Letters

2nd of June 2009, 10:51am

From: Ms Angel Garden

Subject: matters concerning bullying

Date: 2 June 2009 10:51:13 am GMT+12:00

To: Mark Thornton

Dear Mark

Thanks for your reply

Will the class still be being split into class 3 and class 4 for the 3 or 4 sessions a week that they've recently been doing?

We appreciate that you will be doing something before Thursday, but it won't be dealt with for [R] before then so that doesn't really amount to being 'dealt with'.

We will be present at your meeting with [R] and will be working to make it possible for her to attend.

On Thursday it will be 2 weeks since the Trustees received their letter.  They do also have a duty to respond in a timely manner and if it is being suggested that there is a meeting with at least one member present before we refer this matter to the Ministry of Education, then they need to make themselves available to attend that meeting, or it will just be an unnecessary delay.  We would suggest Friday afternoon, and the person who has the most information about different possible approaches will most likely be available to attend then.

As far as the CoT is concerned, would you please reply to our request that members attend who specifically disagree that there should be a clearly transparent system of steps with clear and transparent consequences for children who hurt others.  I know, for example, that Judith Cunningham feels that this will be violent to a child who is thus monitored.  Although we respect and understand (eventually) how the structure of the school works, if the structure itself is used as a way to prevent these issues from being properly, or openly dealt with, then that is prejudicial to fairness.  More than that, at this point, it will not further that point of view for those who hold it to remain silent, as we are taking action on this issue one way or another.

(It must also, incidentally, make your job very hard!)

I will be contacting the Ministry again this week to find out exactly what the implications of them being brought in are, specifically, whether they can force the school to implement a system which is (possibly) really antithetical to Anthroposophy, or whether, even if the Steiner School is put on notice to improve the system, there will be more room for creativity in approach.  This is not by way of further delay, and as we have said, it is time for the School to look with an open mind at the programmes and systems which have proved themselves in putting a stop to bullying behaviour in many schools in many different countries, as many of the parents at the school believe.

For our part, however, we wish to respect the Anthroposophical life of the school and therefore even if there is room for creativity and not a proscriptive "one size-fits-all" solution coming from the Ministry, then we do not see further reason to delay this move as our child is unable to attend the school this week.

Long weekends and any other unavoidable human events notwithstanding, the reason that [R] cannot attend is because there is no clear transparent system of consequences that can be applied under all circumstances, and these present ones just serve to highlight the damage that this can cause.

Regarding meeting on Friday, would you please let us know in good time as we will need to organise child-care.

Thanks

Angel and Steve