Pupils given detention because parents can't afford.....

Pupils given detention because parents can't afford.....

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zarjaz1991

3,471 posts

122 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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davepoth said:
It's just a threat of punishing the child though. This gives the parents a week in which they can do any of the three things above to avoid the potential punishment.

Even then, I'm not certain it's a punishment to the child, long term. The earlier it learns that the way it's being raised is sub-standard, the better.
All the child will learn is that if you do something wrong, it's ok because someone else who's entirely innocent and involved, will get punished.

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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davepoth said:
It's just a threat of punishing the child though. This gives the parents a week in which they can do any of the three things above to avoid the potential punishment.

Even then, I'm not certain it's a punishment to the child, long term. The earlier it learns that the way it's being raised is sub-standard, the better.
Just quoting you again.
The parents can't do the things you suggested

rb5er

11,657 posts

171 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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Nazi vegetarian school. How very retarded.

Brads67

3,199 posts

97 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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"Knowledge is Power "


Seriously?.

ian in lancs

3,769 posts

197 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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Hmm, abuse of definition 4... A poor example when I'd hope they intend to accomplish definition 1

1. ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.
2. political or national strength: the balance of power in Europe.
3. great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force.
4. the possession of control or command over others; authority; ascendancy: power over men's minds.
5. political ascendancy or control in the government of a country, state, etc.: They attained power by overthrowing the legal government.


In my experience, teachers, including lecturers, fall into three categories; the inspired educators with a calling that still I respect and admire and had a life changing influence, the low achievers that wouldn't amount to much in the real word and a host of mediocre academics that drift into education as an easy option. Unfortunately the latter two dominate the education system in the UK and result in bks like this letter. My wife and I have dealings with a couple of prestige universities and a three local colleges - I never cease to be amazed with the petty politics and administrative incompetence that would never be tolerated in business.

Edited by ian in lancs on Saturday 30th July 08:27

thebraketester

14,191 posts

137 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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Are we sure this is a school and not a concentration camp run by a psychopath?

Ari

19,328 posts

214 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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del mar said:
Detention is hardly the end of the world, and it inconveniences the parents as well which might make them think / pay.
Inconveniences the parents how exactly..? confused

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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This is one of those stories where you really have to look at the detail, I think.

My immediate reaction was that the action was completely reasonable and justified. I reached this conclusion as the father of three school kids whose lunches I have to pay for, thinking how annoying it would be for my kids to have to miss a school trip, have less equipment for science experiments or whatever because a chunk of the school's budget is being diverted to pay for lunches for kids whose parents hadn't paid what they should.

Reading the detail, however, I've changed my mind for two reasons.

Firstly, my kids are in schools which let me pay conveniently online whenever I want, so long as they've not got a negative balance, and I pay minimum payments of a tenner. This school seems to be demanding termly payment up front.

Secondly, if my kids' schools suddenly decided that they wanted all the money up front, I'd have the option of sending them in with packed lunches instead. This school doesn't allow that option.

I think if the school wants to enforce such an absurdly rigid structure, they should be prepared for the fact that there will be people who can't adhere to the structure, and should treat those people more reasonably. What's wrong with allowing parents to pay monthly or weekly, for example?

rustyuk

4,568 posts

210 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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The parents must have issues sending their kids to a school like this one.

My Mrs helps out at a local Primary school and you would be surprised at how many kids go without at lunch due to parents not paying.

bitchstewie

50,767 posts

209 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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Smokehead

7,703 posts

227 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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BlackLabel said:
Countdown said:
Arbeit macht frei. frown

Ms Birbalsingh is a bit nutty.
She does have that look about her....

Definitely lined all her dolls up as a child.

21TonyK

11,494 posts

208 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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bhstewie said:
Interesting extract...

"This is what ‘being Michaela’ is all about. Our kids turn heads. We’re not ‘normal’. We don’t want to be ‘normal’. We’re Michaela."

Not the sort of place I would want to work or send my kids!

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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Wow, I wouldn't be paying for a "vegetarian" lunch either. I want my kids healthy...............

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

243 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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21TonyK said:
Not the sort of place I would want to work
Dunno. Sounds like it'd be easy to work with the kids as they're scared to death of stepping out of line. biggrin

Jim the Sunderer

3,238 posts

181 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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At least he's not charging a corkage fee for the children bringing in their own drinks.

turbobloke

103,739 posts

259 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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Einion Yrth said:

Pre-Ofsted, Post-Ofsted?

raftom

1,196 posts

260 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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bhstewie said:
Good grief!

educational sociopath said:
As a teacher you have to care enough to be tough with kids. You have to care enough not to indulge their bad habits. You have to care enough not to collude with society’s permissive values, the broader excuse culture which, my take, blights lives. Zero tolerance discipline is caring enough not to collude with or give way to parents whose values aren’t in line with the school’s.

You send your child to Michaela and he’s going to receive a superb education, in silent classrooms, where kids sit up straight, arms folded, no pen fiddling, no doodling, no gazing out the window or whispering to your mates on the sly.

You send your kid to Michaela and he’s going to be safe in the yard, the corridors, toilets, on the stairs, in the changing rooms, at the bus stop.

You send your kid to Michaela and he can be clever, hard-working, keen, put his hand up every lesson all lesson, use long words, express his ideas articulately and at length, talk about which university he’d like to go to – all of that – without any fear of being mocked or called gay.

You send your daughter to Michaela she won’t be sexually harassed by male pupils. Corridors and lesson change overs are silent. Pupils walk in single file. Your daughter will be completely jewellery and make-up free.

You send your son or daughter to Michaela and you don’t have to worry that they’ll dread lunchtime because they’re friendless. Every child sits according to the seating plan teachers have designed.

Every lesson, every child has a full pencil case. No excuses.

Every lesson, books are distributed in silence, in seconds.

Every break, 240 kids fall instantly silent when any adult raises their hand.

Every lunch, 240 kids serve one another, clear up after one another, say please and thank you to one another.

There’s no pushing, shoving, name calling, swearing, graffiti, litter, sexual harassment, pressure to be ‘street’, pressure to underperform.

At the end of the school day, there are lots of detentions. At lunch, there are lots of detentions.

You haven’t done your homework, you ‘forgot’ your homework, you ‘forgot’ your pen, you ‘slept in’, you rushed your homework – detention.

You send your kids to Michaela, they’ll learn loads, they’ll feel massively accomplished, they’ll feel safe, they’ll have great relationships with their teachers, they’ll learn to be polite, shake hands firmly, make eye contact, greet new people with pride, have self respect, respect others – they’ll laugh a lot, they’ll have the confidence to be themselves, they won’t need to feign a tough, street, anti academic, aggressive persona – just to survive.

Kids at Michaela work hard and are kind to one another – in every lesson, all day long, every day.

None of that happens by accident. It happens because of our version of zero tolerance.

We give them love. We give them tough love.

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

243 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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educational sociopath said:
At the end of the school day, there are lots of detentions. At lunch, there are lots of detentions.
[...]

You send your kids to Michaela, they’ll laugh a lot
When?

zarjaz1991

3,471 posts

122 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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That set of 'values' is simply child abuse.

It doesn't surprise me. This one seems extreme, but there are plenty of schools that do have variations on some of these rules.