This is how it all starts...

ClaireBear said:
Exactly!

But what is a minor bump or scrape when it happens when Mum or Dad are enjoying a bottle of veno and can't be arsed to move off the veranda...suddenly becomes a life threatening injury worthy of compensation when it occurs when Miss Morris was suppervising a whole yard (over 200 children!) at break time!
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Two words for that...Tort Reform. Most of the civilized world has lost it's perspective on right (correct) and rights (prerogatives). They've lost their perspective on hazardous and dangerous as well.
 
Leslie said:
in the face of such obvious neglect I think I'd sue too. 1:200 is not an acceptable ratio.
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That isn't an over exaggeration either... I've witnessed some schools have the entire school out playing (isn't it recess over the pond) with just 2 teachers supervising... like well over 100 kids each!

But we are still talking a bump/graze caused by the usual game of tag or chase... the kind of thing that would get a cursory...

"Up! She's down!... you alright!?"
*parent puts down wine and ambles over*
"Awwwwe pet! mummy kiss it better for you... Don't think you need a plaster... there! Better? Give it a rub"
*child runs off to play again*
 
Leslie said:
in the face of such obvious neglect I think I'd sue too. 1:200 is not an acceptable ratio.
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No, it's not. But instead of suing, shouldn't you work the school board into either

A: Hiring more watchers or
B: staggering recess so that there are enough teachers free to actually watch it

Suing is a last resort action. ;)
 
The incidents posted (originally) were at a high school... high schools generally (here) have about 2000 to 3000 students in them (in the city). There's no "recess" for these students, just a lunch period. Teachers (in my state) are allowed a 30 minute "duty free" lunch... so they can eat in peace.

Same goes for middle school (junior high)... student's don't get "recess" only a lunch period.

In elementary schools, however, students get 20 minutes of recess (as determined by your own state)... each teacher supervises his/her own class on the playground. Again, though... teachers are allowed a "duty free" lunch so they can eat in peace. No other profession REQUIRES that an employee work during their lunch time, and so this was fought for and rightfully gained, by teachers.

If you're looking for ways to improve, don't put the responsibility back on the teachers, they do already too much.
 
valkyrie said:
The incidents posted (originally) were at a high school... high schools generally (here) have about 2000 to 3000 students in them (in the city). There's no "recess" for these students, just a lunch period. Teachers (in my state) are allowed a 30 minute "duty free" lunch... so they can eat in peace.

Same goes for middle school (junior high)... student's don't get "recess" only a lunch period.

In elementary schools, however, students get 20 minutes of recess (as determined by your own state)... each teacher supervises his/her own class on the playground. Again, though... teachers are allowed a "duty free" lunch so they can eat in peace. No other profession REQUIRES that an employee work during their lunch time, and so this was fought for and rightfully gained, by teachers.

If you're looking for ways to improve, don't put the responsibility back on the teachers, they do already too much.
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Even though the original thread was about knives being used in murder, and thus their eventual ban, the topic slowly moved over to personal responsibility. They don't call this place Off Topic Central for nuthin... :grinno:
 
Gato_Solo said:
No, it's not. But instead of suing, shouldn't you work the school board into either

A: Hiring more watchers or
B: staggering recess so that there are enough teachers free to actually watch it

Suing is a last resort action. ;)
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if my kid was hurt because of a 200:1 ratio, yeah, I probably would sue. That's way beyond a lot of kids, that's just not caring. But I suppose that's an extreme number, and hope it's not really true anywhere.

As to what I'd really do in a more reasonable situation, funny story....

When my oldest was 5, the school called me a couple times. (this'd be the school that told me my now-assessed-as-gifted-son is retarded). Seemed Zach had decided in his wisdom a couple times during lunch to start home instead of staying in the yard. When they finally called, wanting me to punish him and deal with it, he'd done it 6!! times. So six times there was a search party out for my kid, and noone told me. But that's not my point here. I was upset at first, and talked to him, and then find out a couple days later, he'd done it again!!! And it dawned on me, he's FIVE! wtf are they doing not watching that he's not exiting the schoolyard? If I knew he had a propensity to do something dangerous at home and didn't take care that he didn't, I'd be charged with neglect. So I called the school. And they told me that there was no way they could supervise that many children at once, and it was Zach's (WHO IS FIVE) responsibility. So, I lost it. And called the superintendent of schools. And the school got reprimanded, and they had to hire more "watchers". I got a call from the principal a few days later, "we know what you did, Mrs. Summerton" :lol:
 
It was more like an "and"? If they can't supervise the kids they're charged with supervising, it's their problem. And a big one.

That school didn't like me too much.
 
You should have called the local media. They love 'kids in danger' stories for sweeps week. You probably would have had the whole 12 days of Christmas running though them.

12 teachers picketing
11 lawyers swarming
10 lawsuits pending
9 settlement offers
8 marriage proposals
7 midnight death threats
6 police car barricade
5 district MP's lyyyy--yyy-y-ing
4 picket signs
3 new principals
2 days of ducking thrown eggs
and 1 little Zach still wandering home....
 
Leslie said:
if my kid was hurt because of a 200:1 ratio, yeah, I probably would sue. That's way beyond a lot of kids, that's just not caring. But I suppose that's an extreme number, and hope it's not really true anywhere.

As to what I'd really do in a more reasonable situation, funny story....

When my oldest was 5, the school called me a couple times. (this'd be the school that told me my now-assessed-as-gifted-son is retarded). Seemed Zach had decided in his wisdom a couple times during lunch to start home instead of staying in the yard. When they finally called, wanting me to punish him and deal with it, he'd done it 6!! times. So six times there was a search party out for my kid, and noone told me. But that's not my point here. I was upset at first, and talked to him, and then find out a couple days later, he'd done it again!!! And it dawned on me, he's FIVE! wtf are they doing not watching that he's not exiting the schoolyard? If I knew he had a propensity to do something dangerous at home and didn't take care that he didn't, I'd be charged with neglect. So I called the school. And they told me that there was no way they could supervise that many children at once, and it was Zach's (WHO IS FIVE) responsibility. So, I lost it. And called the superintendent of schools. And the school got reprimanded, and they had to hire more "watchers". I got a call from the principal a few days later, "we know what you did, Mrs. Summerton" :lol:
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BTW...is this usual Canadian nonchalance, or were they trying to cover something up?

I'll give you this...once is bad, twice is foolish, and three times is negligent. Think of it like baseball. Three strikes, and you're out. You did do the right thing, calling the superintendent, though. I'd've loved to see the look on the principals face when that came 'downhill'.
 
lol Rob! :lol:

err...a dull one would only hurt more :eek:

Gato, it was just...each school gets a chunk of money, the school decides where the money goes...and supervision wasn't where this one decided to apply it. That and the ones that were on yard duty (hirelings, not teachers) preferred standing under a tree chatting (saw it regularly). They apparently thought simply having someone outside was supervision. NOT.
 
Leslie said:
lol Rob! :lol:

err...a dull one would only hurt more :eek:

Gato, it was just...each school gets a chunk of money, the school decides where the money goes...and supervision wasn't where this one decided to apply it. That and the ones that were on yard duty (hirelings, not teachers) preferred standing under a tree chatting (saw it regularly). They apparently thought simply having someone outside was supervision. NOT.
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So much for 'adult' supervision. Obviously, they didn't take their jobs seriously. :shrug:
 
Professur said:
A rather feeble attempt.
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....those that can't,teach.those that can't teach become Principals.
loser.gif
 
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