Stuck in a dilemma

Doody

It doesn't seem right that you are expected to pay for the damaged item that should not have been there in the first place. However, by kicking a person's property one is always taking the risk of damaging expensive items. Your son does need to learn this and take some consequenses. The other parents accepting a second hand one is only reasonable, to expect a new item to replace an old one would not have been fair.

I think there are some issues the school needs to be addressing.

Banned items. If a child has a good reason for having a banned item eg going to use it at a friend's house after school there should be some procedure for it to be handed over and locked up safely in the office. My daughter's school did this with phones.

An agitated student who needs space to unwind. Could that student be escorted to a safe place? I know, staffing levels etc.

The allegations of ongoing bullying / misconduct need to be looked at thoroughly. This lad who had his kit broken, you say he has had his glasses broken three times and this is because he winds the other kids up? It sounds like a very complicated story with different student's points of view. I would expect this to be happening already, but some emotional management work needs to be done and much closer supervision of this particular group.

LKRDN_Morgan

It's not really a dilemma though is it. He broke it. You should be paying for it.

Can only assume those encouraging you to go down the route of 'well it shouldn't have been there in the first place' are obviously the type who take no responsibility for their actions.

iammumtoone

I would stick to offering to pay half, the other parents can then chose to buy a secondhand of their choice with that money or put the extra to new. I would not be buying a secondhand one myself as buying second hand can be risky the other parents might not accept it as its the wrong colour/style/too badly scratched. Then you will be stuck still owing them.

I think they are both in the wrong, you Son for damaging property yes he didn't know it was in the bag but equally he didn't know it wasn't either. The other child is also in the wrong as they had a responsibility to look after their items and leaving it in an unattended bag is not looking after it.

In my sons schools (not SEN but I dont see what different it makes here, this could have happened at any school) they are not allowed to have value items on them, they can take them to school but they should be left with the office staff and the kids collect them at the end of the day, if doing this parents have to sign to say they understand the school is not responsible for the goods and take full responsibility if anything happens to it whilst in the school.

Do you know what type of 3DS it was? There is a new version out (hence the £170 price tag :eek:) to get one of them would not only be betterment as its new but it would also be a better/newer version if the childs was the previous style. Most of the ones on the second hand market will be the older version.

iammumtoone

LKRDN_Morgan wrote: »

It's not really a dilemma though is it. He broke it. You should be paying for it.

Can only assume those encouraging you to go down the route of 'well it shouldn't have been there in the first place' are obviously the type who take no responsibility for their actions.

But what about the actions of the other child who left it somewhere it could get damaged/stolen.

I am sure if there was a thread on here about a child who took a ds into school left it unattended in a bag and it got stolen or the bag got accidentally got knocked off the peg and it broke, then everyone would be saying the child should have not left it in their bag.

The OP is not, not taking responsibility they have offered 50/50 which I think is fair, both have to take responsibility for their actions.

Person_one

gt568 wrote: »

Thank you. I certainly wouldn't be replacing anything. It shouldn't have been at the school.

I don't really see why this is relevant. The child threw the bag around with no care for the damage it might do, there could have been something in there that was equally valuable but permitted at school, he broke the thing by his poor behaviour, the thing needs replacing.

Proxima_Centauri

Doody wrote: »

It doesn't seem right that you are expected to pay for the damaged item that should not have been there in the first place.

Agreed.

And the school were wrong to let the lad walk about unsupervised.

I expect they are glad to have washed their hands of the problem by letting the parents fight it out between themselves!

gt568

Person_one wrote: »

I don't really see why this is relevant. The child threw the bag around with no care for the damage it might do, there could have been something in there that was equally valuable but permitted at school, he broke the thing by his poor behaviour, the thing needs replacing.

If he'd broken a protractor or compass, I could see the need for replacement. He broke a banned item that shouldn't have been there. Punish the child for sure, no way in hell i would be replacing something that shouldn't have been at the school.

barbarawright

Anyone else starting to feel sorry for the boy who has so far had three pairs of glasses *and* a Nintendo broken by other kids yet is being accused of bullying?

Dird

iammumtoone wrote: »

But what about the actions of the other child who left it somewhere it could get damaged/stolen.

Remember those words if we ever cross paths on a train and I knock your phone clean out your hands or take your laptop off the table and slam it to the floor...you shouldn't have left it somewhere I could damage it

FBaby

It doesn't seem right that you are expected to pay for the damaged item that should not have been there in the first place.

How do you know?

My DS used to take a game to school, keeping it in his bag because after school, a friend pick him up along with DD and her DD and take them to their swimming class. The girls class was first, so DS would sit with friend until I could get there. He used to play on his game during that time. I couldn't get the game to friend and DS didn't want to be without it for a week.

Thankfully, his bag never got kicked nor his game damaged.