A colleague at work’s 5 year old son has been banned from any field trips this school year and pretty much branded a racist for telling his 5yr old (afro caribbean) friend ‘XXX your such a little monkey’ whilst his friend was swinging along the Monkey bars in the school playground. The child laughed and agreed, the teacher pulled him up and called him a racist…

Even with all the hatred/one eyed support on the Thatcher thread that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in a while.

Quick, email Richard Littlejohn and let him know.

BTW I’m impressed that a school organises field trips for children as young as 5. What is he studying ?

I hope he’s making a complaint.

I’ll call b-s without any proof- why would the school exclude a 5 year old from ‘field trips’ – surely at most there’d be re- education, not a punishment?

It doesn’t matter what he called the boy (my twin pakistani friends used to describe their mother as a ‘****’ because she wore traditional dress and wasn’t very westernised, unlike them), there has to be racist INTENT. Fight it.

Apart from this being completely ridiculous, people seem to have forgotten the meaning of the word “racism”.

Racism is deliberate prejudice based on race or skin colour. Even if there had been any sort of intent based on the lad’s skin colour, it’s merely petty name-calling, sticks and stones.

No wonder we’re breeding a nation of namby-pamby bedwetters.

No wonder we’re breeding a nation of namby-pamby bedwetters.

You’ve noticed this too ?

Ernie – Whatever they teach at primary school I’d guess.

Vinny – Not B-S I’m afraid however its not my child so can’t offer anything other than the trip was to Hackney city farm to learn about animals.

I guess I’m just a little saddened that the innocence of youth can be taken and twisted.

Whereas using a medical condition that many children suffer with (enuresis) as an insult is completely acceptable, classy.

See, I’d have thought that there would have had to be processes in place to manage kids after any undesirable behaviour, even if the school had misinterpreted the behaviour, rather than just institute a draconian punishment. Especially at 5 years old. I find it difficult to believe that the school has done this to a child not much more than a baby for a ‘first offence’ , though I agree with all the comments that its an innocent remark. If that makes sense.

Vinny – i agree, tbh i hadn’t thought about the schools punishment stance any further than what they had done was incorrect.

Half a story there I fear. I would suspect your colleague’s son might be a little difficult to manage hence them not wanting him on the trip. Somehow the reporting of this incident got put in the mix and your colleague has somehow linked this incident and the banning. It could even be what he thought he heard but I’m guessing it’s not what was said.

joolsburger – Member

Whereas using a medical condition that many children suffer with (enuresis) as an insult is completely acceptable, classy.

That’s got to be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen on this forum! 🙄

That’s got to be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen on this forum!

+1 🙂

I’m glad i am not the only one who read that and thought “you’ve got to be kidding me!”

EDIT: in fact, i’m guessing it was a cleverly crafted joke.

Convert +1

I suspect that the OP has ony been given a very selective acccount because his workmate’s child is absolutely perfect and would never disrupt a class [/rolly eyes]

No wonder we’re breeding a nation of namby-pamby bedwetters.

What we’re actually breeding is a nation of people who continually dismiss the entire country based on whatever negative attributes are at the front of their mind at the time.

Whingers, you might call them 🙂

What we’re actually breeding is a nation of people who continually dismiss the entire country based on whatever negative attributes are at the front of their mind at the time.

that’s one heck of a lot of dismissiveness if you are a Daily Mail reader!

No wonder we’re breeding a nation of namby-pamby bedwetters.

You should get the snip, mate, leave it up to the rest of us.

Although I agree its an oversensitivity, you have seen whats happening with Football haven’t you – thats right, monkey chants and banana’s thrown. Not only that, it was used as an open insult many years ago

Perhaps viewing it from the other side makes it worse, especially with that in the context.

I find it hard to believe a 5yo was deliberatly racist – more like the Teacher fell foul of where to draw a line and teach a lesson. Probably a middle class white teacher with limited understanding of the black culture, or a black teacher with a history of recieved racsim I expect.

Perhaps the teacher feared the consequences if she did nothing, and was later asked about the incident.

Half a story there I fear. I would suspect your colleague’s son might be a little difficult to manage hence them not wanting him on the trip. Somehow the reporting of this incident got put in the mix and your colleague has somehow linked this incident and the banning. It could even be what he thought he heard but I’m guessing it’s not what was said.

That’s quite a negative snap judgement isn’t it?

I suspect that the OP has ony been given a very selective acccount because his workmate’s child is absolutely perfect and would never disrupt a class [/rolly eyes]

She doesn’t come across like that so i have no reason to suspect otherwise.

Racism is deliberate prejudice based on race or skin colour. Even if there had been any sort of intent based on the lad’s skin colour, it’s merely petty name-calling, sticks and stones.

You define racism as prejudice based on skin colour but then tell me if it was based on his skin colour its just name calling 😕

I am as confused as you seem to be

I dont think there was any racism in this case though I doubt the story is true

you have seen whats happening with Football haven’t you

you are the 1980’s and Frankie says relax

I don’t think there was any racism in this case though I doubt the story is true

Genuinely interested, why wouldn’t it be true?

That’s quite a negative snap judgement isn’t it?

Everything is a snap judgement when based on a third hand summary. You view it as negative because I came to a different conclusion to you. Tbh your (naive?) interpretation of the “facts” at face value as told by one side only is more negative than mine as it brands an organisation dysfunctional and overtly reactionary. Mine merely hints at a miscommunication. I guess it depends if your mindset is one of looking for controversy or seeking a rational explanation.

I find it hard to believe any teacher would react as you have said and that the school would support it.
I find it hard to believe a parent would not react to their child being branded racist for that and not complain
I find it hard to believe they would let them miss out on education for this rather than do something to address the “racism” -the punishment does not fit the crime nor lead to changed attitudes

Of course I dont know whether it is true or not but it seems to tick all the PC gone mad boxes and most of these stories turn out to be myths so I am naturally doubtful

Write to the headmaster requesting a meeting and also send a copy to the governors. Also inform them that you are thinking about taking legal advice on the matter.

Write to the headmaster requesting a meeting and also send a copy to the governors. Also inform them that you are thinking about taking legal advice on the matter.

I’m sure this would give all the recipients a bit of a giggle. 🙂

You define racism as prejudice based on skin colour but then tell me if it was based on his skin colour its just name calling

Calling names is not the same as discriminating. That’s the salient point that society seems to have lost sight of. I’m certainly not saying it’s right, but calling names and even making monkey chants or throwing bananas isn’t “discriminatory”. It’s unacceptable, crass and ignorant, but that’s not the type of action that prevents people from achieving things and enjoying equal privilege to other.

Nowadays we see footballers storming off the pitch in tears because someone has made a ‘racist’ remark. Well I’m sorry, but man the **** up! Every other person on the pitch has to tolerate every possible insult, having their wives’ integrity questioned, their parentage, hair colour… But as soon as someone mentions skin colour, they burst into tears?? It’s ridiculous. This isn’t some sort of repression, it’s sticks and stones!

Sadly, the only real ‘racism’ that’s at play in these sort of situations is that people with a different skin colour have an unvanquishable weapon in that they can accuse people of racism, whereas if say a ginger-haired person, for example, suffers abuse about their appearance, they have no recourse whatsoever.

Tbh your (naive?) interpretation of the “facts” at face value as told by one side only is more negative than mine as it brands an organisation dysfunctional and overtly reactionary.

I think that’s what has left me a bit upset about it. As I’ve said above i have no reason to doubt what the lady has said, i feel i know her well enough to make an informed judgement. Unfortunately without uploading a full transcript of the conversation you wouldn’t be able to fully agree/disagree. 😀

Junkyard – The parents have complained. The rest of your points are, as above what makes it upsetting.

+1 shibboleth
A white lad was beaten up by a group of Asian lads in the local park where I live, it made the local news, they had called him white trash and white s*hite, stabbed him in the hand with a screwdriver and smashed him in the head with a brick. According to the police this does not constitute a racist attack. If a group of white lads had done this to an Asian lad would it of been classed as racist by the police? You bet your bottom dollar it would. There is an inherent hypocrisy in the whole racism argument in that you can only be racist if your white. Even the black on Asian violence that goes on round here isn’t classed as racist. Bollocks to the lot of ’em.

I think that’s what has left me a bit upset about it. As I’ve said above i have no reason to doubt what the lady has said, i feel i know her well enough to make an informed judgement. Unfortunately without uploading a full transcript of the conversation you wouldn’t be able to fully agree/disagree.

Highlighted is the crucial bit. I’ll declare my hand – I’m a teacher with 15 years experience and now enough seniority to spend lots of time with parents either discussing their kids or dealing with the aftermath of them having spoken to other colleagues about their kids. One recurring theme is that parents often get completely the wrong end of the stick, hearing what they want to hear not what they are being told. Rational and intelligent adults frequently seem to loose their common sense when dealing with aspects about their child.

I’ve no doubt your colleague thinks she heard what she heard as the explanation for her son’s exclusion from the trip, or indeed neither do I think that she is deliberately lying to you; just a healthy dollop of scepticism that the facts as presented are the complete picture.

Bollocks to the lot of ’em

Based on the colour of their skin? Careful now…

Bollocks to the lot of ’em

Based on the colour of their skin? Careful now…

Based on them being doylems, i’m including the police in that statement (even the white ones! 😉 )

Convert – Fair enough, i can understand your opinion, especially the bit about parents losing all rational explanation when dealing with their children. I’ve got a few friends in the teaching profession who would probably agree with you.

Give the school some reverse racism back:

“How dare you liken a black child to a monkey, what a backward stance for a school! I can’t believe you would think a black person has a resemblance to a monkey, SHAME ON THIS SCHOOL.”

Hoho, plyphon, I bet that would make them squirm. It does all seem fairly innocent and the teacher has thrown her own spin on what the lad said.
I think from what has been said the lad called him a monkey because he was swinging about like a, oh, what’s the word, can’t quite think of it, oh aye…monkey! He’s not gonna be swinging about like a Lion or Peter Stringfellow. Everyone refers to kids as little monkeys when they are acting like little monkeys, my niece thinks she’s called monkey cause we always call her a cheeky monkey. When she’s climbing the tree we call her a monkey. Political Correctness gone mad! (can’t believe that’s not been said yet.)

I’m impressed that a school organises field trips for children as young as 5

You don’t have kids do you Ernie? I think that’s fairly standard practice for schools nowadays.

I have to admit I also suspect that the mother isn’t telling the whole story – possibly she doesn’t have the full story herself.

ALL the local schools criteria (theres 9 criteria):

1. Must be Catholic
2. Must be baptised Catholic
3. Must be a member of the Catholic church

I think 8/9 is other criteria’s may be considered

I think you’re missing some context to your post, hora, that or you’ve posted on the wrong thread…