I still can't get over the workplace one, that is seriously unbelievable. I don't know why I expect adults to act like adults, but I still do. You'd think at the very least the 40 year old would have put a stop to it, particularly after the WorkSafe campaign specifically targeting it.
Then again, having been the victim of workplace bullying when I was 22, I really shouldn't be that surprised I suppose. Some people are arseholes when they have power, and some people are cliquey no matter how old they are.
And re the English - oh FFS, either set up a bilingual program from pre-school (yes, I know this requires teachers to be able to teach in the language and funding and money and organisation and a whole lot of other stuff we appear unable and unwilling to do) or teach ESL while doing the main teaching in the local language. I think it's reasonable to teach English - it's the main language of communication in Australia, it's going to be difficult to gain employment without speaking and writing it, which goes for pretty much anyone in the country - but I do think we need to look more closely at how it's being taught in indigenous communities.
I have to admit I'd prefer a bilingual program, because the earlier you start the easier it is and there's a lot of advantages to being literate in two or more languages, but for the kids who are now mid-level they should probably look at intensive ESL while also teaching in the local language.
And now I'm wondering about how that would work with teacher numbers. *sigh*
Yeah, we've had suicide due to bullies here, and I'm in this never ending battle for my son against bullies. The school staff has been very helpful. Though I will say, most of Cp's bullies are sports stars, and preppies, the kids who are universally praised and excepted for being "the future". They lie and play victim too, and get their friends to back them up so they can go on to torture and hurt the next geek they cross.... Gets me horridly ticked.
Anyway, I get fired up and defend my kid. Ryk and I have been telling him let them start the fight, and he should finish it. The only way to deal with bullies is by knocking their lights out, and we as his parents will deal with the school later..... Just how I feel and I know it's not politically correct, but it was the only way I could fend off my bullies. I attacked back, and tossed a desk at them... LOL
Honestly if one of them touches a hair on my kids head, I'll sue him and the school and make sure the little bastard pays big time. Something has to be done to deal with bullies.
I'm in this never ending battle for my son against bullies
Oh, good on you! Give 'em hell! Fantastic to hear the school's responding, too.
Bullying for me was almost never physical, and on the handful of occasions it was, I recall responding in kind, even if rather feebly. One time the bullies' little friend was saying "There's a fly on your back" and slapping me repeatedly; I got fed up, turned roung, and knocked her off her stool and onto the floor, which cured her then and there. Mind you, the little twat wouldn't have been worth having to talk to the police about.
Yeah it's nice the school is trying to help. Part of the issue is kids don't talk about it. Either they are too scared or caught up in this "kid culture" of not talking because adults are the enemy. It's pretty scary, once broken down you realize kid culture is structured to create bully victims and to set up bullies so they are on the top of the school food chain.
It was physical for me. Mind you I went to a catholic all girl school. I finally got fed up with it when a girl gang wrestled me down in the bathroom with my face under a sink spout so they could shove a joint into my mouth....
But being taunted is worse in many ways. You can't defend yourself in the same way.
Cp was nearly shoved down the stairs, twice this year. It's amazing how bold these bastards are. He shoved one kid back to protect himself, and told me, so I could report the brat to the school. It's actually helped protect him some, now he's labeled as the kid who tattles (LOL he's removing the power they get though silence), and they leave him alone. It doesn't though, help him in the popularity arena though....
Good on him for telling. We're supposed to just accept this crap as what we deserve. It surprises and confuses heck out of the bullies when we fight back or speak up - almost as though there's something wrong with them! >:)
That's very true, they expect the kid to "accept it" and not fight back. It's this darwinist attitude some parents and even teachers seem to go by. You're not part of the club unless you're bullied, and since everyone goes though it they expect kids to tough it out. I can't count the times I've heard, well we've all been bullied, your kid is over reacting and needs to suck it up, from people.
But yes, fighting back always causes a WTF attitude. Especially if you do it in a way that deflates the bully. In my public high school (I left the catholic one due to escaping bullies), I joined peer group consoling. They mixed the kids up so cliques were broken up. It forced the students to look at each other as, well people, so they'd police each other with bullying. It was pretty neat having hot football players stick up for you..... :) After that my bullies in Columbia kept their mouths shut....
I am trying to arrange the same program at Cp's school. The only way to fight bulling is to convince the students the other person is human, and that it's not cool to bully via peer pressure....
That's a very clever tactic. Online bullies would never have the guts to say the same things to an actual person as they do to some words on a screen - let alone a person that they knew, even if only slightly.
I've set up my email filter to kill anonymous lj comments. I don't even know they've been made, they just disappear invisibly. It's a small weight off my mind. :)
it says very clearly that the level of understanding you have in your first language will be the limit to what you can possibly learn in the second language
I'm going to call bollocks on this. I've had this excuse used on me many times as a reason to pull students out of my Japanese class to do extra English literacy work (mind you, the students don't get pulled out of things like SPORT *eyetwitch*) Learning another language often helps you understand how your first language works, particularly in areas such as sentence construction and grammar. I can think of students right away that should be crap at Japanese because they have weak English (as a first language) skills, if you go by the above statement, yet they're at the top of the class.
That statement also does not explain the success of other schools that do the 'teach in 2 languages' approach where half the day is taught in English and the other half in another language; or schools that teach the whole day in a language not the local language (such as schools that teach in French in the English speaking parts of Canada, or vice versa).
I think there's more going on than what's being let on in the 'English policy will create more petrol sniffers' article. What is the community support of the kid's learning now? What about in the home? It's all well and good to get the learning in school, but if it's not supported outside of school, then progress gets hampered.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-12-11 10:33 pm (UTC)Then again, having been the victim of workplace bullying when I was 22, I really shouldn't be that surprised I suppose. Some people are arseholes when they have power, and some people are cliquey no matter how old they are.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-11 10:40 pm (UTC)I have to admit I'd prefer a bilingual program, because the earlier you start the easier it is and there's a lot of advantages to being literate in two or more languages, but for the kids who are now mid-level they should probably look at intensive ESL while also teaching in the local language.
And now I'm wondering about how that would work with teacher numbers. *sigh*
no subject
Date: 2009-12-12 12:08 am (UTC)Anyway, I get fired up and defend my kid. Ryk and I have been telling him let them start the fight, and he should finish it. The only way to deal with bullies is by knocking their lights out, and we as his parents will deal with the school later..... Just how I feel and I know it's not politically correct, but it was the only way I could fend off my bullies. I attacked back, and tossed a desk at them... LOL
Honestly if one of them touches a hair on my kids head, I'll sue him and the school and make sure the little bastard pays big time. Something has to be done to deal with bullies.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-12 04:19 am (UTC)Oh, good on you! Give 'em hell! Fantastic to hear the school's responding, too.
Bullying for me was almost never physical, and on the handful of occasions it was, I recall responding in kind, even if rather feebly. One time the bullies' little friend was saying "There's a fly on your back" and slapping me repeatedly; I got fed up, turned roung, and knocked her off her stool and onto the floor, which cured her then and there. Mind you, the little twat wouldn't have been worth having to talk to the police about.
Sorry it took so long to respond.
Date: 2009-12-15 11:10 pm (UTC)It was physical for me. Mind you I went to a catholic all girl school. I finally got fed up with it when a girl gang wrestled me down in the bathroom with my face under a sink spout so they could shove a joint into my mouth....
But being taunted is worse in many ways. You can't defend yourself in the same way.
Cp was nearly shoved down the stairs, twice this year. It's amazing how bold these bastards are. He shoved one kid back to protect himself, and told me, so I could report the brat to the school. It's actually helped protect him some, now he's labeled as the kid who tattles (LOL he's removing the power they get though silence), and they leave him alone. It doesn't though, help him in the popularity arena though....
Re: Sorry it took so long to respond.
Date: 2009-12-15 11:30 pm (UTC)Re: Sorry it took so long to respond.
Date: 2009-12-16 12:59 am (UTC)But yes, fighting back always causes a WTF attitude. Especially if you do it in a way that deflates the bully. In my public high school (I left the catholic one due to escaping bullies), I joined peer group consoling. They mixed the kids up so cliques were broken up. It forced the students to look at each other as, well people, so they'd police each other with bullying. It was pretty neat having hot football players stick up for you..... :) After that my bullies in Columbia kept their mouths shut....
I am trying to arrange the same program at Cp's school. The only way to fight bulling is to convince the students the other person is human, and that it's not cool to bully via peer pressure....
Re: Sorry it took so long to respond.
Date: 2009-12-16 03:19 am (UTC)Re: Sorry it took so long to respond.
Date: 2009-12-17 01:16 am (UTC)Yeah, I've had my tussles with Cyber bullies, you get a ton of them in fandom, especially when they troll for trouble.
Re: Sorry it took so long to respond.
Date: 2009-12-18 02:36 am (UTC)Re: Sorry it took so long to respond.
Date: 2009-12-20 01:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-12 03:12 am (UTC)I'm going to call bollocks on this. I've had this excuse used on me many times as a reason to pull students out of my Japanese class to do extra English literacy work (mind you, the students don't get pulled out of things like SPORT *eyetwitch*) Learning another language often helps you understand how your first language works, particularly in areas such as sentence construction and grammar. I can think of students right away that should be crap at Japanese because they have weak English (as a first language) skills, if you go by the above statement, yet they're at the top of the class.
That statement also does not explain the success of other schools that do the 'teach in 2 languages' approach where half the day is taught in English and the other half in another language; or schools that teach the whole day in a language not the local language (such as schools that teach in French in the English speaking parts of Canada, or vice versa).
I think there's more going on than what's being let on in the 'English policy will create more petrol sniffers' article. What is the community support of the kid's learning now? What about in the home? It's all well and good to get the learning in school, but if it's not supported outside of school, then progress gets hampered.