Well, hello to 'Daisybell's' Mum! :0)

Now, I wonder who that could be....?

"We did not choose the school because it was single sex, but because geographically, economically and academically, it made the most sense for us."

But, you moved there *because* of the school, didn't you? I'd presume you moved there because you wanted the best for your child, and felt the League Tables of that school proved it was the best in the area, therefore, you moved there, in order to be able to get Daisy into the school, as in, it was a specific move to go to a specific school, not a move based around job, economics or geography, but purely around that particular school. Unless I've got that wrong.

Many parents do that. There are children who live in Sidmouth who can't go to school in Sidmouth, because children from Exmouth have been able to find a place there, so desperate are some parents to get their kids to a smaller school..and Exmouth was (so I've been told, but my 'secretary' Dave, will check the facts for me in a moment)...yes, Exmouth was the biggest secondary school in Europe, making it into the Guinness Book of Records, for that reason...

Mind you, that was 10 years back, so the goalposts may have changed...

It was in Exmouth one day, whilst walking on the beach with our dogs that we got talking to a young boy from that school. I'd thrown the ball for Gruffy, one of our dogs, and she'd picked it up and taken it to him and his mates, who then started playing with her...

The young lad had his arm all wrapped in crepe bandages, so I asked him what he'd done, was it serious etc...and he told me (some may recall this story)...he told me that a fellow pupil at school had poured Lynx Aftershave over his hand and arm, then had thrown a match at him...and WHOOSH!

I was shocked..but not surprised.

Why?

Because EXACTLY the same thing had happened to another young lad, a visitor from Germany..to Tavistock College...and one of the somewhat disturbed kids on the ccach had got his bottle of Lynx out of his bag, thrown some on this poor German lad and done exactly the same thing, with a match...

It was the bus my daughter used to go to school on, from Horrabridge, each day...and I'd merrily wave her goodbye, from my bedroom window, which overlooked the road the bus turned up into...

I had no idea what she was enduring on that bus, nor witnessing...

I ended up getting that boy banned from the bus for the things he was doing to Nonny...but the ban only lasted 2 weeks...and he was back...

I fully understand that he was having a rough time at home, no father around, away in the Marines etc....but no child, or adult either, gets to hurt my child or anyone else's and not be brought to their senses over it.

So yes, 'Daisybell' is very lucky with her school, and with her school chums. I do hope that after reading some of these stories she realises exactly HOW lucky she is, because there are many such stories, many such children.....in a system that has ceased to care.

Dave, the teachers themselves said that children are now showing many signs of mental disorder...at their Torquay Conference last year.....

Would you, as a teacher yourself, care to comment on this fact?

Would you care to comment that the teachers said they want less homework given out, less pressure on the children over exams, less control....?

Be my guest, you're a teacher, give me a comment on what your own fellow teachers are saying....

Tell me why my Education Welfare Officer had long conversations with me about how all the excellent teachers are leaving because they cannot stomach what's happening...

Phone up a lady called Sue, in Torquay Library, PM me and I'll give you her surname....and listen to her tell you why SHE left teaching, Dave...She will tell you that she left because of 'The System' and because of how many of her fellow pupils talked to and treated the children entrusted into their care each day.   

She now teaches children who have learning difficulties, in Torquay Library, Dave..teaching them computer skills...that's why I rang her, to see what courses she was doing, for my son.

She has a young lad in a wheelchair too. She told me that she never gives herself 'a pat on the back' normally, but this little lad was something special. He came to her in his wheelchair. No-one knew why he couldn't walk. He wouldn't talk either. All he wanted to do was read Thomas The Tank Engine books, over and over. He was 14 years old.

So, she took Thomas out into the computer, and she spent time with this lad, showing him caring and patience and love....

Now he's going graphic design. He's out of his wheelchair, walking and talking.....and he has a life!

I told her she was bloody marvellous!

She also is severely worried about what this Government is trying to do with Home Education, making it more and more controlled, more and more difficult to do. Her argument is that it's actually about money, because the more children who are home educated, the more EWO's they need...and the more children who are expelled, the more 'free education' they have to give them....and of course, more children ARE being expelled....even for just using a mobile phone....


And....the beat goes on.............

And I hope that Tug is able to have a happy ending to the problems he spoke of earlier in this thread.