Primary School Mess

Freefromdebt_2

I have a child in P5 at a local primary. We had our Parent Teacher meetings the week before Halloween and everything was fine. They went back to school last Wedneday and came home with a note explaining a sub and the vice principal would be teaching them from now on. When I asked my child I was told that their teacher was moving in to P6. I contacted the school wanting a more detailed explanation only to be told I wasnt entitled to one ! The background is the principal is absent from work at the moment and the VP who normally taught P6 is acting principal and so a sub was brought in to their class.
I have done some investigating only to find out that a small number of parents complained about the quality of teaching and some objected to the sub in P6 disciplining the children.
This small minority have been permitted to change teachers and their children will benefit from this to the detriment of the kids in P5.
Does anyone know where I go from here ? The school wont even give me a copy of the curriculum P5 are following and I hit a brick wall every time I ask a question.:mad::mad::mad:

wifeforlife

I don't see what the problem with a sub teacher is, they're all educated and have to follow the cirriculum. Start by making a formal complaint to the principle of the school (I understand this is currently the VP), when you don't get a decent response I'm sure they've guidelines in place to further your complaint to the local education board.

However how is your child currently, it's only been a week back really from Halloween, would you not be safer seeing how your child is between now and Christmas at the very least?! The best teacher my own daughter has ever had has been a sub teacher, really made an effort as she was vying for a permanent job.

HTH

Cate

Pretani

Chill out, your kid will probably suffer more from your over protective parenting/schooling.

Pretani

Pretani wrote: »

Chill out, your kid will probably suffer more from your over protective parenting/schooling.

You could start a protest at the school gates if your (you're) keen enough:D

leftieM

You will probably find that the reason the sub teacher has been moved to P5 is because P6 is the preparation for transfer test year and they need stability more than the P5 children. It's not ideal to have any class where teachers share the teaching.

mishkanorman

I think its unfair to criticise your concern, its much easier to sit back and lazily expect the school to have your childs best interests at heart when in reality even with the best intentions that isnt always possible.


Op you clearly have a lack of communication with the school, request a meeting with the head and get this sorted asap, dont think of it as a confrontation as theres no need for one at this stage but you have questions that only the school can answer. please dont listen to playground gossip, for every 'fact' you can bet there has been a twist and spin added on the way.

Pretani

If your kid is smart enough, they'll make the grade. I wouldn't worry about a stand-in teacher at p5 teaching my kids, stand-ins try harder than most teachers. Your child is the one to look at.

Too many times I have seen parents blame the teachers for their kids results, and most of the time the parents expect the teacher to give the child the answers.....so they pay for outside schooling

Freefromdebt_2

To put things straight for you - I am a very conscientious mother who has and will support the primary school with everything they do if it is in the best interest of my child. The point I was trying to make was this: The school made the decision due to pressure put being applied by parents of P6 - they objected to the quality of teaching by a sub teacher and have forced the school to put the best teacher in to P6 leaving my child in P5 with a newly qualified teacher who failed A levels 3 times and had difficulty in becoming a qualified teacher who has not taught in Northern Ireland and who completed their PGCE across the water.
I do a substantial amount of school work with my child at home and do expect school to teach and educate my child - nothing more and nothing less.

Snoozle

Freefromdebt wrote: »

leaving my child in P5 with a newly qualified teacher who failed A levels 3 times and had difficulty in becoming a qualified teacher who has not taught in Northern Ireland and who completed their PGCE across the water.
I do a substantial amount of school work with my child at home and do expect school to teach and educate my child - nothing more and nothing less.

Is this definitely the case, or is it possible that this is playground gossip? I think you are right to want the best for your child, nothing wrong with that, but the poor state of the teacher's qualifications sounds surprising. When there are so many unemployed, well qualified and often experienced teachers in NI who are desperately looking for work, it just seems strange that a school would choose to employ someone who on paper looks substandard. Having said that, the fact that a teacher is newly qualified isn't in itself a reason to be concerned, everyone has to have a first job, just because you are new to something doesn't mean you are bad at it.

36square

FreefromDebt
As a matter of interest, why is the principal absent. Please don't tell me it's "stress-related" sick leave.

Hoof_Hearted

I think that it is up to the managers how staff are deployed in the school. Sometimes difficult decisions have to be made, but only the senior staff have the big picture. However, allowing children to change class when parents request it is the thin end of the wedge. I would never allow that unless there was an exceptional reason. the fact that the other teacher may be viewed as better would not be one of them.