Teachers who humiliate pupils.

endakenny

The following is from the article, "Holidays during term", by Arlene Harris, in the Health & Living supplement of the Irish Independent, Monday 10 March 2014 (It's not available online, as far as I know).

Mayca Fernandez is a Spanish woman who is married to an Irishman with whom she has three children, Alba (19), Nico (17) and Sofia (17). The children need to visit Spain in order to spend time with their relatives. Mayca takes them out of school for a maximum of four days each time.

She says that her children have been reprimanded in front of everyone in the class for time taken out of school. She says that there should be some room for common sense from both the parents and the school. She and her children see her family in Spain only once a year and prices are very expensive in high season, especially given that she's from Malaga.
She respects the school rules but also feels that rules are relative so should be discussed and states that she would never abuse the system.


It is absolutely wrong that some teachers do this to her children. I know that this is only one case but there is a likelihood that other children are also treated like this by some teachers. These teachers and the unions that represent them have a lot to answer for.

This case illustrates the importance of accountability in teaching. It is an explanation of why there are good parents who regard some teachers with contempt.

PS: This OP is not an attack on the teaching profession. The case that I have referred to is an example of what I regard as psychological abuse of children and thus must be highlighted.

derb12

endakenny wrote: »

The following is from the article, "Holidays during term", by Arlene Harris, in the Health & Living supplement of the Irish Independent, Monday 10 March 2014 (It's not available online, as far as I know).

Mayca Fernandez is a Spanish woman who is married to an Irishman with whom she has three children, Alba (19), Nico (17) and Sofia (17). The children need to visit Spain in order to spend time with their relatives. Mayca takes them out of school for a maximum of four days each time.

She says that her children have been reprimanded in front of everyone in the class for time taken out of school. She says that there should be some room for common sense from both the parents and the school. She and her children see her family in Spain only once a year and prices are very expensive in high season, especially given that she's from Malaga.
She respects the school rules but also feels that rules are relative so should be discussed and states that she would never abuse the system.


It is absolutely wrong that some teachers do this to her children. I know that this is only one case but there is a likelihood that other children are also treated like this by some teachers. These teachers and the unions that represent them have a lot to answer for.

This case illustrates the importance of accountability in teaching. It is an explanation of why there are good parents who regard some teachers with contempt.

PS: This OP is not an attack on the teaching profession. The case that I have referred to is an example of what I regard as psychological abuse of children and thus must be highlighted.

I find that hard to believe. Missing 4 days of school and they get public humiliation? And that students of 17 -19 years would accept such a public humiliation seems doubly far-fetched.
If I was Nico or Alba or Sofia I'd consider the humiliation of my mother putting my name in the public domain over such a non-story to be the ultimate humiliation!

endakenny

derb12 wrote: »

I find that hard to believe. Missing 4 days of school and they get public humiliation? And that students of 17 -19 years would accept such a public humiliation seems doubly far-fetched.
If I was Nico or Alba or Sofia I'd consider the humiliation of my mother putting my name in the public domain over such a non-story to be the ultimate humiliation!

I respect your opinion. This case is much more serious than reading everyone's house exam results out aloud. If the principal was OK with the children being taken out of school for four days then why shouldn't the teachers be OK with it? It's wrong for a teacher to publicly discuss a pupil's personal circumstances just like it's wrong for a pupil to do that to a teacher.

byhookorbycrook

She respects the school rules but also feels that rules are relative
/end thread.

boogle

Guess who's projecting....

RealJohn

Parents tend to underestimate the disruption that can be caused by deciding to take students out of school during term time. It's possible that this teacher dealt with the case badly but I can certainly understand his/her frustration.

implausible

Does she ensure that the students catch up on the work missed, in their own time? This is the crux of the matter. If you have 4 or 5 students like this who go on holidays in the middle of the term, it is extremely disruptive, especially when the children's parents expect the teacher to reteach the material.

Should the children be humiliated? No. However, I suspect there's a lot more to this story.

Aineoil

If Alba is 19 years old...I doubt that she is in secondary school. But I stand to be corrected.

I have a 16 year old son who is attending secondary school in rural Ireland. He's in TY at the moment and I can't praise the school highly enough.

evolving_doors

I think this is going to be one of those threads...

Firstly... What exactly was said in the classroom.. Was the parent there?

Secondly... On first reading it only appears as 4 days...however remember its 4 days at a time. I have a feeling its more than once a year. I think really and truly if they booked the flights early enough they could get a reasonable enough flight to malaga during some part if the holidays... With the amount that she would spend bringing a family could they consider paying for relatives to come over at a cheap time of year.?

Thirdly... Going by the ages the leaving cert could be very close for one.I recognise that parents are the primary educators and all that but I can bet that they have had prior communications with the school in regard to the absences. There is no way that this alleged psychological abuse is an isolated occurrence. There is obviously history to which we as readers are not privy to...

Fourthly... What has the school responded to this article with? Who cares anyway we only need one side right.

Fifthly... This is in the news because the independant is piggybacking on similar stories in the UK with poor parents having to pay for holidays at peek rates... There was suggestion that summer holidays in the UK would be done away with (sound familiar?). So that the holidays would be in two week blocks throughout the year ( I don't have a link to this proposal as a colleague relayed the story to me today).

Sixthly.. The Irish Independant.

chippers

endakenny wrote: »

She says that her children have been reprimanded in front of everyone in the class for time taken out of school. She says that there should be some room for common sense from both the parents and the school. She and her children see her family in Spain only once a year and prices are very expensive in high season, especially given that she's from Malaga.
She respects the school rules but also feels that rules are relative so should be discussed and states that she would never abuse the system.


It is absolutely wrong that some teachers do this to her children. I know that this is only one case but there is a likelihood that other children are also treated like this by some teachers. These teachers and the unions that represent them have a lot to answer for.

This case illustrates the importance of accountability in teaching. It is an explanation of why there are good parents who regard some teachers with contempt.

PS: This OP is not an attack on the teaching profession. The case that I have referred to is an example of what I regard as psychological abuse of children and thus must be highlighted.

Being repremanded qualifies as psychological abuse...... Give me a break. These students are 17 and 19 respectfully not 5 and 7.

seavill

What did the teacher say? in what context?

How many days have the kids missed school this year? How many half days etc. have they taken?

Why was it an issue in the classroom in the first place? What years are they in?

We have one line saying that the parent saying they were reprimanded, where did the psychological abuse come out of?? was this just what you concluded from reading that one line or was there more to the stroy that wasn't written here?

Kids don't get reprimanded for being absent, they get reprimanded for not having a note explaining why, not having their homework done, not catching up on the missing work or notes, not becuase someone was sick or away or whatever the case was? Again what exactly was said and in what context?

Rules are rules, there is not one set of rules for the kids that parents cant afford milk for breakfast, another for the kids from Kerry and another for the kids from Spain. There is a set of rules thats it. The school cannot stop someone taking their kids out of school they must report it over 20 days.

I again have never been in a school where somone basically missed one week of school in a year and then its made into a massive deal, either there is more to the story or its a lie simple as that

RealJohn

Actually on this alleged abuse/reprimand, if one of the 'children' is 19, she is not a child at all and it is perfectly reasonable for the teacher to put some of the responsibility for her education on her, not on her parents. She's an adult. If she 'needs' to visit her family in Spain during term time, fine but she needs to take responsibility for this herself and the teachers are entitled to point that out.

endakenny

Aineoil wrote: »

If Alba is 19 years old...I doubt that she is in secondary school. But I stand to be corrected.

I have a 16 year old son who is attending secondary school in rural Ireland. He's in TY at the moment and I can't praise the school highly enough.

Whether or not Alba has done the Leaving Cert is not mentioned in the article.

RH149

I would regard ' reading everybody's house exam results out loud' as far more humiliating than reprimanding students for taking holidays during term time......


I love the 'rules are relative' idea and plan on using it next time I don't want to do S&S/take my car for NCT or pay my Property tax.....anything I don't agree with really!

endakenny

Armelodie wrote: »

I think this is going to be one of those threads...

Firstly... What exactly was said in the classroom.. Was the parent there?

What exactly was said in the classroom isn't mentioned in the article.

Armelodie wrote: »

Secondly... On first reading it only appears as 4 days...however remember its 4 days at a time. I have a feeling its more than once a year. I think really and truly if they booked the flights early enough they could get a reasonable enough flight to malaga during some part if the holidays... With the amount that she would spend bringing a family could they consider paying for relatives to come over at a cheap time of year.?

Bad summary on my part. Apologies. Mayca said that she has taken her children out of school a couple of times for a maximum of four days each time. She also said:

"Because my family is in Spain, we only see them once a year and being from Malaga - which is one of the most popular holidays destinations in Europe, prices are very expensive in high season."

Mayca also said:

"We try to fly in low season when tickets are cheaper but I don't like the fact that my children miss school so this actually puts a lot of pressure on us."

Armelodie wrote: »

Fourthly... What has the school responded to this article with? Who cares anyway we only need one side right.

The identity of the school is not mentioned.

evolving_doors

endakenny wrote: »

What exactly was said in the classroom isn't mentioned in the article.

Bad summary on my part. Apologies. Mayca said that she has taken her children out of school a couple of times for a maximum of four days each time. She also said:

"Because my family is in Spain, we only see them once a year and being from Malaga - which is one of the most popular holidays destinations in Europe, prices are very expensive in high season."

Mayca also said:

"We try to fly in low season when tickets are cheaper but I don't like the fact that my children miss school so this actually puts a lot of pressure on us."


The identity of the school is not mentioned.

thanks for clarifying
.
My main gripe is that usually on these articles..we dont know what was said..and we all know that slightly different variations get reported by kids of what was actually said in school. The article is redundant really as it raises more questions than it answers..
The identity of the school its also irrelevant but their response is!

andyman

endakenny wrote: »

Irish Independent

I stopped reading right here. That rag is a disgraceful, teacher-bashing institution.

Even the Daily Mail wouldn't write a story like that.

Giblet

Wait, aren't there a few mid terms and half terms etc, like just the other week?

SarahBeep!

endakenny wrote: »

=
Mayca also said:

"We try to fly in low season when tickets are cheaper but I don't like the fact that my children miss school so this actually puts a lot of pressure on us."

You know what I call that? Tough sh*t. We don't get cheap holidays either love!

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Don't students normally get bollocked in front of the whole class? Wouldn't exactly call it public humiliation.

seavill

Can you comment on how you managed to get psychological abuse from questioning the student in class about missing days

J.R.

endakenny wrote: »

The following is from the article, "Holidays during term", by Arlene Harris, in the Health & Living supplement of the Irish Independent, Monday 10 March 2014 (It's not available online, as far as I know).

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/taking-your-children-on-holidays-during-school-term-30074847.html

evolving_doors

This thread is being closed for the following reasons.

1. The thread title is unfairly loaded.
2. The thread title has nothing to do with the main thrust of the ' article'.
3. Nowhere does it mention that the teacher subjected the pupils to humiliation or psychological abuse.
4. We don't actually know what was said to the student. These threads usually go around in circles like the ' teacher picking on my child' thread. If we want to offer an informed opinion we should be privy to what was said.
5. At no point has the school in question been given the opportunity to respond or give its position in the article.
6. There is indeed an issue surrounding absences during class time for holidays and visiting relatives abroad. So feel free to start a new thread on this issue ...with an appropriate title.