I would like to start this post with telling a little story about when I was in kindergarten.
In Belgium and the Netherlands, we have a tradition called 'Sinterklaas', this old and wise man loves children, lives in Spain and brings present to all the kids who were good that year. Of course it's actually mom and dad, but over here, we all remember how it was like to wake up on the 6th of December, knowing there would be gifts and sweets downstairs, at the stoves. Sinterklaas carries his presents with him in a big bag, and it's this bag which played a crucial role in my strong and longlasting hatred for a certain kindergarten teacher.
A week before Sinterklaas would pay us all a visit, the teacher gave us a big piece of cardboard with a bag drawn on it. Our task was to collect pictures of the toys you would like to have, tear them out and glue them into the bag.
I always got 3 things: one from my parents, one from my mom's parents and one from my dad's parents. While all the other children started collecting and pasting all the stuff they wanted, it took me longer to find what I was searching for. I was really concerned about the fact I could only pick 3 things, since I knew I wouldn't get more, so I felt like it was my job to study each toy and think about it deeply.
I was 4 years old. My teacher, a heartless bitch my father once described as 'a witch who can only smile if she sees her salary', wasn't really happy with me taking my time. After an hour, my work wasn't done because I was still wondering if I wanted a Play-Doh set or Duplo blocks. Without any warning, the teacher lashed out at me, dragged me out of the classroom, and let me stand in the hallway for half an hour because I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do. When she returned, I tried to explain to her why I couldn't just choose anything, but she yelled at me again, shook me and made me look like a stupid dumb toddler in front of my classmates.
I know this isn't such a heartbreaking, cruel act like the one I'm going to tell you in a few seconds. But still, young children are vulnerable, especially when confronted with injustice and abuse of power by an adult. This wasn't the only incident with this teacher. Some months before the Sinterklaas incident, she hit one of my best friends because she accidentally peed her pants.
I remember I came home sick and crying, my little tummy was hurting and I just didn't understand why I deserved to be treated like this. Sinterklaas that year wasn't the same, the doctor kept me home for two whole weeks and my mother had a serious talk with the teacher.
I know this sounds like a rather innocent affair, and looking back at it, it wasn't that much of a big deal. At least I wasn't beaten up or abused. But still, until this day, I swear that if I ever see that woman again, I will remember her face. And I will confront her. I would love to just punch her in the face, but I don't want her to know how much it got to me as a toddler. So if our paths ever cross again, I'll go with some verbal insults. Maybe some threats. Anything that keeps her up at night.
What happened that day really got to me, and I didn't like going back to that classroom. She never lashed at me again, I really think she got the message when my mom was done with her. But still, she yelled at us every goddamn day.
Now on to this pile of horsepoo: children attending school in the UK were made to sit in detention for 8 hours straight because they weren't wearing the right pair of jeans. Check it out!
Seriously? Those poor children were made to sit in a room without even having school tasks to do or without permission to play, simply because they weren't dressed in the 'right' kind of fabric? Seriously? The 'best' part about it is how the school seems to find this form of punishment normal. Since when is it okay to torture kids at school for not being dressed in the way teachers want them to be?
Given my own little example about a teacher being a monster, I really don't want to imagine how these kids must have felt after two days of forced detention without even doing anything wrong. Something tells me tho this isn't just about stupid pants. They probably thought they were doing the children a favour by learning them to be obedient. Or they just wanted to show them who's boss, because of course, kids are such a danger for your self-esteem and nerves, someone had to teach these little brats a lession. If you can't understand that it's wrong and immoral to make children sit down for 8 hours, please, find another job.
If this would have happened to my child, I don't really know what would have happened. I'm not a violent person at all, but I can see myself breaking someone's nose over this. Without delay, my child would be sent to another school, and I would do anything to make this news hit every news station. I would make sure the names of those teachers would be known, and demonized. No mercy on this one. This could scar those 100 kids for life. Not the big, red, aching scars sexual abuse or neglection leave behind, but still, it's something they won't lightely forget. I've always suspected that the events in kindergarten and another one in my first year of elementary made me hate autority and abuse of power. Hate is not a healthy feeling, especially not for a youngster.
Not only is the level of quality on schools going downhill, teachers don't even seem to need any real brains or morals to get the job anymore. Also, school staff workers tend to behave more and more psychotic.
I really understand why a lot of people prefer homeschooling these days.
Sabetha
pissedofpenguin@gmail.com
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