Fear is absolute power.


Mums know it, “the bogey man will get you”. Advertisers know it, apparently we should all be worrying about the speed of our digestive transits? Governments know it, using rafts of anti-terror laws to bring in draconian police powers.

Fear is the ultimate trump card played to gain control of any situation.

An example that happened in a local school last week.

A teacher is arranging a class assembly about insects. A couple of days before she’s handing out the costumes for each of the class. Little Johnny is told he’s to be a Ladybird. But Little Johnny doesn’t want to be a Ladybird because he’s a boy and Ladybirds are clearly girls. The teacher ignores his protestations. Little Johnny’s upset, his parents step in and complain. The teacher ignores their complaint. So the parents do what any upper middle class parents do and phone up OFSTED.

The parents probably laid it on a bit thick, but even so I suspect fear of being sued played a hand in OFSTED’s advice to the parents.

“This is potentially a case of discrimination and therefore a matter for THE POLICE!” The parents, scenting victory, contact the police (no really they did) who arrive at the school the following morning to make their enquiries. And little Johnny is in the front row of the class assembly dressed as an ant.
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Wed 14 Jul 2010, 13:06, 17 replies)

Photos or
oh, never mind
( Yell Whoop continued to be a nin-com-poop on, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 13:13, closed)

Mrs Ring Of Fire
used to work at the school and still keeps in touch with the teacher involved. Met up last night for a drink.
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Wed 14 Jul 2010, 13:15, closed)

Hahahahahahaha
A few years ago I was sitting next to a teacher on the train, and she was huffing and puffing over her marking of basic primary school sums; she clearly wanted to be distracted, so I did the honours and asked how come she was using a green pen - whatever happened to red?

"It's deemed to be too aggressive and thus detrimental to their self-confidence" she said.

"I see", said I, "And how come you're ticking some, but doing that silly mark by others?" I asked.

"That's a C for "Correction"" she said.

"What's wrong with a cross?" I asked.

"It's too aggressive, and thus detrimental to their self-confidence" she said.

SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 13:32, closed)

Biros
are apparently also aggressive and detrimental when used to correct work. You sometimes have to wonder.
(Picotee, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 13:42, closed)

Bloody hell what's the country coming too.... very disappointing
(swissheavy, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 13:47, closed)

Little Jonny
is a wimp.

When I was six, if my teacher had told me I was going to be a ladybird, I wouldn't have gone crying to Mummy and Daddy, I'd have just refused.

I was always a stubborn fucker, never did me any good at all, but I never had to dress up as a ladybird.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 15:01, closed)

"I want to be a tomato"
Erase spots from ladybird outfit and paint antennae green. Job done.
( e.m.m.y. foxtrot uniform charlie kilo india tango, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 15:57, closed)

Seriously?

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 13:50, closed)

yeah
they've got to use special 'child freindly' marking pens
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Wed 14 Jul 2010, 15:16, closed)

I visited my
son's school for Parent's Evening the other day. The teacher had marked all of my son's work in red biro. Yes, that's right. RED BIRO. So you're all clearly talking bollocks.
(MrC. Having the most boring username on b3ta since 2004, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 15:36, closed)

QOTWers in Talking Bollocks Shock
I think it’s purple in the other half’s school. She’s stopped keeping me appraised of the petty rules cos I kept getting slputtery and sweary.

In other news, we are now allowed to put an occasional chocolate topped digestive biscuit in my daughters lunch box without getting a snotty letter from some fucking mouth breather too fucking dumb to become a real teacher.

But this un-characteristic moment of common sense was balanced out by another letter informing us that our 8 year old had committed the heinous crime of playing a game that involved handstands (which of course are banned).
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Wed 14 Jul 2010, 16:32, closed)

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 16:45, closed)

Seriously
it's true. Though I guess some schools still have some modicom of common sense and don't go postal about the whole thing. We were supposed to use green (pink was acceptable for corrections apparently, and was less threatening than red). Thankfully I now work in another country where the colour of a pen is no longer an issue, and the parents seem to be more concerned about such trivial matters as "Is my child happy/learning stuff".
(Picotee, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 16:51, closed)

I think the teaching profession has got over this now
When I was training I heard a few people mention they thought they'd heard red biro (or other writing implement) was no longer allowed, but I have not seen or heard it in practice. I wonder if it's just an urban myth. I asked a some fellow teachers with a few more years on the clock than me and they laughed and said it was bollocks...
(toomanypies, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 18:26, closed)

I
got told this on my final placement just last year. But am hoping it is slightly limited to that area.
(Picotee, Wed 14 Jul 2010, 18:58, closed)

hang on a sec
I'll just check to see if Mrs Rof is an urban myth......

Nope, I've checked Snopes and there's no mention of her.
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Wed 14 Jul 2010, 19:08, closed)

It WAS discrimination.
Shock horror! We all discriminate every minute of every day. Every time we make a decision, tiny and insignificant or life changing, we consider the options and discriminate. It's just a shame whoever interviews appilcants for OFSTED positions didn't discriminate more.
( greedyostrich Cheese is evil! Cheddar is VOODOO!, Thu 15 Jul 2010, 10:53, closed)