Condemned out of their own mouths:
"In July, MPs on the cross-party schools select committee argued for teachers who are the victims of malicious allegations to have their records wiped clean to stop the claims permanently spoiling their reputations. The presumption of innocence until proven guilty was at risk, they warned."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/may/02/headteachers-parents-fines-false-complaints
A few malicious parents are making false claims, are they?
So let's fine 'em.
The poor teachers can't hack being falsely accused, it seems.
They should come to home educators to find out how to deal with it. Home edders can tell them how to suffer all the slings and arrows with style and grace.
Now, dear teacher, have you been accused of something by that 'delinquent' kid and his family? Did the accusation go on your record? Are you madder than hell? Hot under the collar as Hades? Feel despoiled and trampled on?
Will you now shout that you have a right to the presumption of innocence?
The right that you didn't mind denying all home educators recently. You didn't shout about it then, did you? Weren't too bothered if EVERY home educating family was checked for abuse, eh? Stuff the presumption of innocence - they're all guilty!
Maybe we will extend you the same courtesy. Maybe we will say:
NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE!
IF YOU'VE NOTHING TO HIDE YOU'VE NOTHING TO FEAR!
Remember all that?
Perhaps not because it wasn't YOUR reputation that time, was it, teacher?
Didn't matter so long as YOU retain your basic right to one of the basic rights our law gives us.
I'm all right, Jack, you mutter. You can go hang.
And teachers' reputations. Well, well, we must preserve them, mustn't we? Can't go accusing someone without any reason, just for the devil of it, can we? THAT might destroy their credibility and land them in a heapin' helpin' of trouble. It might even hurt their feelings and damage their peace of mind. Could put the kibosh on their careers too.
Such a pity.
You can dish it out, but you can't take it.
Hypocrisy is alive and well in Britain.
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Absolutely spot on, Danae. The double standards are simply jaw-dropping!
ReplyDeleteI do have sympathy with teachers facing false accusations. My friend lost a job thanks to that. However, even in these reports (Guad and Tel) there is a presumption that parents ARE making false allegations when maybe a lot aren't. Again parents are guilty until proven otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThe Tele talks of how few allegations reach court convictions. So that means all the rest are false? How ridiculous-many complaints about teacher's behaviour would not be "crimes" anyway and sadly many that would be are very difficult to prove.
Meanwhile if the teacher's unions (most notably NASUWE) had kept schtum during the recent fight over HE then perhaps we could all agree-but NO, they were there in the forefront of the attack on us and now are whinging about it happening to them! How many teachers know what "irony" is?