A teaching assistant who assaulted a child when she broke up a playground fight between two boys has been given an 18-month conditional discharge./facepalm
Alison Heather Simpson (53), of Seagrave Road, Thrussington, pleaded guilty at Leicester Magistrates' Court to common assault on the boy, on April 7 last year.What did she do? Clip him round the ear?
She had denied the offence but changed her plea on the day of trial, last month.
Sentencing was adjourned until yesterday for a probation report.
No. Nothing like that:
She had intervened in a fight between him and another boy by taking hold of his wrist, taking him out of the playground, up a flight of stairs and into a classroom.Which, in a less litigious age, one in which the cult of the ‘rights’ of the child hadn’t been taken to ludicrous degrees, would have simply been regarded as part of her job…
The court was told the boy received a red mark on his wrist where Simpson had held him and was frightened to return to school.Good! Perhaps it’ll stop the little s**t from fighting with other pupils when he gets there!
The bench chairman said it was a sad circumstance to see her in court and that the penalty had been reduced due to her guilty plea.What a pity you didn’t throw it out of court entirely, point to this case that’s been in recent headlines, and ask if people would rather have more of this, because teachers are deathly afraid to put their hands on pupils now…
It's going to take a major digging out of certain people in education and a beginning to a new recruitment and dusting off of tried and tested methodologies which were thrown on the scrapheap.
ReplyDeleteDear God. What happened to us?
ReplyDeleteNot only is it appalling that this woman has suffered this penalty for doing something normal and, indeed, desirable in a discipline situation... what kind of boys (or indeed girls) are we creating who feel "assaulted" if they get a "red mark on the wrist"?
Dear God. What happened to us?
I would have clipped the little bastard and no mistake.
ReplyDeleteThanks (again!) for the link.
ReplyDeletePresumably what she should have done, at least according to the explicit instructions of a Head I have worked for, was to stand aside and allow the fight to continue while attempting to deter the combatants with verbal admonishment.
Had she done so and the other boy been seriously injured, she would probably have been considered free of blame - whether her conscience would have been clear too is quite another matter.
We've heard nothing of the parents here (or of the widespread belief in some circles that if a teacher assaults your child you are entitled to financial compensation); I think it's not entirely impossible that they or their offspring may be making further appearances in this blog.
The poor woman, that's awful, surely what she did is perfectly normal reasonable behaviour? Have I missed an important memo?
ReplyDeleteSometimes, we get stuff right in Spain.
ReplyDeleteThis last week a woman has been sent to jail for 3 years for assaulting a teacher (although, I have to recognise it is a 1st).
I would be demanding a dangerous job allowance in the case you show us and as to pleading guilty!!! Poor woman, who convinced her that was the best course?
Last year, I think, in Spain, a terrified woman teacher was told to change schools (not practical in her case) because a group of youngsters (17y.olds) had threatened to rape her at knife-point. They couldn't be thrown out due to their 'right to an education' Arghhhh!
MW, no memo, no announcement; this has steadily infiltrated the education system through conferences, staff training and, in some cases, sleight-of-hand.
ReplyDeleteIn the incident I mentioned, the staff handbook clearly stated that staff could use 'reasonable restraint' to prevent injury to another pupil - right up until the day a member of staff did just that and was the subject of a complaint from the boy*.
The next day - mirabile dictu - the online staff handbook had been altered to state that members of staff should never physically restrain a pupil, and the Head brazenly proceeded to issue a warning to the teacher concerned for breaching the rules.
"Deter the combatants with verbal admonishment."
ReplyDeleteIf she'd done that you can bet a claim of "Suffering Emotional Trauma" would be forthcoming...
Kids; if you can't beat them, what's the point of having them?
ReplyDeleteFemale teacher I knew was assaulted by a male pupil. A sexual assault I might add. The kid however stayed on, the teacher given a dressing down for not making lessons interesting enough to engage the horny PoS.
ReplyDeleteWhat's happened to us? Simple. We put the ones who never have to go into the firing line in charge so they can issue edicts and recommendations from a safe distance.
I teach 12 year old kids at a large private school here in Mexico - I treat them fairly, justly and equally.
ReplyDeleteAny kid that lays hands on another - even in play - knows that if I see it they will be forcibly separated and frogmarched to the Principal's office, not before being bawled-out by me in front of their friends.
Yes, Virginia, shame is still a powerful motivator in this very traditional, Catholic culture.
I tell the parents, "I am strict. I have rules. I set limits." and 90% of the parents nod in agreement and praise me.
"It's going to take a major digging out of certain people in education..."
ReplyDeleteA truly Herculean task for the modern age, that'll be!
"Dear God. What happened to us?"
I wish I knew... :(
"I would have clipped the little bastard and no mistake."
If she had, she'd probably be at Crown Court!
"Had she done so and the other boy been seriously injured, she would probably have been considered free of blame..."
ReplyDeleteAnd sadly, these days, that seems to be what it's all about, doesn't it?
"...surely what she did is perfectly normal reasonable behaviour?"
You'd hope so, wouldn't you?
" They couldn't be thrown out due to their 'right to an education' "
GAH!
"The next day - mirabile dictu - the online staff handbook had been altered to state that members of staff should never physically restrain a pupil, and the Head brazenly proceeded to issue a warning to the teacher concerned for breaching the rules."
*speechless*
"If she'd done that you can bet a claim of "Suffering Emotional Trauma" would be forthcoming..."
ReplyDeleteWell, if you can't even use red pen these days to correct misspellings...
"What's happened to us? Simple. We put the ones who never have to go into the firing line in charge so they can issue edicts and recommendations from a safe distance."
And that goes for so many professions too!
"Yes, Virginia, shame is still a powerful motivator in this very traditional, Catholic culture."
Ahh, if only we hadn't junked 'shame' entirely.