problems in sec school? what to do.

lynski

I am not sure if this is the right place to go, but here goes. My niece is in 6th yr now and the school she is in seem hell-bent on alienating her.
LAst yr she was given warnings about spending too much time with her bf, break and lunch time only, but the fact they spent all breaks together was the problem. not PDAs or behavior or anything, just they should not spend all their breaks together. They were both given warnings and threatened with suspension for this.
She has had her shoes, which meet requirements, but are not a specific brand questioned. that is just 2 of the petty incidents that have occurred, but it is a daily thing. she is alone in her friends receiving this treatment, even though they are no different from her.
they have acknowledged that there is no discipline or behavior problem with her, but seem to want to break her over small things. my sis is at her wits end. her dad travelled 50 miles for a meeting last yr to no avail.
meanwhile, there are children without uniforms or books, never mind the right brand of shoes who come and go as they please, seemingly without punishment. there have been incidents of children threatening to stab teachers and those pupils are still in school.
is there a mediation service for sec schools or an approach that has worked for someone else? she is talking about changing schools

Nevyn

Have you spoken to her year head, the prinicpal and then the parents rep on the board of management?

deisemum

The National Parents Council Post Primary may be able to give you advice. I know from personal experience the primary school section were very helpful and told me that roughly 50% of people contacting them had complaints about teachers bullying pupils.

gaeilgegrinds1

God this is awful, I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm a teacher and even though my own experience at second level was largely positive I had one teacher in particular who treated me terribly. I'd start logging down incidents and go into the principal. Best of luck

cynder

Not sure what the situation is regarding secondary schools, but in primary school if you have an issue, you have to follow a course of action.


1st, speak with the person/teacher your child is having an issue with

2nd, speak with the principle, write a letter so everything is documented, they by rights they should also document everything.

3rd, if unresolved speak with the b.o.m. (board of management) 'i think you have to request this in writing'


4th, then if all fails speak to dept of education.


Speak with the principle and ask for a copy of the schools complaints procedure.


If they have a website look up complaints procedure on that.

best of luck.


Your niece should document everything - time, by whom, where, also any witnesses and what it was about (shoes, spending too much time with BF etc). Everything needs to be on paper. if its really bad give her a dictaphone so she can secretly record whats said to her. She should also remain respectful to teacher/s in question. You don't want to give them any ammunition. Thats if she wants to follow through with making a complaint, if not let her move school.


* Been there done that with our ladys primary school. It worked.

lynski

thanks will pass on to sis.

deisemum

Don't waste time with the Dept. of Education, they'll only refer her back to the BOM as the BOM are the employers.

byhookorbycrook

I would be careful with secretly recording, it is illegal and may cause a valid case to be thrown out.

spurious

Who are 'they'? Is it a year head, tutor, head of department?
Is every staff member in the place targetting her?

• Keep a written record of everything that is happening, including the name of the staff member involved.
• Under no circumstances secretly record anyone - that will bring you a whole load of trouble.
  
• Get the school's anti-bullying code, code of behaviour, health and safety statements and any other relevant documents.
  
• Make an appointment to see the Principal, armed with all your evidence.
• Bring a friend with you as a witness to what is said.
• The minute you get any impression that the Principal is not taking you or the treatment of your daughter seriously, ask that the meeting be finished and request a meeting with the BOM/local sub committee.

It would help (procedure-wise) if you could state what sort of school it is. Is it under the auspices of a VEC or the Department?

lynski

it is a VEC, ad it was the year head last yr, and the principal backed her. it is the new principal this year.
She has broken some rules - shoes wrong brand (too expensive), own jacket not uniform one but she has never had a uniform one and sis does not want to shell out about 50e for something for 6mths that has never caused a prob before.
The biggest issue is that there are people what far worse attitudes and disciple problems who seem to be getting away with it (no detention/suspension/expulsion) and they are pushing a good quiet kid to leaving the school.
I will suggest to sis she call and ask for copies of all the above, and have another meeting with the teachers before the go visiting other schools.
Hate seeing her upset.
Thanks for all the comments.

Qualitymark

lynski wrote: »

She has broken some rules - shoes wrong brand (too expensive), own jacket not uniform one but she has never had a uniform one and sis does not want to shell out about 50e for something for 6mths that has never caused a prob before.

Extraordinary. In a school that is supposed to be 'drawing out' the inherent talents of a child. And what they're worried about is this kind of nonsense.

If her academic work is satisfactory and her behaviour is polite and helpful, I can't see what on earth they're worried about.

FlashGordon1969

Are you sure the information you have provided here is the full information? I am a teacher and if I have learnt anything its that parents ,pupils and teachers are capable of spinning. Rules should be followed by all pupils thats true but the excuse that everyone is doing it is rarely true and secondly a rule is a rule-it either makes sense or it doesn't . Try the everyone is doing it with the cops-they love that one.:rolleyes:

Follow procedures that Parents council will provide but I really really doubt they are pushing a generally obedient child out unless there is more to it or they are just making her toe the line and the expulsion threat is exaggerated by somebody. Amazing how many posters here take every question like this at full face value. Naive.

cynder

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I would be careful with secretly recording, it is illegal and may cause a valid case to be thrown out.

she could openly record whats being said to her.

also didnt those kids in england film the teacher beating the pupil. that was used as evidence, its not a criminal case so i dont see whats wrong with it.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20050410/ai_n13594993/?tag=content;col1




If all fails contact these guys they are good, only the mention of the name and the school crumbled. they focus on schools, discrimination and bullying and a few other areas, they are based in cork, beware they cost over 200 euro an hour. Frst phone consultation with us was free.

http://www.cantillons.com/education_law.asp

lynski

thanks for the replies. i have spoken to sis and for now they are going to play by the rules, and hopefully see the year out.
seems the new head decided to go gunghu with all the rules that the previous head had let slide, no warnings, just straight to enforcement. add this to the bad feeling from last term, where she and her boyfriend were singled out for special attention from her year head, and she was feeling put-upon and victimised.
I thought that sixth yeas would be more or less left alone if they were behaving themselves, but it seems he is determined to treat them as children.

FlashGordon1969: love to hear your opinion on this - have you ever heard of an instance where a teacher has a problem with an exclusive relationship, the fact the 2 children were spending all their breaks together. the teacher said they would have a problem regardless of gender or relationship, but admitted that noone else had been called on it and there was nothing in the rule book, it was more a general policy for children to mix. she went on some course to do with teen suicide and my sis thinks this is where it came from. she called both children in 3 times last year, and parents twice.

spurious

I am absolutely astonished that a VEC school is insisting on a particular brand of shoe. That's the sort of nonsense goes on in convent schools.

Tell them you can't afford them. They are obliged to help you out.

Has the school recently been taken over by the VEC? Was it under the nuns before?