Parents 'teaching children themselves to avoid bullies'

[Guest guest]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/primaryeducation/3539397/Parents-

teaching-children-themselves-to-avoid-bullies.html

Parents 'teaching children themselves to avoid bullies'

Thousands of parents are educating children at home because of a

breakdown in classroom discipline, figures suggest.

By Graeme Paton, Education Editor

Last Updated: 3:36PM GMT 01 Dec 2008

A survey of local authorities in England found bullying was among the

most common reasons for parents taking their children out of school.

Research showed more than 17,000 school age children were now taught

at home.

It suggested as many as one-in-seven of those were pulled out because

parents feared sons and daughters were threatened by other children.

Ann Newstead, a mother-of-four and spokeswoman for Education

Otherwise, a support group, removed seven-year-old son from

primary school after he was bullied.

She said: " We found out he had Asperger's Syndrome which meant that

his behaviour was quirky enough that he stood out from the rest of

the children.

" They picked up on it and they would provoke him to have angry

outbursts. They took advantage of his good nature and he would come

home with his clothes cut and torn.

" One girl smashed his head into a water fountain, knocking out his

front tooth. People don't seem to realise that it's happening at

primary, not just secondary schools. "

Some 150 local authorities were surveyed under the Freedom of

Information Act.

Figures showed 11,091 secondary-age pupils and 6,229 children aged

five to 11 were educated at home last year.

Only 58 councils held data related to the reason for pulling sons and

daughters out of school.

It revealed 1,038 were removed because of bullying - but figures

extrapolated for every council would have been as high as 2,684.

Other reasons for children to be taught at home included parental

preference and medical problems.

Kent Council revealed it had 148 secondary and 47 primary school

pupils educated at home because of bullying problems. Lincolnshire

had the second highest figure with 46 and 13 respectively.

Birmingham City Council reported a total of 51 pupils who quit

mainstream education because they were bullied.

Haringey Council - at the centre of the Baby P child abuse scandal -

logged 25 " bullied " pupils who were educated at home.

A spokesman said: " However, on investigation it was not possible to

substantiate that bullying had actually taken place as there had been

no complaint made to the school prior to leaving to home educate.

" Except in one incidence where the matter had been fully investigated

but the parent was not satisfied with the outcome even when it had

been through the formal school and local authority complaints

procedure. "

By law, parents who take their children out of school must ensure

their child gets a " suitable " education according to the " age,

aptitude and ability " of the child.

But there are no legal requirements for them to tell councils why

they are withdrawing their son or daughter from school.

[Guest guest]

" Now, I'm not advocating a life of crime. What I'm saying is that at

least criminals in previous generations had an albeit odd work ethic. "

I just have to say it :-) you just don't get criminals like you used

to ;-)

feeling in a slightly odd/silly mood tonight.

" ... <snip> ... It is little wonder parents have

lost

> faith in the public schools. Most of them only give about a 6th

grade

> education anyway. Lots of empty self-esteem making unprepared kids

> going into the workplace unqualified but demanding high

salaries ...

> <snip> ... "

>

> The sense of entitlement that goes along with these people is

> unbelievable and appalling! The attitude that the world OWES them

> floors me and a few others.

>

> What's worse though, is that the parents oftentimes are as bad, if

> not worse, than the children who are demanding that they receive

> something for nothing or next to nothing.

>

> Although schools of yesteryear had their flaws, suffice it to say

> that you knew when you got to high school that you weren't going to

> get something just because. You knew you were going to have to

work

> for it. The only decision that had to be made after that was if

you

> were going to work at it as a law abiding citizen or work at it as

a

> successful criminal.

>

> Now, I'm not advocating a life of crime. What I'm saying is that

at

> least criminals in previous generations had an albeit odd work

ethic.

>

> The least 2 generations of humans beings believe in welfare and

bail

> outs and such instead of hard work, common sense, accountability

and

> responsible behaviour.

>

> Raven

>

[Guest guest]

There is a former teacher of mine that is now a writing mentor. I remember her commenting that one thing that parent teacher conferences bear out that " the apple doesn't exactly fall far from the tree " .