A common but little-discussed problem, Tutors International, who provide global home-schooling and full-time private tutoring, today published a list of actions parents should take when faced with endemic bullying by a school itself.
Today Tutors International, leading global provider of full-time private tutors, published a list of actions that parents of bullied schoolchildren should take to combat and seek resolution to endemic bullying.
The difference is they are not referring to bullying by other pupils, but from staff, teachers, head teachers and the school system itself.
Adam Caller, who founded Tutors International in 1999, said, “Endemic bullying by schools is more common than people realise. We’ve seen more and more pupils each year referred to us for full-time private tutoring as a result of being marginalised by the school itself.”
These are the 4 steps parents should take when they believe their child is suffering at the hands of a teacher of by the school as a whole:
1. Keep an accurate record of what is being said and done.
Ask the child to keep a diary of what a teacher or staff member has said or done that made them feel excluded or prevented them from participating in the class. Parents who can see what is being said or done to marginalise their child should also keep detailed notes, with dates and the name of the people involved.
2. Report it factually, and without embellishment.
When recorded events and actions, keep it factual and do not embellish the account. Short, to the point, and including all the pertinent facts is enough. As bullying can be subtle and nuanced, it’s fine to record how what was said or done made the child feel, but keep it as a separate point, and do not intertwine with the recording of the event.
3. Be persistent in taking it up with school leadership.
Persistence is key to achieving resolution. If a subject teacher is bullying a child, parents should take it up with the housemaster or head teacher. If several members of staff are marginalising the child, bring it to the attention of several members of staff to ensure it doesn’t get ignored. Take the matter to the highest members of the school community, and demand a list of actions, a review meeting to discuss what has been done and the effects, and a timeline. Keep pursuing the matter until satisfied it has been resolved.
4. Be willing to remove the child from the school completely.
Children have a single shot at a happy and successful education. A school may not invest the same care in providing that as parents would hope, so they should be prepared to remove the child from the school completely if the bullying doesn’t stop. Contrary to typical school advice, it’s perfectly feasible to remove a child from school in the middle of the year, even in exam years with coursework unfinished. Private tutoring at home can enable the child complete the year, including coursework and exams, in a safe environment.
Mr Caller gave an example of recent bulling by a US school in Barcelona: “The school failed this bright, capable child by making him jump through hoops to re-sit an exam, then refused entrance to the exam hall at the very last minute. The decision was taken solely by the head teacher, without consultation with other staff, and made at literally the last moment. To allow this to happen, and put a child at such a disadvantage, is a prime example of bullying by the school itself.”
This pupil was removed from the school and tutored at home for the duration of the school year, and has now passed his exam with high marks.
For more information about private tutoring or bullying in schools, please contact Tutors International.
About Tutors International
Tutors International is a worldwide organization providing experienced full-time private tutors to work with children of all ages and nationalities, in a wide variety of situations, including international relocation, after-school support, full-time home tuition, support for AD/HD and dyslexia, home schooling for frequent travellers, and college prep and coaching.
Tutors International was founded by Adam Caller who has tutored students of all ages. He has received specialist training in dyslexia and AD/HD and is very sensitive to children's educational difficulties. He has now turned this expertise to recruiting, training and placing other tutors with HNW and UHNW families around the world. Adam is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).
