. Whether that response is appropriate or not is something I don't know without specifics. It's possible it's not, but that doesn't make it bullying.

Going back to my own school days there were a number of the teachers in my school who were bullies. Ask yourself why would they? Some people are vindictive that is why. I would hope it has changed over the years but there will always be bad eggs.

KikiLaRue

RealJohn wrote: »

It's highly unlikely a teacher is bullying a child. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Far more likely is that the child is disruptive on a regular basis, and that the teacher has attempted to deal with this themselves, in a way the child doesn't like. Some of the other children are siding with the child, which could be for various reasons but it's usually as simple as backing your own peer group over the teacher when it comes down to it.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that the teacher definitely isn't bullying the child, but ask yourself why would they? We, as teachers, have more than enough on our plates without singling students out for unfair treatment for no reason. The child who you're alleging is being bullied is very likely provoking a response from the teacher. Whether that response is appropriate or not is something I don't know without specifics. It's possible it's not, but that doesn't make it bullying.

In fact, if a bunch of students and their parents (most of whom have nothing to do with the alleged bullying, based on what you're saying) are banding together to make a complaint, and saying that the child is doing nothing wrong, you might want to question who is bullying whom.

Like I said, it's possible that the teacher is bullying your child. I won't tell you that it doesn't happen, but it's a tiny proportion of the time. Children throw the word "bullying" around for everything these days though. I would suggest you proceed very careful with any complaint you make against a teacher. Quite aside from the damage it can do to the teacher, it's damaging to your child if they start believing you'll back them and their behaviour not matter what the circumstances.

This is BS. There are plenty of teachers out there with serious issues who take them out on kids they teach. It happened me in fifth class and was so bad that when I found out I was to have that teacher again for sixth class I knew I couldn’t do another year of it.

With no other primary schools in the area, I ended up skipping sixth and going straight to secondary (lucky I was smart enough to do that) Never had an issue with any other teacher and I totally resent the assumption that the problem was more likely me than her.

You don’t know anything about what goes on in any classroom outside of your own.

It’s very apparent from the posters here that they are more concerned about the teacher than the child. What if the child felt they couldn’t cope and started self-harming? Why all this concern for the grown adult and no similar concerns expressed for the student?

evolving_doors

God I love these threads.

Nobody except the OP knows nothing, and even then the OP's version probably isn't the full story.

Just ask the school for the complaints procedure OP and away ya go.

Usually it's up the chain.
Teacher
Principal
BOM

unless it's serious child protection then it's designated person in the school (usually principal), or ring Tusla

RealJohn

KikiLaRue wrote: »

You don’t know anything about what goes on in any classroom outside of your own.

It’s very apparent from the posters here that they are more concerned about the teacher than the child. What if the child felt they couldn’t cope and started self-harming? Why all this concern for the grown adult and no similar concerns expressed for the student?

You actually get to know a lot about what goes on in classrooms outside of your own, because time and again, when teachers actually talk about individual incidents, you see similarities with incidents you actually have witnessed, and get to realise it's not just you.

I'm more concerned about the teacher, because I've been teaching a pretty long time, and I know what students and parents are like. Like I said, "bullying" is a term students throw around very easily, and they rarely use it correctly. Students have told me I'm bullying them so many times I've lost count. Mostly, it's things like I asked them to take their coat off (like everyone else) or to open their book (imagine that), or because I had to raise my voice because they ignored me the two times I asked them to do something without raising my voice.
Occasionally, they were more serious about it, thinking that I actually did have a personal problem with them, and was going out of my way to single them out. It's never been the truth though, even if they thought it was, which is why I'm inclined to side with the teacher.

I said that it's possible that the teacher is bullying the child. I didn't say it never happens. I'm not saying it didn't happen to you, nor that it isn't happening to the OP's kid.
Students are very poor judges of a lot of things though. They're children, and doubly so in the case of primary school students. There might be bullying going on, but it's far more likely that there isn't, in my experience. Without knowing the specifics, nobody here can know. My experience tells me that it's unlikely that the teacher is bullying the student though.

KikiLaRue

RealJohn wrote: »

You actually get to know a lot about what goes on in classrooms outside of your own, because time and again, when teachers actually talk about individual incidents, you see similarities with incidents you actually have witnessed, and get to realise it's not just you.

I'm more concerned about the teacher, because I've been teaching a pretty long time, and I know what students and parents are like. Like I said, "bullying" is a term students throw around very easily, and they rarely use it correctly. Students have told me I'm bullying them so many times I've lost count. Mostly, it's things like I asked them to take their coat off (like everyone else) or to open their book (imagine that), or because I had to raise my voice because they ignored me the two times I asked them to do something without raising my voice.
Occasionally, they were more serious about it, thinking that I actually did have a personal problem with them, and was going out of my way to single them out. It's never been the truth though, even if they thought it was, which is why I'm inclined to side with the teacher.

I said that it's possible that the teacher is bullying the child. I didn't say it never happens. I'm not saying it didn't happen to you, nor that it isn't happening to the OP's kid.
Students are very poor judges of a lot of things though. They're children, and doubly so in the case of primary school students. There might be bullying going on, but it's far more likely that there isn't, in my experience. Without knowing the specifics, nobody here can know. My experience tells me that it's unlikely that the teacher is bullying the student though.

This is such a load of BS. Teachers stick together in all things, even when they have almost no details on the actual scenario as is the case here.

Complain about helicopter parents, discredit the kids, justify your own aggressive behaviour away and still assume you’re in the right. It’s actually frightening how cocksure of yourself you are.

Oh “your experience” tells you this parent is wrong. My experience is that a lot of teachers love a good power trip.

In any other work environment an accusation of bullying would be taken extremely seriously, particularly where a child is involved. But teachers’ performance isn’t managed like any other sector - an inspection maybe once a year where you put the fear of god into the kids and that’s it.

There are a lot of bad teachers out there. “My experience” is that they are the ones who never actually wanted to be teachers, who went down that route for the pension and the perks rather than any actual desire to teach.

There are plenty of them out there and you’re delusional if you think otherwise based on your own limited and extremely biased experience.

RealJohn

A lot of personal attacks there Kiki. Want to have a think about that post again?
I wonder if I was a doctor, talking about my experience, would you be so dismissive of it.

KikiLaRue

RealJohn wrote: »

A lot of personal attacks there Kiki. Want to have a think about that post again?
I wonder if I was a doctor, talking about my experience, would you be so dismissive of it.

If a child made an accusation that a doctor treated him or her badly, I would take it extremely seriously.

No, I stand by my post- but there is a report function if you would like to let a Mod decide.

spurious

On a mobile so without my superpowers, but let's remember what forum we are in.

I think the OP's question has been answered a few times now. There are other forums where venting about teachers is more appropriate. Thanks.

micks_address

Allegations made against teachers are taken very seriously. Child protection rules mean they have to be properly documented and presented to the schools board or management.

I guess it will all depend on the school. If you have talked to the principal and said you are looking to make an allegation against a teacher then I'd be very surprised if they fobbed you off.

KikiLaRue

spurious wrote: »

On a mobile so without my superpowers, but let's remember what forum we are in.

I think the OP's question has been answered a few times now. There are other forums where venting about teachers is more appropriate. Thanks.

Of course. God forbid a teacher's attitude or actions should ever be questioned.

No need to come back with a ban spurious, I'm out.

spurious

And there we will leave it.
Thread closed.