» Bullies

I rather lost faith in the whole school thing...
I had to literally drag my very distressed children to school for several years, to leave them sobbing their hearts out with a teacher hanging on to them so they didn't run back to me as I left. I'd be telephoned several times a week by the school because they were "distressed" after breaktimes and lunchtimes. I attended meeting after meeting with the head and deputy head about the bullying. The advice given by the staff was the usual "ignore it", "go home for lunch", "walk away", "tell a teacher" type crap. They tried all of this - to no avail. They tried standing up to the bullies - only to get into trouble with the themselves. I was told by my daughter's head of year that nothing would be done about one of the girls bullying my daughter because "her parents would get upset" and would apparently cause trouble for the school - the HoY sympathised, she said, but my daughter would have to try and stay out of the other girl's way. Etc etc, ad nauseum.

After many, many incidents - both physical and verbal, the final straw for me came following yet another a rather nasty assault on my daughter by two girls where, this time, she was thrown on the floor and kicked in the head several times - surrounded by the usual jeering mob. My daughter finally managed to get to the receptionist and asked her to call me. The receptionist said she'd call the school nurse instead, who duly came and took my daughter to the medical room. After being told what had happened the nurse gave her a glass of water and then sent her off to her class. The teacher noticed she was white as a sheet and shaking so sent her back to the nurse, the nurse immediately sent her back to class. After much to'ing and fro'ing to the nurses room over the course of the day (the incident happened in the morning) the deputy head was finally called in. He questioned my daughter and the two girls concerned, who eventually admitted the whole thing and told them to shake hands and apologise.

My daughter came home from school that night still white as a sheet, still shaking, blurred vision, vomiting etc - I finally managed to piece together most of the story from her highly incoherent explanations while we were in casualty. She was concussed but fortunately no permanent or longlasting damage.

Obviously I had several questions for the school staff - why hadnt they called me when it happened, why hadnt they taken her to hospital immediately (which I would think would be commonsense after someone was kicked repeatedly in the head), why did the nurse continually send her back to class when she was quite clearly not fit to be in school after the assault, etc

No satisfactory answers were forthcoming, no apology for the nurse's total incompetence - instead I was apparently supposed to be satisfied with the punishment which the school had decided upon for the two girls concerned - they were "isolated" (not allowed to go outside at breaktime or lunchtime) for one whole day! Woo!

After the meeting concluded I marched straight up to the receptionist, requested a pen and paper, and wrote a letter to the school unregistering them - took them home. They've been home educated ever since.

After being out of the school environment for several years, my children have now returned to the well-balanced and happy people they were before the bullying started. They are respectful, kind and enthusiastic about learning, and are now much more social and friendly with other children (albeit older children rather than their peers) than they ever were whilst at school - something which, had I left them in that abusive and neglectful environment, I'm sure would have been knocked out of them.

Yes, education is necessary - school isn't.
(Sat 16th May 2009, 4:17, More)

» Old People Talk Bollocks

My mate's granny
wanted to buy a de-humaniser to get rid of the compensation on the windows.
(Fri 12th Mar 2004, 12:12, More)

» Pointless Experiments

I believe I can fly.
I was raised on a small farm in the middle of Dartmoor.

When I was about 5 or 6 I managed to get hold of a pair of complete chicken wings, which my dad had for some unknown reason chopped off a recently slaughtered chicken. After a few amusing seconds pulling sinews and waving the wings about, I decided that since I now had wings I would be able to fly.

I climbed onto the kitchen table and, with a wing in each hand, I launched myself into the air flapping furiously.

I failed.

Miserably.

A dozen or more times.

Conclusion: I just havent got the technique right yet - it has to work.. I have wings!
(Sat 26th Jul 2008, 17:31, More)

» My Biggest Disappointment

Giving birth.
After being regaled with horror birth stories throughout my pregnancy, when the day finally came for the birth of my first child I was looking forward to days of pain and suffering which would be all "worth it in the end" - highly disappointed when it was all over in 6 hours - didn't even have the time for any pain relief. The second was even worse! 2 hours! Totally impossible now for me to tell my own horror stories to expectant mothers, I feel cheated.

Made an effort to suck on a bit of gas and air the second time, however, after being told how fantastic this stuff was - made me feel sick, so I gave it up after one puff.

*sigh*
(Mon 30th Jun 2008, 19:53, More)

» Pet Peeves

Another one...
People ranting on about fat women - but saying nothing about fat men. Personally I have absolutely nothing against either fat or slim (or even skinny) people - I'd rather judge someone on their personality than by their looks, shame others are so fixated with appearance that they can't see past that.

I understand that some people find fat repulsive, in the same way that others find scrawny repulsive - but the rabid revulsion shown by some seems to me to be more than a little excessive.

Alongside this one is the fat = stupid thing. Why? Even if you believe fat people have no self control, how does this make them unintelligent? I'd be interested in any reasoned arguments about that one.
(Wed 7th May 2008, 13:01, More)