Child being searched at school

[philkool]

Is it against the law for a girl of 15 to be searched by a female teacher in front of male pupils and 2 male teachers,
apparently looking for mobile phones which are banned at school ?

[factor-fiction]

Yes, sherrardk.
Some pupils simply refuse to hand the phone over. They know that there is nothing I can do. (I give a choice of hand it over or detention, but for many a detention is unenforceable as they never turn up). Some do hand over phones and I sometimes have several lined up on my desk but as there friends usually take them back when my back is turned it then becomes a game. If I put them in my pocket or bag they sometimes complain i've damaged it when they get it back.

[factor-fiction]

And in philkool's granddaughter's case I am still not sure what sort of search it was (and maybe it shouldn't have been done in front of other pupils) but I'm at a total loss to understand why she is going to visit the police station about it tomorrow.

[factor-fiction]

oops: "as THEIR friends take them back... ""

[sherrardk]

You teach maths (I think) so you can be forgiven! Hats off to you though, I could never go back.

[ChuckFickens]

Which brings us back to the original point....

At what point can teachers discipline a pupil and where do "namby pamby" politics take over.

Teachers need to be able to enforce discipline on pupils but we seem to have hit a stage where discipline is overruled by the "my little darling would do that" attitude

[sherrardk]

I am getting all stressed out just reading about it - schools are a minefield. Teaches can't enforce appropriate discipline, parents think that their children can do no wrong, heads/deputies sit in their ivory towers but don't come into contact with the actual students and the teachers are constantly being asked why their results are not better. Nightmare! I went to uni for four years, have sixteen years experience as a teacher (the last seven of them as a senior teacher) and I would never go back.

[factor-fiction]

Hi chuck- did you see the Jamie Oliver- Dream School last week where the girl student was sent home for being extremely aggressive, swearing repeatedly at the Head and threatening another pupil. Her mum seemed to take her side.... until she saw the video footage, but even then she felt the head had been partly at fault because he had asked her not to shout out.

[AlBags]

What's teaching become.
No wonder loads of teachers have become nervous recks!
Lockable cupboard.

If a phone is confiscated .. it stays in there until the end of the school day, when they are made to queue at HM study to get them back, maybe?!

[AlBags]

^ (present company accepted, of course!)

[AlBags]

^ *excepted

[sherrardk]

The HM (in most cases) won't give a stuff - they might make the rules but they don't actually come into contact with the children. When I was working the head and deputies only taught six form so didn't have to contend with the problems.

[ChuckFickens]

Factor... No I didn't see that (I don't really watch TV)

But it seems indicative of what I said..

Some parents seem to confuse human rights with acceptable behaviour.

[joko]

what else does this statement mean then, if not an implication ..?

philkool - im annoyed at the 2 male teachers being present, wonder if they have been checked out ?

!!!

[factor-fiction]

I wondered if there have been any developments on this as the child was due to call in at the police station on Monday on the way to school.

[bednobs]

somehow i doubt the poster will be back after 90 posts of rubbishing the daughter/granddaughter that had nothing to with the original question! As far as i can tell, only chris answered the question actually asked!

[factor-fiction]

I usually agree with you bednobs, but whilst I agree that the thread went on to discuss more than the actual question, I think it was established pretty quickly that the answer was no. I don't think that there was anyone that felt it was against the law.

[bednobs]

indeed, it was established pretty quickly, therefore why the need to go on?

[factor-fiction]

Perhaps, bednobs- but threads do develop. Are you suggesting a thread should stop once an answer has been established?