Farepak

[Donna]

Originally Posted by sandy

Of course I know when kids are being bullied, are troubled, lonely, black sheep, etc. It's my job to know.

Teachers are the last to know. My son has had a troubled THREE years at secondary school. NO ONE could see what was wrong, and I spoke to:

His form teacher
His year head
School councellor
Doctor

Bullied kids learn very very quickly to hide things. They become secretive and withdrawn.

[sandy]

Originally Posted by Donna

Teachers are the last to know. My son has had a troubled THREE years at secondary school. NO ONE could see what was wrong, and I spoke to:

His form teacher
His year head
School councellor
Doctor

Bullied kids learn very very quickly to hide things. They become secretive and withdrawn.

Exactly, that's one of the ways of spotting them.

We take bullying very seriously at our school. Nip it in the bud usually, we very rarely have cases of long-term bullying. Haul all the parents up to school and get round the table with them and the kids. Just dealt with a case today. Our kids have learned to be pretty open about it and report it quickly, they have seen that we tackle the problem, so are more willing to complain.

I dealt with a case a while back in which the victims were really terrified. I collared the bigger boys who were doing the bullying and told them to listen very carefully: it was to stop today, absolutely, finito, or else they'd have me to deal with. Ive known them since they were little 12-year olds and they were so easily intimidated, lol! I have no idea what they thought I'd do to them if they continued, but it must have been pretty bad, because they did stop immediately.

We expel serial bullies, no nonsense. We advertise as a 'safe school' and have to keep our word.

[EmmaG]

Originally Posted by sandy

I dealt with a case a while back in which the victims were really terrified. I collared the bigger boys who were doing the bullying and told them to listen very carefully: it was to stop today, absolutely, finito, or else they'd have me to deal with. Ive known them since they were little 12-year olds and they were so easily intimidated, lol! I have no idea what they thought I'd do to them if they continued, but it must have been pretty bad, because they did stop immediately.

We expel serial bullies, no nonsense. We advertise as a 'safe school' and have to keep our word.

See if that was in the UK the teacher would be expelled for intimidating a pupil. One of the biggest problems our schools face is that fact that teacher have lost their clout.

[sandy]

Originally Posted by EmmaG

No not everybody can get a credit card in the UK, we have to be credit scored and if your credit score is not good enough (and this can be of no fault of your own - say bad credit history at your new address, never having credit before) then they will not give you a card.

I got the impression that anyone could get any amount of credit cards from several BBC programmes, Emma, especially those on young people who were in massive, hair-raising amounts of debt. Seems you can opt for personal bankruptcy easily in the UK and be free of it again within 2 years, having all one's debts more or less wiped out. That's what they claimed in one such programme, anyway.

I'd be a nervous wreck with a fraction of such debts. My daughter got into a bit of debt (I mean really, a bit) as a student. I paid her debts immediately, made her take a part-time job and pay me back every single penny of it over a 2 year period. It cured her good and proper.

[sandy]

Originally Posted by EmmaG

See if that was in the UK the teacher would be expelled for intimidating a pupil. One of the biggest problems our schools face is that fact that teacher have lost their clout.

Yep, it's a damned disgrace. I really detest bullying and took a calculated risk in my approach to these young men. I didn't actually threaten them with anything, did I?

[EmmaG]

Oh the banks love students, it is the more mature people that find it hard to get credit if they have a bad credit score.

I think one of the big problems with the UK banks is that they are very irresponsible at lending money, if you had a good credit history you could easily (if you wanted to borrow at least 5 times what you earn, if not more on credit cards) I hope one day banks make the changes so this doesn't happen. I have heard about people who are unemployed being offered (and even getting tens of thousands of pounds worth of loans or credit cards with no means to pay the money back)

[Naomi]

I've never actually come across a company in the UK which will accept COD maybe it's because they don't trust their delivery drivers with the money, I don't know.

[EmmaG]

Originally Posted by sandy

Yep, it's a damned disgrace. I really detest bullying and took a calculated risk in my approach to these young men. I didn't actually threaten them with anything, did I?

No sandy I am sure you didn't, but most children (perhaps the bullies) know that they can run rings around are teachers and their parents will stick up for them, even if they know their children are in the wrong.

Unfortunately our teachers do have their hands pretty much tied when it comes to discipling children in our schools.

It wasn't like that in my days at school you were frightened of the teachers and if your parents found out that you did something wrong, then you really were in for it!!! lol

[Donna]

Prime example of secondary school life in the UK:

Sean had a detention at lunchtime today as he forgot his maths book yesterday in class.

He turned up for the detention and the teacher said sit there and dont disappear and I will be back in five minutes.

My son (who is the most un-naughty boy in the world!!) knew the teacher wouldnt come back so just legged in when her back was turned.

He said "the teacher doesnt know who I am, and she doesnt care if I didnt do the detention".

Thats what us parents have to put up with here.

[alexgirl73]

With regards to the children issue (though I don't actually know how we got on to this subject), teachers and parents are too scared to discipline kids in their care as children know all of their rights within the law and aren't afraid to use them. My 13 yr old niece is coming to live with me tomorrow for 2 weeks. She is being sent to us because of the problems she has got into at home. At the weekend she got arrested for fighting with her mum, destroying (and I mean destroying) her bedroom and running away. She was placed in a childrens unit over the weekend where they proceeded to take her out for burgers, give her £7 spending money and they let her go out on the sunday with a group of kids from the unit, because it is 'against her human rights' to hold her in, and she came back in at 2 o'clock in the morning, absolutely out of her face on drink! Her mum has tried everything with her, and she has never wanted for anything, was loved by the whole family but has had behavioural problems for years which no professional took notice of and we now think she is bi-polar. The pressure on parents in this country is immense. There is very little help out there and there is far too much emphasis on the rights of the children! What about parents rights?