John Scottus School in Ireland - illegal corporal punishment
Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:18 pm
Hello
I've introduced myself on the "welcome" post. I've been on a journey of discovery about John Scottus school http://www.johnscottus.ie - the SES or as they are known in Ireland, the School of Philosophy and Economics, school in Dublin, Ireland. When I looked into it I thought it seemed a nice little school and as some sort of spiritual practice is really important to me, I thought it would be a gentle and wholesome place for my child to be educated. At the time, a friend told me that her sister had looked into it but that she had heard something about the use of corporal punishment associated with the school. As corporal punishment is illegal in all schools since 1982 and as it seemed so opposite to how the school portrays itself - respect for the spiritual in each child, disputes to be resolved through dialogue, I thought she must have been mistaken.
From day one I have had major concerns about the school and the education available to the pupils but in the way that you do, I let it on the back burner until, the Principal, Mary Telford, who was teaching the very youngest boys on a temporary basis while their usual teacher was finishing his training, slapped two of the boys. These boys are 5 years old and they were messing with paper and not doing what they were told (fairly normal 5 year old behaviour) - its not like they were physically attacking another child and her excuse is that she was feeling frustrated. She clearly regrets it and i'm not without sympathy for her predicament - just the concern for the children involved doesn't seem to be central. Since then, I have heard that Dr Michael Telford used to administer corporal punishment. As the school was set up in 1986, with initially only young children, and corporal punishment is illegal since 1982 in all schools in this country i find this truly shocking. Even now the school talks about developing love in the children - if anyone thinks they can teach love through violence do they realise how mistaken they are? My spirituality is mainly informed by the teachings of the buddha and jesus and I don't remember ever hearing that its ok to be violent towards children.
Violence against children is not practised in the school anymore as far as i am aware (in Ireland the exemption for teachers being prosecuted for assault was lifted in 1997) but as the school is associated with Nicholas Debenham, Chair of the Education Renaissance Trust (John Scottus is mentioned as one of its associate schools) and he was advocating violence against children as late as 1998, I feel the violence and control may not be expressed physically anymore but has to be expressed in some other way - until it bubbles up in the odd moment of frustration (slapping children) or through lack of control in other ways. Since i've been involved with the school, the principal has admitted her loss of control and i witnessed another teacher lose control of herself when she couldn't manage her feelings. I've heard of another instance of cruelty but I don't want to mention it here as I don't have the parents permission.
I know there is no such thing as a perfect school but I'm also concerned about supervision of the children, my child was seriously assaulted by another child while these 5 years olds were unsupervised, and the competence of the school to educate children. I've heard some of the classes seem to be educationally behind and in meetings with the parents they seem to be looking for guidance from the parents too often and don't appear to me to be competent or professional.
I'm posting here to see if anyone who was a student there has any feelings about it and also as I feel prospective parents should be aware of the history of the school and the history of the organisation running the school in other schools they've run.
Thanks for the opportunity to discuss this - some of the other parents dont' seem to be too bothered by this (and they may have good reason - its not for me to judge why) but it really bothers me and thankfully my child sees right through it and will be moving school as soon as possible.
xx
Concerned Mum
I've introduced myself on the "welcome" post. I've been on a journey of discovery about John Scottus school http://www.johnscottus.ie - the SES or as they are known in Ireland, the School of Philosophy and Economics, school in Dublin, Ireland. When I looked into it I thought it seemed a nice little school and as some sort of spiritual practice is really important to me, I thought it would be a gentle and wholesome place for my child to be educated. At the time, a friend told me that her sister had looked into it but that she had heard something about the use of corporal punishment associated with the school. As corporal punishment is illegal in all schools since 1982 and as it seemed so opposite to how the school portrays itself - respect for the spiritual in each child, disputes to be resolved through dialogue, I thought she must have been mistaken.
From day one I have had major concerns about the school and the education available to the pupils but in the way that you do, I let it on the back burner until, the Principal, Mary Telford, who was teaching the very youngest boys on a temporary basis while their usual teacher was finishing his training, slapped two of the boys. These boys are 5 years old and they were messing with paper and not doing what they were told (fairly normal 5 year old behaviour) - its not like they were physically attacking another child and her excuse is that she was feeling frustrated. She clearly regrets it and i'm not without sympathy for her predicament - just the concern for the children involved doesn't seem to be central. Since then, I have heard that Dr Michael Telford used to administer corporal punishment. As the school was set up in 1986, with initially only young children, and corporal punishment is illegal since 1982 in all schools in this country i find this truly shocking. Even now the school talks about developing love in the children - if anyone thinks they can teach love through violence do they realise how mistaken they are? My spirituality is mainly informed by the teachings of the buddha and jesus and I don't remember ever hearing that its ok to be violent towards children.
Violence against children is not practised in the school anymore as far as i am aware (in Ireland the exemption for teachers being prosecuted for assault was lifted in 1997) but as the school is associated with Nicholas Debenham, Chair of the Education Renaissance Trust (John Scottus is mentioned as one of its associate schools) and he was advocating violence against children as late as 1998, I feel the violence and control may not be expressed physically anymore but has to be expressed in some other way - until it bubbles up in the odd moment of frustration (slapping children) or through lack of control in other ways. Since i've been involved with the school, the principal has admitted her loss of control and i witnessed another teacher lose control of herself when she couldn't manage her feelings. I've heard of another instance of cruelty but I don't want to mention it here as I don't have the parents permission.
I know there is no such thing as a perfect school but I'm also concerned about supervision of the children, my child was seriously assaulted by another child while these 5 years olds were unsupervised, and the competence of the school to educate children. I've heard some of the classes seem to be educationally behind and in meetings with the parents they seem to be looking for guidance from the parents too often and don't appear to me to be competent or professional.
I'm posting here to see if anyone who was a student there has any feelings about it and also as I feel prospective parents should be aware of the history of the school and the history of the organisation running the school in other schools they've run.
Thanks for the opportunity to discuss this - some of the other parents dont' seem to be too bothered by this (and they may have good reason - its not for me to judge why) but it really bothers me and thankfully my child sees right through it and will be moving school as soon as possible.
xx
Concerned Mum