The Pain of a Child

There is nothing more painful than watching someone destroy your child's spark of life. To see your beautiful boy, so full of trust in his own abilities and other people, come home from school with empty eyes because someone, who are supposed to nurture him and make him grow doesn't think he is worth it. Why, still beats me.

Today, my son did his last school day at his Junior School. I have been writing about our experience during the past months (and yet not posted it all, will do) and for me it feels important to tell my story to anyone considering putting their child in a school.

I just have one word for you: Do your research.

Today, as the last possibility was given Cs teacher, apologize to C or to humiliate me as a parent (whichever she has always chosen the second alternative), she told me that she had no idea that C was leaving (i e letting me know that I should have warned her). I explained patiently that since she

A) refused to discuss any other method of encouraging my son to feel good about himself at school other than loudly exclaiming in front of himself and his class at pick up that he was sooo slow. And similar remarks.

B) that she upon receiving our withdrawal notice over a month ago, has chosen not to mention it to us by any way.

C) It emerged this weekend that she is in fact using phrases like "Shut up, blue table!!" quite regularly, we thought, right that's it.

She made it clear that she was aware of a reading book that C had home earlier this week at home and that she was concerned that I would keep it...*Yes, that was indeed my plan. After paying this private Edinburgh Junior School several hundreds of pounds a month for education, my revenge plan would be to steal a 5year old's reading book by the name of "The Reindeer", of 16 pages.

I am amazed to what lengths people can go to not have to say: "I apologize." Because this is all about the shortcomings of a school who doesn't give one singe thought about putting their "catch phrase" to work in reality.

The school wants to be perceived as a school where individuality is a key word. That their environment has the warmth of a family rather than a big school environment and that their teachers are fully qualified to nurture your child due to their excellent skills in fulfilling the individual needs of every pupil.

I beg to differ.