Seriously, even consoling an upset child that isn't your own, can be misconstrued as 'sexual abuse'. Well damn me for cuddling that little lost kid in the shopping centre a few weeks back!
But what about helping a child out of a potentially dangerous situation? What if that potentially hazardous situation is at school during school time?
Tonight's Friday Fuckwits are indeed some of the rules applied that prevent teachers and common sense prevailing when little buggas get themselves in a bind:
The SUN: STAFF REPORTERLovely weekend ahead we hope, although the firies have started back burning (the weekend pyromaniacs) and the air is acrid with smoke, Why they need to do it after so much rain I'll never know. Enjoy your weekend folks. I'm off to Doyles to cash in my Christmas voucher down by the sea! Cheers:)
Published: 24 Mar 2010
A FIVE-YEAR-OLD pupil was left stuck up a tree at school because a bizarre health and safety policy BANNED teachers from helping him down.
And when a passerby rescued the stranded child — she was reported to the POLICE for trespassing.
The cheeky youngster climbed the 20ft tree at the end of morning break and refused to come down.
But instead of helping him, staff followed guidelines and retreated INSIDE the school building to ''observe from a distance'' so the child would not get ''distracted and fall''.
The child was only rescued when a woman noticed him and helped him down herself.
But instead of being thanked for her actions by staff at the Manor School in Melksham, Wiltshire, Kim Barrett was shopped to the cops.
Kim, who lives in Melksham, was left stunned by the school's policy.
She said: ''I stopped to ask him if he was OK, and it became clear that he'd been there since the end of playtime, which had been around half an hour earlier. 'I was immediately concerned. I walked over to the school with the boy and was met by the associate head. 'He didn't appear at all concerned, and was actually very patronising, patting me on the arm and asking me 'what do you expect me to do, exactly, dear?'
''When I said I thought it was a serious incident, he then said his only concern was me trespassing.
Kim claims that she walked around to the front of the school, on to the playing field and then helped the schoolboy down before taking him back to his class.
But the school alleges that she ''approached the school in an inappropriate way'' and asked her to leave the premises after she got into a row with staff over the boy's welfare.
Later that evening a letter from headteacher Beverley Martin was posted through Kim's door, explaining that the school had contacted police about the incident.
The next morning she was visited by a PCSO who told her she had committed a trespassing.
Ms Martin confirmed that the school's policy prevents staff going to the aid of children who have climbed trees.
C'mon . . play in the tree house . . .
39 comments:
omg like a cat in a tree. leave him there a week . hahha have a splendid weekend !!
You have to be cautious about health and safety stories in the British papers, they're a tabloid favourite and quite often inaccurate or made up.
This one seems quite accurate, I don't understand why staff weren't allowed to get him down. And reporting the rescuer to the police just seems like a waste of police time. Not fuckwits exactly but certainly spineless rule-followers.
Come play in the tree house? Are you mad? I might get stuck up there and no-one will put themselves at risk to help me.....
You're right about political and all other forms of "correctness" being wa-a-a-a-y overboard. The world needs a kick up the khyber. Bring back common sense I say.
Good fucking grief... I knew political correctness was the biggest social evil of our time (as I am fond of saying at the slightest provocation) but this takes the biscuit!
So, who do the parents sue when the kid falls and breaks his arm, his leg, or his neck? Me? I'd sue the lot of them. They are in loco parentis, for heaven's sake, and they love to remind us of this - when it suits them!!
some people have rocks for brains...so if i want to get out of school, just climb a tree...
It is hard to believe it has come to this level. Sad.
so were they going to call the fire department, or just leave the little guy for the squirrels? that's nuts!
yeah, let all the little bastards die... THAT'LL teach em!
Well, people has gone mad unfortunately. I am naive and I hope that this tendency will turn back.
Those 'weekend pyromaniacs' are the ones who approve your permits to have a bonfire baino... don't "burn" your bridges. We have multiple hazard reductions around the shire that have been waiting for almost 6 months due to the hot spell just before and now after the bushfire danger period...
That "no touching" policy has been going on even longer here in the US. A friend of mine got her pink slip from the Newport school system at the end of her first year of teaching - she taught kindergarten (5-year-olds) - because she used to hold some of the kids in her lap while reading to them during story time. And that was in 1973!
Have fun on your weekend!
Maybe it's the mood I'm in, but I dunno...if the child "refused to come down" and they truly WERE watching him, maybe they were just letting natural consequences happen...
The band Madness had some lyrics which sum this up, and I quote: "Madness, madness, they call it madness..."
But as Nick said, you do have to be cautious about believing this sort of story. Sometimes, and maybe in this case, they are true. But for a while it was my job to follow them up ' because they seemed like such great stories. The problem was that in nine out of ten cases (at least), especially when it came to Christmas trees being banned, the story was mostly or completely false.
Still, there are some stupid rules around. The best way to cope with them is just to ignore them and trust to common sense. That way you can at löeast live with yourself.
Jeez, those school rules sound as dumb as some of them over here. The whole world is nuts.
Have a great wkend!
I say put the fuckwit lawyers (who used fear of litigation to get these policies instituted) in the tops of trees and then say 'Sorry, can't help ya' when they can't get down.
It does work the other way sometimes. When the principal refused to do anything about the 8th grade boy taunting my daughter with a knife, I reminded him when my daughter was on school property, he (the principal) was responsible for her well-being, and that if she was harmed in any way during that time, I *would* sue him, the school district, etc. He called the boy in and notified the boy's mother, who said I should've called *her* instead of the principal. The boy was definitely taking advantage of the school's "hands off" policy.
What ever happened to common sense? I frankly doubt this story; it's too bizarre.
We have a fire alert here now so I didn't enjoy seeing a bonfire near what appeared to be dry brush.
Baino I was lucky/priveleged enough to interview Sapph's principal the other day for The Age/SMH 'My Career' section.
During our chat the interruptions were many and entertaining and several involved crying children who came in, were heard by Lesley and all got hugs. It was lovely to see such 'flouting' of the rules to see that her kids all automatically knew that they could reach for her.
I'm becoming a big soft marshmallow these days!
I've got one for you. Here in a South Australian First Aid course for teachers, we were apologetically told that younger children were now to put their own bandaid on their finger.Of course, no touch has been around forever here. Blood... touching - it's all full of paranoia and litigation...and the no tree climbing policy? As set in concrete as the poor damn trees are.
Oh Baino, on a happier note! Loved the video clip. Husband and I stayed in caravan just like it in Ireland when we were young back-packers. Placed away from everything, we loved the little caravan in the countryside and the old lady who owned it bought us fresh eggs, and we gathered fresh water from a bubbling spring.She was born and grew up in her whitewashed cottage, as had generations before her.
Unfortunately, it is only going to get worse with the PC stuff. Pretty soon you will not even be able to look at a child without being classified as a potential abuser.
Haha I bet the little bugger would have come down on his own eventually . . he wasn't far off the ground.
Well it was the Sun Nick . .
Aww River, you must have done it in your younger days!
I'd like to know where the playground supervision was when he was actually climbing the tree Jay?
Yep, looks like that's the solution Brian
Tis Sad Ocean . . only the lawyers seem to win in these cases. All suffer for a few fools.
Woof! That's a bit harsh, you're turning into a grumpy old hound.
Me too Ropi.
Ryan you're losing your sense of humour.
I know, it's ridiculous Roy. No wonder teachers have no respect or power anymore. How does Santa Clause get away with it?
Kathy quite so it was from an English Tabloid so things may not be as they seem. He got up, must have been able to get down!
Blackwater tis true but this is a lighthearted segment so never let the truth get in the way of a good story. . .
Some of them are particularly stupid Cali. Nanny state here we come.
Hello Jama, welcome over. Well good on you for putting pressure on the principal!
Darlene, as you and I know, common sense is unusually uncommon! Ah the firies backburn through the winter where possible. As Ryan said, can't be done in 40 degree heat. I just wish they'd do it during the week. I'm such a NIMBY
Yeh Kath, most of my friends are or were once primary teachers actually and do the same.
Pam that's ludicrous. And naive. What? You're going to get HIV from a bleeding knee? if that's the case, we'd better start worrying about mosquitoes!
Otin, it all started in the US where suing someone became preferable to mediation. We're following in your footsteps unfortunately.
How do I get off this rock?
That's one of the most effed up FWit's I've read! For real? It's bad enough they leave the kid up in the tree but, then they sue someone for helping him.
As adults, aren't we supposed to help kids? This is an example of when progress is not progress.
Is this why parents let kids carry cellphones? I,too, would help a child and suffer the consequences later. -J
So you're just supposed to leave the kid in the tree all by himself? WTF? I work with 4-year-olds and they have such an important need for affection. It's a shame if you can't even give a kid a hug or let them sit on your lap to read a book.
BTW... love the music video! Thanks for sharing, Baino.
that was tongue-firmly-in-cheek, as you know, baino :P lol
That's absolutely ridiculous, political correctness gone mad. I used to manage a children's home and know all about the frustrations of red tape!
Barmpots*!*
I nearly posted a link to this story yesterday! my post has a related theme...
tis crazy. world gone mad. pffft
Unbelievable story, makes one doubt the future of our human race.;))
Thank you so much for your visit and a great comment.;)
xo
Zuzana
oh fucking jeez louise.
you can be damn sure i hug my kid clients and i ask for forgiveness well before i ask for permission.
love you, hells.
kj
Effing ridiculous...
Insane, is all I can say. A good post here to prove that.
I have never heard of Clare Bowdich before. Like it!
This has to be absolutely crazy!!
The world has gone freaking mad. Then I think to myself why are we mad at PC,... its the freakin sickos that made it this way for the rest of us normal people.
In my younger days? Yes. I was made to play with others when all I wanted was to read a book, so when they chose to play hide'n'seek I'd wear my green and brown clothes and hide up a tree. Blending in so well and staying very still I was rarely found and happily read for hours while they played on without me. I loved being up high and quiet. I remember climbing the big old peppercorn tree in the school yard many times, as well as the ones on the median strip outside my house.
i agree with brian and kj
some people have rock for brains
and fucking jeez louise
Yeh Yeh I know . . I'm full of shit I could talk the leg of a chair! Thursday night, Chardy's charged, four day weekend . . relaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaax.
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