h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Mrs Disorganised and I have had our lives disorganised a little more recently.

Mrs D. was working at the local school, where our two young children are both pupils. This revealed several short-comings in the education being supplied, and revealed a hierarchy of bullying within the staff.

Mrs D. found herself being bullied by her line manager, and so complained firstly to her, and then to the local authority. Neither were inclined to do anything.

Our little girl then started saying she didn't want to go to school, which was strange because she used to be really keen. At first we thought it was just a phase, but it continued. Then she came home with a scratch on her face. This was done by another pupil, and we were assured it was being dealt with. Then her hairband was stolen. The teacher was unable to determine where this had gone, but the class TA sorted it in about 10 minutes. Our little girl was becoming more and more unwilling to go to school, frequently crying. Then she came home saying she'd been made to stand facing the wall because of Jack. Mrs D. and I therefore made an appointment with the headmaster.

The teacher who was bullying my wife, was the class teacher for my daughter, and we expressed the belief that our daughter was being treated unfairly because of this. He pointed to a recent OFSTED inspection which praised the standard of care in Stage 1. We pointed out the inspectors were only in the school for 2 days.

The upshot was that we withdrew our children from school and Mrs D. resigned.

We are therefore home schooling again.

Perhaps a word with the local press if official channels are being a brick wall?

I doubt that would improve matters or resolve the situation. The press tend to put their own slant on stories which might not be a favourable one.
It sounds as if you did all you could Mackay, but how frustrating that you got no satisfactory outcome. Were you a governor at that school?

Love the Brick in the Wall analogy - very fitting!

Who do you have to answer to when you do home schooling, Mackay? (It's not allowed at all here in Germany)

No, I wasn't a govenor there - I was going to be, but my work with the PTA caused me to become concerned that I wouldn't be able to work with the school management.

You still answer to the local authority - they send round an inspector to check the children are being educated. Some people use thier children as free labour in shops or doing repetitive manufacturing tasks at home. Other fundementalist groups use religous books as their sole educational aid.

We've heard today that the Head is being pushed out at the end of the year, which is interesting. Mrs D. wrote to the govenors when she resigned, giving her reasons - we do know that some people have been told that my wife resigned to look after me - now if he tried to sell that to the govenors.....

So how are things progressing now?Are you still home tutoring?

Still home tutoring - or rather my wife is. I've been working mainly days, so I've only been involved with a bit of reading, and maths.

I'm still governoring, despite all the older kids now having finished secodary education now.

How's you ? Hubby working yet ? Daughter sorted ?

Hubby is back to the places that he used to work in as a service man but this time he's guarding them.

Daughter has accepted a place at Goldsmiths to do her MA.

Son is turning into a vampire.Well it's getting harder and harder to get him out of his room..They are on to the next level of Job Seekers to get him into work.I'm wondering how to get him out of a rut.

Hmmm - I don't have the experience with sulky teenage boys - apart from having been one.

Sex, cider, and football worked for me though

And which one did you choose for your career?

Chose computers for a career unfortunately - the others became my passion, my past-time, and my escape.