Dublin school expels 4 pupils for 'disparaging Facebook comments'

Helix

Dr.Strange wrote: »

But if it affects the working/learning relationship between colleagues or teachers/students, well then surely action must be taken by that body.

the teacher would be within their rights not to want them in their class im sure

Helix

Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

they should be brought before a court and charge with libel, sexual harressment or something

i agree

however they should not be expelled. its a case for the courts, not for the school to take their law into their own hands

Caseywhale

dark crystal wrote: »

Depends on what exactly was written, but online bullying shouldn't be tolerated either against students or teachers, imo.

Setting up a specific page to target these teachers was an especially stupid and malicious thing to do anyway.

Seems its OK on boards though. The stuff said about teachers that i've read on boards :eek:

uck51js9zml2yt

why are the parents appealing instead off making their kids take responsibility for their actions.
madness !

MagicSean

Helix wrote: »

i agree

however they should not be expelled. its a case for the courts, not for the school to take their law into their own hands

Of course its up to the school. They hace a responsibility to preserve a learning environment for the kids who aren't dickheads.

Reese Vast Bathhouse wrote: »

why are the parents appealing instead off making their kids take responsibility for their actions.
madness !

Because it has to be an adult I reckon

BattleCorp

MagicSean wrote: »

Of course its up to the school. They hace a responsibility to preserve a learning environment for the kids who aren't dickheads.

Not only that, but the School has a legal obligation to look after the Safety, Health and Welfare of their employees (the teachers).

titchy

Plus we arent talking about 'kids' here at 5th year they are all probably 17 coming up on 18 ...young adults not kids

PseudoFamous

I know students who were pretty much tortured in school, and that barely resulted in suspensions. I sincerely doubt that how these teachers were treated validated expulsion of four students.

Also, 40 other students were given detention for simply liking the page, which is outrageous. According to a friend of mine in Oatlands, the page in question was just "Oatlands College Memes", and so wasn't directly set up to slander the teachers, and this reaction is ridiculous for the situation.

Helix

MagicSean wrote: »

Of course its up to the school. They hace a responsibility to preserve a learning environment for the kids who aren't dickheads.

if they're dickheads in school, during school hours or while officially representing the school, then i agree

outside that, the school has absolutely no jurisdiction and it shouldve been taken up in the courts

Avatarr

but i wouldnt be stupid enough to turn it into a media frenzy by expelling the students - one of which is a TD's son. i'd stop and think about it.

I really dont think one of the students being a TD's son was a consideration, do you? nor should it have been. You cannot side step the issue, just because you fear media reporting. What message would that send to both bully's/non bully's within the school.

RachaelVO

MarkyTheLips wrote: »

Am I reading the article wrong? The school banning FB for under 13s is a different school from the one expelling the 4 pupils yeah?

The school banning FB is in Australia!

Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Not harsh enough, they should be brought before a court and charge with libel, sexual harressment or something...anything really as long as they get 6 months prison for it. That'll learn them.

Could still happen, the teachers are under no obligation to accept the punishment, the can still take a civil case out against them and their families. And who'd blame them.

I've seen a few people here saying "ah sure it's only on FB" and "we're all making too big a deal on Cyber Bullying" what a total crock of shite! Cyber bullying never really does go away, it's online technically forever even if the page is taken down. It not acceptable in ANY form, and why should these teachers be subject to that kind of abuse? In simple form, they shouldn't, you would be fired in the workplace for the exact same thing, expulsion is the real life equivalent.

I can understand their parents appealing the decision, and they will probably in all honesty win, but how can they expect the teachers in question to teach their little "angels" and retain the respect of other students, who now know what went on. The little fcukers should be sent to a reform school, that'll soon cool their ardour!

BattleCorp

PseudoFamous wrote: »

I know students who were pretty much tortured in school, and that barely resulted in suspensions. I sincerely doubt that how these teachers were treated validated expulsion of four students.

Also, 40 other students were given detention for simply liking the page, which is outrageous. According to a friend of mine in Oatlands, the page in question was just "Oatlands College Memes", and so wasn't directly set up to slander the teachers, and this reaction is ridiculous for the situation.

Don't forget that if I write sh1t about you on the internet, it's out there and usually can't be taken back. It can seriously damage your reputation whether it is true or not.

It can be bad enough gossiping or spreading rumours between schoolkids but when you put it on the internet, it becomes a whole new ball game.

Plus, as I have mentioned in an earlier post, the school had to do something to protect the teachers as they are legally obliged to do.

Also, I think it is irrelevant what the page was called or for what purpose it was set up for. The point is that it contained info that was harmful to the teachers and action had to be taken.

People don't seem to realise that the internet is a serious place, and there can be consequences for people putting sh1t up on it that shouldn't be put up there.

BattleCorp

Helix wrote: »

if they're dickheads in school, during school hours or while officially representing the school, then i agree

outside that, the school has absolutely no jurisdiction and it shouldve been taken up in the courts

I think if I was one of the kids involved, I would prefer that the school sorted it out and not the courts.

RachaelVO

BattleCorp wrote: »

I think if I was one of the kids involved, I would prefer that the school sorted it out and not the courts.

Agreed, but once they put their comments on a dedicated page on FB, they opened themselves and their families to legal action. It can still happen despite the action the school has taken, and that is going to be down to the teachers. So the families could face a choice, get the kids out of the school or we go legal, and it would be hard not to blame the teachers if they do decide to make that kind of ultimatum!

MagicSean

Helix wrote: »

if they're dickheads in school, during school hours or while officially representing the school, then i agree

outside that, the school has absolutely no jurisdiction and it shouldve been taken up in the courts

The internet is always on. It can be accessed anywhere anytime. So the comments could easily be viewed in school during school hours.

dMaN24

Reese Vast Bathhouse wrote: »

why are the parents appealing instead off making their kids take responsibility for their actions.
madness !

Take responsibility.. Ah... I've heard about that. Sometime back in the 80's i'd say.

When a teacher could fling a plastic bin at you, flick you over the ear or even... dare i say it... curse at you :eek: for not acting properly in class.

Kids these days don't need to take responsibility, nor do the parents.
For heaven's sake, that funding that goes into the school is there for the teachers to take the responsibility for your children.

Those poor poor 17 year old children that do no harm to anyone.

/sarcasm

stevedublin

on 98fm now.

AllyMcFearless

Completely right. Keyboard warriors are cowardly and deserve the punishment for bullying like that!

timewilltell

I hear through Twitter that 70 students werre suspended in Blackrock College today following a lunch time incident...

admiralofthefleet

what about when teachers (not students) bully a student?.
my fiance was systematically bullied by some teachers in presentation college terenure years ago because she is blind in one eye. in the end she had to transfer schools because of it

Mardy Bum

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

what about when teachers (not students) bully a student?.
my fiance was systematically bullied by some teachers in presentation college terenure years ago because she is blind in one eye. in the end she had to transfer schools because of it

Sue the teacher and have him/her banned from teaching. Easier said than done of course.

Notorious

I think that punishment is far too harsh. If it was a repeat offence, I may find it more acceptable. You rarely hear about bullies being expelled and by this I refer to people who physically bully in school. For young boys to post silly comments and to get expelled is ridiculous - regardless of how sexually fuelled the comments were. PC taken way too far IMO.

admiralofthefleet

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Sue the teacher and have him/her banned from teaching. Easier said than done of course.

her parents considered that but they would have been taking on the state and could have lost their house if they had lost the case

MarkyTheLips

RachaelVO wrote: »

MarkyTheLips wrote: »

Am I reading the article wrong? The school banning FB for under 13s is a different school from the one expelling the 4 pupils yeah?

The school banning FB is in Australia!

Battered Mars Bar wrote: »

Not harsh enough, they should be brought before a court and charge with libel, sexual harressment or something...anything really as long as they get 6 months prison for it. That'll learn them.

Could still happen, the teachers are under no obligation to accept the punishment, the can still take a civil case out against them and their families. And who'd blame them.

I've seen a few people here saying "ah sure it's only on FB" and "we're all making too big a deal on Cyber Bullying" what a total crock of shite! Cyber bullying never really does go away, it's online technically forever even if the page is taken down. It not acceptable in ANY form, and why should these teachers be subject to that kind of abuse? In simple form, they shouldn't, you would be fired in the workplace for the exact same thing, expulsion is the real life equivalent.

I can understand their parents appealing the decision, and they will probably in all honesty win, but how can they expect the teachers in question to teach their little "angels" and retain the respect of other students, who now know what went on. The little fcukers should be sent to a reform school, that'll soon cool their ardour!

thanks Rachael, was mainly rhetorical in response to Sunnydub1 but appreciate you taking the time to reply!

RachaelVO

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

what about when teachers (not students) bully a student?.
my fiance was systematically bullied by some teachers in presentation college terenure years ago because she is blind in one eye. in the end she had to transfer schools because of it

That's awful! I don't want to lessen the awfulness of it, but there was a time when you NEVER questioned anything anyone said! Doctors, Nurses, Priests, Teachers... and they were always considered impervious to criticism! I hope whoever those teachers was got what was coming to them!

I suppose now, they aren't as revered as they once were. I remember reading a few years ago that a girl was being bullied by her teacher, and rather than go straight to court, her parents kept a log dated, and in consecutive order, so it wasn't just "well she came home one day and..." they had it time stamped as it were. Teacher didn't just loose his/her job the got a criminal record!

RachaelVO

MarkyTheLips wrote: »

thanks Rachael, was mainly rhetorical in response to Sunnydub1 but appreciate you taking the time to reply!

Oops! Going a bit daft in my old age, thought you were actually asking a question... DOH

MarkyTheLips

RachaelVO wrote: »

MarkyTheLips wrote: »

thanks Rachael, was mainly rhetorical in response to Sunnydub1 but appreciate you taking the time to reply!

Oops! Going a bit daft in my old age, thought you were actually asking a question... DOH

I'll take half the blame for using a question mark :-P

lestat21

Helix wrote: »

absolutely not, but if it happens outside school in the students' own homes rather than on school computers, then it should become a legal matter pursued through proper channels rather than kicking the kids out of school

failing that, kids need to be made sign a contract with their parents when signing up for a school which outlines offenses that will be deemed punishable, even if taking place outside school, such as what we've seen in this case

If students were publishing abusive remarks or false demeaning sexual allegations about other students outside school, it would still be dealt with within the school!! In one instance I know of students were suspended and had privileges taken away because they did just that.. I always believed that when a child was sent to a school the parents and student would be given the code of behaviour. Even if they didn't sign it, by enrolling in a school parents and students are agreeing to uphold the rules or face prescribed punishments. That said many discipline codes haven't caught up with the times and the punishment for cyber bullying or these kind of allegations varies a lot...

Teaching is one of the professions where you can be physically and verbally abused at work and then have to interact with the same students the very next day in class. I think its past time schools began to fully implement the rules and make it clear to students that aggressive and intimdating behaviour towards students or teachers will not be tolerated. A lot has been made of the fact that this was jst a bit of messing on facebook but we don't know what was written or if these students have had to be disciplined before this...

If the students do overturn this decision it will make it even more difficult for schools to deal with more serious problems like students who are a danger to teachers and other students. If kids don't think the school are able to follow through on the rules of the school then they will think they can get away with anything.

kjl

I remember when a group of 10 girls were expelled in 1999 because they were caught smoking cannabis on a field trip to Amsterdam.

I was expelled from school too, turns out it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I went to a grind school for 6th year, Did really well in the leaving then did something I loved in college and now am working happily in a job I love. The teachers in my old school were absolutely crap, they never once inspired me.

So expulsion may seem like a harsh punishment for posting something on facebook, but it's by no means something you can't easily recover from. TBH, I don't even see why this is news worthy.

RachaelVO

MarkyTheLips wrote: »

I'll take half the blame for using a question mark :-P

Yeah, don't go confusing me like that... it's hard enough on AH, but FFS when you use syntax correctly and you don't even use a smilie eg or :rolleyes: you just add to my confusion...

But thanks for taking half the blame