From the Forester newspaper, a story about a mum homeschooling her child as a result of school bullying.
All power to those parents who think creatively about how to prevent their children suffering needlessly, I say. However, I spoke to someone from the school today, who said that the way the school authorities see it, Tiah was school phobic. Hmm, we've heard that one before...like it is totally unreasonable to be fearful of a situation where you are routinely bullied.
There are so many things to fear about school and so little to like. Bullies, bad teachers, opportunist paedophiles, stalled learning, lie entrenching and the latest and most hateful trend - the occasional visit of the celebrities full of themselves but with little real knowledge.
ReplyDeleteOff topicness: Can I quote something you posted on the UKHE list on my blog?
Hi Leo,
ReplyDeleteYep, no problem.
Gah! My cousin hated school, and occassionally refused to go...she's now training as a Children's Nurse. In their Mental Health section, they were 'reliably' informed that 'school refusal' is considered a childhood mental health condition!!!??????? So basically, being scared of something totally rational is considered something you may need medical treatment for! Makes me hate the system even more than I do already
ReplyDeleteCx
Is there anything that we can do about altering the definition of refusing school=school phobia=mental health condition?
ReplyDeleteThis is very dangerous. If we were seriously bullied at work and once in the building were unable to leave, would the authorities call it 'work phobia'?
I can't get over the awful implications...children getting labelled sick, being medicated, being seen as irrational humans...AHhh!!! There must be something we can do about this.k
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I agree - so terrible. Fancy being labelled as someone with a Mental Health condition before you're even an adult, simply on the basis that you hate being forced to attend somewhere you feel miserable - surely that's just what most sane people would expect! School can be pretty hideous for some children and labelling them for admitting to finding it hideous is only going to cause more children to become mentally ill by essentially forcing them to internalise the negative feelings they're expressing which are then likely to come out later on in life...maybe in the form of 'yob behaviour'; serious drug-taking (as a form of escape...?); any other form of so-called anti-social behaviour...
ReplyDeleteCx
Careful with mixing animal rights with children's rights, even if jokingly.
ReplyDeleteI think only people that are psychiatrists can sucessfully criticise the institution.
I think you are absolutely right ARCH...adults (morally and legally) have a huge responsibility in this regard...they are responsible for the emotional welfare of their children but just don't seem to see it, so that the pressure remains on parents who respond to their children to demonstrate that they are not over-protective!!!
ReplyDelete(The world is screwy!)
Am interested to know how commonplace the problem of school refusal is nowadays...and whether the situation has changed markedly since the 80's. If anyone knows of any recent figures or up-to-date info about children who suffer in schools, I would be very grateful.