Justice is a set of Scales

February 8th, 2010

and therefore everyone has the right to be treated equally….therefore this letter was penned after an incident after returning from a foreign trip and travel plans went awry…. would like to know if you think it a fair letter? A pupil has erroneously been accused of swearing at a teacher. All names and places have been removed.

 

Dear **** *****

Thank you for taking my telephone call on ****** ** ******* with regards to the recent *** **** **** ** ******. Firstly, I would like to apologise again for any poor behaviour displayed on the trip by **** and any poor attitude subsequent to * return to school. Secondly, I would like to reassure you, that although I am putting the issues I have in writing, at present I still consider this to be an informal matter being dealt with between ourselves. However, I find my position, as a parent disappointed by  *’s actions and supporting the schools disciplinary code, being called into question and as such feel it advisable to tangibly record my concerns.

As you are aware I have several issues. The first being the incident at ****** ******* Station and the second with regards to how the matter has subsequently been dealt with within school. The matter of lack of communication was a minor aggravation at the time but is a significant part of health and safety, risk assessment and at the heart of planning a school journey.

In terms of civil liability, teachers have obligations referred to by lawyers as a common law duty of care. All teachers owe a duty of care to exercise their professional responsibilities within the school environment or as part of their extended duties.

Another area of the law that impacts on school trips is health and safety.  Sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, coupled with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, require employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments to be able to show that as a result, they took all ‘reasonable precautions’ in terms of supervision and protection before and during the trip.

 In leaving ****** at ***** ****** Station with an invalid ticket, no means of communication, no Oyster Card and no financial means of obtaining a ticket to complete * homeward journey it is my belief that the leader of this trip failed in his duty of care. When the problem was highlighted it is my belief that the leader of the trip was unsupportive and unsympathetic. It is unfortunate that the leader of the trip had to miss his train in order to rectify his original mistake and whilst appreciating that all concerned were under duress it is also my belief that it is the responsibility of the leader of a trip to maintain the comfort, personal safety, and well-being of those within their care and possibly consider those before their own. Teachers are obliged to take all reasonable measures to ensure that every child under their control and supervision is safe and protected from any unacceptable risks. The teacher must be careful not careless. Being careless is, in legal terms, being negligent.

When undertaking risk assessment you have to consider what could go wrong and have alternative arrangements for travel, emergency procedures and communication. Schools have a duty of care towards pupils and in an activity where there is an amount of risk, as part of legal Health and Safety duties, the school will need to show that there was effective communication at all levels.

A framework was put into place and details handed out at the pre-trip meeting but when the trip ran into problems no official communication was received from the school or any of its representatives. I would like to thank you for agreeing to look into why this occurred.

On ******’s return to school I can understand that there might have been sufficient grounds to discipline * but feel that it has not been handled correctly. Many of the points we have already discussed but I would like to reiterate the fact that every child has the right to privacy. It was not appropriate that * be disciplined in a corridor within earshot of a class. It was not appropriate that the reason for * being disciplined was then discussed with the class and it was not appropriate that an inaccurate statement was made. Thank you for agreeing to look into this matter.

I do not think it was right to exclude * from a different subject, I do not think it right that * is excluded from all ****** lessons, not just the lessons being taught by ** *****. I do not think it appropriate that a teacher should advise a pupil “No-one in the department wants to teach you.” This may in fact be the case but it is not professional, neither will it expediate *******’s return to lessons. I wish I could choose who I worked with/taught purely on the basis of if I ‘wanted’ to or liked them.

I do not think it correct that a letter vetted by the Head of Year and deemed as acceptable be refused. I have been informed that when a letter of apology written by the other student involved in this incident was handed over, it was returned with a comment along the lines of “I am not accepting this now. I will only accept it if you give it to me later, in front of ** *********. You embarrassed me in front of people. I am going to embarrass you in front of him.”

It is not the right of a teacher to deliberately set out to embarrass a student. No child should be punished in a way that humiliates them. 

I have apologised, ****** has apologised; we should all be working together to move on and I thank you for your input in this matter. Many schools operate along the guidelines of having a fresh start to each lesson where previous problems are not referred to. Regretfully this does not seem to be happening at present.

I also have some questions with regards to * internal exclusion. Internal exclusion is an excellent sanction to accommodate those pupils who have been removed from a lesson at very short notice for poor behaviour. It offers immediate, short-term provision in order that learning and teaching for the majority of pupils can continue uninterrupted. But periods of internal exclusion should be for the shortest time possible. I therefore found it rather disquieting that ****** advised me on Friday that ** ***** indicated that he might not even be prepared to teach * after half-term.

 It is good practice to develop a clear and shared understanding between all staff, students and parents and about the policy and practice involved in internal exclusion. There should be a transparent referral system and the reasons for the referral should be made clear to the pupil and parents. Bearing in mind ****** is to be excluded for a period of longer than a week I do feel it would have been appropriate that I had been informed of this decision by the Head of Department.

With regards to the work being set whilst ****** is not attending ******* lessons I would be most grateful if you could confirm what the work will be. During *** *****’ lesson I believe * undertook a test set for the entire group but for the lesson * could not attend being taught by **** *********, * was handed a list of work * has apparently missed. From my limited understanding of internal exclusion it is recommended best practise that this time should not be used for pupils to catch up on coursework.

I fully endorse the school’s right to discipline. I am sure we are in total agreement that should any individual be disrespectful, neglect to take into consideration the rights of others, lose self control, be derelict in their duty, behave inappropriately, fail to adhere to rules, guidelines and policy or fail to uphold the expectations of the school/parents they should apologise and face the consequences of their actions. Once again thank you for your time. I look forward to your response.

The Dangerous Exercise of Thinking.

January 31st, 2010

Recently reading an account of memories I stopped short and considered my own. Are my memories of an event the same as others, or like compared witness statements, do they vary in detail depending on point of view, age and personal experience? Does this make mine fake? Distorted? A falsehood? Over time do we lie to ourselves to justify events, or do we remain true inside with the outward recounting slightly warped? Perhaps it is just the inexorable passage of time. Time, our enemy, silently erasing essential elements into obscurity.

 

Surprisingly some recollections soften around the edges, eroded by the winds and rain of life. Why is it then others remain sharp, a knife that twists in our guts, a jagged tear, bleeding, raw, never healing. Could it be that, like natural weathering, the soft inconsequential sediment gets washed away while the hard impenetrable rock remains?

 

Memories, an overcoat that either keeps us warm, sheltered, safe, or a hair shirt that finds us constantly agitated, ripping at our skin, howling at the moon, why do we continue to wear them as if serving a penance?

 

Even the most pleasant reminiscence may be tinged with sadness because we have the misfortune to also remember what came next, the pride before the fall, the party before the hangover, the date before the recriminations. Most of my musings are melancholy. I have a deep, dark pit of despair and no means of climbing out. Occasionally hands reach out from the gloom, groping blindly into the abyss, but I can’t seem to grip them, hang on. It’s the nightmare of running down a never ending passage, calling out the name of a person who never hears or if they do never turns round. Why can’t I let lesser ones heal? Relentlessly picking at the scab until it bleeds again or leaves an unsightly scar?

 

I am not alone. It doesn’t make it better.

Dead Blogs

January 26th, 2010

AGHHHHHH!!! I am sure I ranted about this before but seeing as the ether monsters gobbled all my entries I am going to post it again! Dead blogs……….for goodness sake people! Spring clean ya blogrolls! There is nothing worse than deciding to take an evening stroll thru the fragrant fields of the internet and finding all the promising titles, those wonderful names that tease at the tastebuds of your mind, are actually old, stagnant and dead! I acknowledge that some of the information is still as valid as it was but unloved and abandoned musings are sad. Plus if I get hooked on a persons style of writing or intrigued by their take on life I want to know how it continues……..some of the posts are well over a year old? If your friends don’t blog anymore and their font is suffering rigor mortis, do the decent thing and execute the link.

Brothers to be Sentenced

January 22nd, 2010

This post will either get amended after the event or a new posting made. The 2 boys who tortured their “friends” will be told today what the consequences of their actions will be. Whatever the judge decides will it be enough? WIll it actually achieve rehabilitation? Even if it does would we ever be able to forgive them? Time and time we ask ourselves why do these things happen? Why aren’t they stopped. Bottom line is that no-one in the chain of events ever makes a decision. Political correctness gone mad to really simplify it. Children are regarded as “being better left with family.” In some of the cases that I am aware of, no they aren’t!

In my line of work it is not actually my resonsibility to deal directly with cases. If I spot issues I pass them on, it is then out of my hands, we have to “wait and see” we have to “wait for” other agencies, reports assessments, social care that does not function. One example naming no names, areas, genders, a child never attends school. Has been moved to a new school then back again like a yoyo. Lucky if they attend one day a week, There is a younger sibling with equal lack of attendance. Schooling falls behind, they cannot cope with what is being asked of them, not that they are not bright or average children just they have never had the chance to pick up the basics and build upon them. At home there are 2 more, a toddler and a baby. This is the reason mum gives for not hearing them read, learn spellings, do tables. She cries, declares she would be better off dead, why can’t they take her children away? The youngest school age child was shoved out the front door and locked out because “I couldn’t handle her no more.” A fine for non attendance hasn’t altered the situation. A meeting with an outside agency was missed because she had to take her latest fling to an appointment elsewhere? Non attendance to school continues ….  Oh and guess what…….we are pregnant again. So with no time for the four existing children, a confession of not being able to cope, baby number 5 by father number 5 is on the way……………..

Ok, so it would be interferring with her human rights to be extreme and sew her legs shut but what about the human rights of her children?

Communication

January 21st, 2010

In a world where we have so many ways to communicate why is it that some just don’t bother? Or if they do bother just are so crappy about it we wish they hadn’t bothered? I had a secondhand message this evening to expect a knock on my door for something to be dropped off. I made sure I was out. I am cheesed off with always being expected to be in certain places at certain times with no regard to the fact I might actually have other plans. So I made some other plans. Childish? Petty? Oh absolutely but it made me feel better and at this moment in time I think that is more important.

After the weekend I may have a little more to say on the subject…will be a different circumstance and different personalities involved but I am betting communication will fail again!

It’s Complicated.

January 19th, 2010

What is you may ask? Well lots of things are. My life. The world. Instructions to make/work things that are badly translated from Japanese. I remember reading some years ago when installing new speakers that  “your woofer will mount the wall” Hmmmm having seen many “woofers” trying to mount people legs the idea of my speaker trying to shag my brick wall was somewhat amusing. Imagine my disappointment when I realised I would have to drill holes, climb a ladder and put the darn thing up myself!

However I was actually refering to the film of the same name. My little cherub <koff> turns 18 this week and I offered to take her to the pictures. Her choice of film not mine. I inwardly groaned. I didn’t really fancy it, Alec Baldwin isn’t my cup of tea. Steve Martin of late has been a bit hmmmmmmmm but I do like Meryl Streep. Off we toddled. I groaned again at the price of tickets and associated goodies (don’t they know there is a recession on?) and we found two really decent seats in a reasonably filled theatre.

The film itself? I was pleasantly surprised. It was a genuine laugh out loud film. I read some of the reviews it received on

It’s Complicated Movie Reviews, Pictures – Rotten Tomatoes#contentReviews#contentReviews#contentReviews

and they are rather mixed. I wonder if the reviews are affected by age, experience and gender? As a person of certain age, certain gender and divorced circumstances there were places in which I roared and places in which I empathised totally. I loved it. I left smiling. Makes a change for something to make me smile these days.

Kind of talking relationships the erstwhile Mr Gaiman has announced his forthcoming marriage to Ms Palmer. I am not privy to the date. Luckily I did, a few posts back, declare I had no romantic intentions towards the aforementioned Mr Gaiman. Just as well or I would be rather heartbroken! I read the news directly from his site but it would seem that it was twittered rather rapidly by many of the great unwashed. Ms Palmer has also mentioned it on her blog apparently. Not being a fan of hers, no sleight there just don’t really know the woman…having said that my daughter does like The Dresden Dolls, and I do giggle over Coin-Operated Boy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4gPZPKJc0s

Fans have passed  comment, most best wishes and congratulations but another however had this to say:

“Anon: I’m pleased for you, but I’ve never understood this universal urge to rub your happiness in other peoples faces. Some of us are bitter, lonely and misanthropic and don’t like to be reminded that there are people out there in functional stable relationships. Congratulations, but for fucks sake show some sensitivity next time.”

Certainly made me LOLOLOLOL. No wonder they posted it as ANON. Oh come on, have the courage to put your name by your opinion. As a sad,bitter,twisted on the shelf person I do see their point, but I wonder do they rant at the TV to various celebrity chefs?
“Anon: I’m pleased for you, but I’ve never understood this universal urge to rub your recipes in other peoples faces. Some of us are bitter, lonely and anorexic and don’t like to be reminded that there are people out there in fashionable expensive restaurants. Congratulations, but for fucks sake show some sensitivity next time.” Honestly Gorden, Ainsley and pals, don’t you realise there are people starving in third world countries? Show some sensitivity!

Blogisphere

January 8th, 2010

…I quite like the blogisphere, when I have several moments to spare I enjoy wandering thru the ether and the ephemeral witterings of others. Following the maze like jumble of blogrolls is a wonderful journey for the mind. Sometimes it does my blood pressure no good when I stumble across blogs where I would like to comment back  but to do so you have to “join this” or “sign up” to that. No ta. I would just like to comment fleetingly upon a post and carry on wending my merry path along the fibre optic way.

Some blogs I open and read several posts, clicking the “older posts” button as I love the style of writing or their observations on life, others I click and close straight away. I have discovered that there definately are several styles of blogging I like, if you write a post that fills 2 pages, sorry, I won’t be stopping long. I seem to have discovered that there are an awful lot of professional published writers out there who blog. I don’t mean the esteemed Neil Gaiman who I love ( don’t panic Neil you’re safe, I don’t mean love in that sense… tho you probably don’t know I exist or read this so I should really have no need to write the disclaimer but I shall just in case…..)

I mean journalists, writers for TV etc. Some of these people as just so far up their own arses it’s untrue. Lighten up people its a BLOG. It doesn’t always have to have “merit” it can just BE! I hate blogs that have huge time lapses and people bounce back with “sorry I haven’t written for ages I have been busy.” No shit Sherlock, I thought it was because you were deliberately tormenting us, starving us of your witty repartee. Pensive contemplation of your lack of postings gave rise to the image of you sitting in front of your PC going “now I know I did something REALLY interesting today and you really want to find out how I stubbed my big toe, fed the cat, watched TV but I shall make you SUFFER and not tell you”

Mind you having said that some blogs that tell you that kind of info are so well written and have excellent observational quirks if you didn’t spill the beans I would be disappointed ;o. Over the next few days I may actually add a few more to my blogroll…they are in my favs atm. lets see if I think they warrant being added…..

ps I hate huge lumps of text with no paragraphs… hastily adds some…. ps I also hate bad spelling, I know some people have dyslexia, or aren’t so hot with words, but sadly I really am a spelling snob…. (hastily checks back post)

Adverts I hate….

January 7th, 2010

they been going on about the best adverts of the past decade but, oh my there are some out there that really grate…

Go Compare…. I wish I could tell you to go do something else!
Iceland… what about Dad’s? Or do all sexes avoid it like the plague dreading who they will bump into next to the frozen peas?
NSPCC……….sorry I don’t do emotional blackmail, so you could also lump in the RSPCA and the donor ad.
GOLD…………..ANY OF THEM!!! The worst has to be MoneyforgoldMan….or something like.
Recycling mobile phones? EEEEEEEEEK!! Wonga, cooooooooooooooooool. NO IT ISNT!
Anything with Mr T……… is he bankrupt?
Bingo/Poker………….go away, I don’t want to gamble and even if I did I don’t have the money to waste.
We now have a saying in my house that goes “I’m off to Pauls house” bet you can guess what thats a euphamism for? It’s my opinion about all of these ads….
Kill Your Speed… ok good idea behind the ad but I wonder how many people NOT speeding have killed someone through no fault of their own, they must be traumatised, this ad can’t help them get over it can it!?!
eharmony….get over yourselves… you ARE a dating site whatever you imply “we do relationships based on intellect and values” are we the only houshold that thinks the handwriting says “valves” ?

 

I am sure there are more, I guess I can always do another post lolol

 

What happened to the clever, witty, sharp ads? Why are all the agencies writing for Sun readers?

It’s cold. It’s Cold, It’s cold!

January 5th, 2010

Am I complaining? Erm not too sure really lololol. Christmas and New Year were both quiet, and I made it more so by not venturing out of my front door more than necessary. Several things I had wanted to do but I decided “nopes far too cold” and I snuck back indoors for plenty of duvet time :o ) My contribution to saving gas, and CO2 emmissions. I dunno, all over the news today is how we are running out of grit and gas! Stay indoors under the duvet and you needn’t worry about either! I keep peeking out of my window but promised snow hasn’t arrived yet. Folks at work today were divided by “yay wouldn’t a snow day be great” and “ugh… means I’d have to have my heating on all day, it’s cheaper to be in work!” I don’t mind either way, day in means I could finish my essay for college which I have been ignoring for the past 2 weeks oooooooooooops!

Another news item that caught my eye today was the bolier scrappage scheme which I thought I’d take a quick nosey at….. made me laugh though as most of these things do that when you read the full story its not such a bargain after all………..

“Thousands of households will be able to apply for vouchers giving them £400 off the price of a new boiler under a “scrappage” scheme to cut carbon and help people save money on bills.

Up to 125,000 households with working boilers with the lowest “G” rating in England can apply for vouchers from the Energy Saving Trust towards “A” rated boilers or renewable heating systems such as a biomass boiler or heat pump.

The Government said the £50 million scheme will save as much carbon as taking 45,000 cars off the roads and will also cut a household’s energy bill by up to £235 a year.

The average cost of a boiler and its installation is around £2,500, according to the heating industry.”

So if I get this right…….. working it out very roughly, it will take 10 years to effectively pay for itself and probably need replacing before then based on the life expectancy of modern day boilers? What is the incentive here please?

Well That’s over….

December 26th, 2009

for another year. All that rushing about, though I must admit to not too much rushing this year, and it’s all done. I am sitting here in the peace and quiet, the rest of the household is still fast asleep in bed and snoring. It’s a little chilly as I havent changed the timer on my heating to be constant and if I open the airing cupboard to flick the switch I will awaken the Kraken and I’d rather have cold feet than company at the moment.

I am taking time to reflect upon how I REALLY feel about Christmas and despite many attempts bah humbug does seem to sum it up still. As I get older it gets worse. Maybe its because I don’t have a “soulmate” to share it with like so many sick bucket friends do? Odd to know that as I sit and pen this post a “virtual” friend of mine who I have met in real life, is planning to tear apart her life (which isn’t happy) leave her husband and start afresh  announcing the plans today? I wish her luck with her new found life and soulmate.

Christmas reminds me of Nuns in Catholic school’s exhorting you to eat the last grain of rice as “the starving in Africa would love that.” Seems there has always been starving in Africa, are we sure we can blame it all now on CFC’s and global warming? I always thought it was due to huge, corrupt, colonial meddling and dictatorial depots? Maybe I shouldn’t put my heating on? Maybe by freezing my feet for a few moments longer I am doing my bit? Makes me laugh, I switch to lower energy light bulbs whilst town centres leave shop lights ablaze and every other Tom, Dick and Harry jets off to Puket or New York or has a private jet which they drive to in their gas guzzling 4×4 monster truck!

Anyway Nuns and Christmas, as you think longingly of the list of gifts you wrote in hopeful anticipation, you stare down at the acceptable but unwanted gift thinking “I must smile, there is a child in Africa who would be grateful for this……” Is Christmas turning into more of a “I should be grateful for this” rather than “I am truly grateful for …” including health, friends and family? Maybe I should stop “wanting” but when told “I have no idea what to get for you” or asked “what would you like” and you provide a list of items, I hasten to add none expensive, is it too much to expect at least one of them? Never mind, maybe I can pick up the few items I need later on, a leather belt for my jeans, CD I fancied, book I wanted for my course, new everyday watch as my aging eyesight is stopping me from reading the small face on my current one. Then, after my shopping spree I can find space in the kitchen for my new food blender, whilst really feeling grateful for my wireless router….which I won’t use as I don’t own a laptop and geographically can’t locate my PC anywhere in the house. It will however enable me to allow my children internet access in their bedrooms, which I have always said would happen over my dead body, and cause huge arguments over, “I am going to turn it off NOW, are you researching homework or on MSN? Go to bed and turn it off NOW” and more modern technology to stop working (my cooker hood died yesterday) and for me to learn security settings on……..

Sorry I shall just go sit on my corner, all on my own shouting BAH HUMBUG waiting for the Spirits of Christmas to rescue me, and preferably not the ones to be found at the bottom of a bottle…