Braintree: 'I won't let daughter go back to school' (From Braintree and Witham Times)
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Braintree: 'I won't let daughter go back to school'
9:00am Friday 22nd March 2013 in News
Braintree: 'I won't let daughter go back to school'
A MUM has vowed to keep her daughter out of school until staff apologise for searching her for a cigarette lighter.
Kelly Taylor, 14, who goes to Alec Hunter Humanities College, in Stubbs Lane, Braintree, claimed she was publicly plucked from class on Friday and searched for a lighter.
No items were found on Kelly, who said she has never smoked, but now mum Sharon has said she will not let her daughter go back to school before staff apologise for the distress.
“She is not going to go back into that school, I have told them I will teach her at home,” said Mrs Taylor, 42, who lives off Chelmer Road, in Braintree.
“Kelly has had nothing but trouble and it is such an important time for exams and choosing GCSEs, she doesn’t need this.”
She added: “I think the school went about this all wrong.
“I’m a smoker but I know Kelly will never smoke.
“The only time she ever holds a cigarette is when I’ve asked her to pass me one and the only time she has ever held a lighter is when I’ve asked her to pass it to me.
“If she was to be searched, I would be happy if the school contacted me first and allowed me to come in. I know Kelly would have nothing to hide.”
After a meeting with staff on Monday *MAR18*, Mrs Taylor has given the school until Friday to issue an apology.
In 2011, guidance published by the Department for Education gave schools the power to search pupils with their consent for any item which is banned by the school rules.
Schools are also permitted to search without consent for prohibited items which could be dangerous to others.
Trevor Lawn, head at Alec Hunter, said: "We adhere rigorously to these guidelines, always ensuring that any search is undertaken by a member of staff of the same gender as the student under investigation.
"I am concerned by the suggestion that Kelly may miss out on learning as a result of her mother’s decision to keep her away from school, so I hope that we can resolve the issue swiftly."
He added: "I do not feel that we need to apologise for taking actions in accordance with both our own policies and Government advice, with the intention of keeping our students safe."
Comments(9)
LeQueen
says...
10:00am Fri 22 Mar 13
ma.milden@gmail.com
says...
10:08am Fri 22 Mar 13
pierre-pierre
says...
1:45pm Fri 22 Mar 13
A a non smoker, I can smell smoky from about 6 ft
Jack222
says...
3:19pm Fri 22 Mar 13
Will the school suffer? No.
Will the child suffer? Yes.
bridportresident
says...
5:21pm Fri 22 Mar 13
I feel that the editorial decisions by the Braintree and Witham Times (BWT) to run this story is wrong. All too frequently in the past few months the BWT have been running stories about the school, quite often pointless articles. We all know the school has had a poor OFSTED report but this constant printing of pointless stories about insignificant goings on is in my opinion looking more like a witch hunt.
The school have followed government guidelines which set the tone for the schools own guidelines, so why on earth give this woman and her child any coverage.
Lets hope the childs education does not suffer but somehow I do not think home schooling her is for the better. Particularly if the woman can't even show an understanding of government and school guidelines with regard to searching a pupil, what hope will she have in understanding the National Curriculum, Attainment, Target tracking, etc, etc.
dopey14
says...
7:59pm Fri 22 Mar 13
What an over-reaction. This is one of the reasons that a lot of children have no respect for teachers, because the parents show no respect in what the school are trying to achieve. What is wrong with a teacher searching for a lighter, so they don't want children smoking, how nasty they are! If there is nothing to hide then what is the problem? Not sending her back until she gets an apology, good way to teach your child about being "the bigger manyou dont know me
TheTaxpayer
says...
10:59pm Fri 22 Mar 13
The mother mokes at home, quite legal. The child may well therefore reek of cigarettes. I did, given my Mum smoked, I never did. My Mum smoked as she ironed hence my clothes reeked.
The school is acting in the best interest of the child, difficult but true. We can't have underage kids smoking at school, if the child reeks of smoke, hard luck.
The Mother could smoke outside the house, difficult but true.
The school acted in the interests of the child, quite unlike the parent, the parent elects to remove the child from education. The parent now elects to teach the child at home.
Given the sequence of decisions, I'd elect that the parent might not be best suited to educate a child to a level acceptable for any reasonable sixth form college, let alone a university.
In an absence of responsibility from family, schools have to make the hard decisions for them, when those decisions are hard what remains of family has to accept them, given that they have surrendered that right.
Ultimately the child is now bereft of normal state (my) paid education and will probably be unemployable. Ever.
Hopefully the parent is a gifted educator, charismatic , literate, mathematic, scientific, artistic. What do you think?
ryanop
says...
12:50pm Mon 25 Mar 13
ryanop wrote: What an over-reaction. This is one of the reasons that a lot of children have no respect for teachers, because the parents show no respect in what the school are trying to achieve. What is wrong with a teacher searching for a lighter, so they don't want children smoking, how nasty they are! If there is nothing to hide then what is the problem? Not sending her back until she gets an apology, good way to teach your child about being "the bigger manyou dont know meYou're right, I don't know you, and with that brilliantly incisive and witty retort I am really missing out.
Good luck with the home schooling, I'm sure your help will be invaluble when the English exams come around!
You really do some up the state of society today, what a breach of her Human Rights' it is to try and stop children smoking! I would be happy to know that the teachers at my children's school were trying to stop them taking up this disgusting habit.
ryanop says...
9:47am Fri 22 Mar 13