Boy punished for cutlery breach

[CJ]

BBC link

Adults who have lost the plot completely! As usual political correctness, stupidity and authoritarian attitudes continue to destroy childhood and a primary school completely looses the disciplinary plot

Boy punished for cutlery breach

A six-year-old American schoolboy will be suspended after bringing his favourite camping cutlery to school.

Zachary Christie took out the combination knife, fork and spoon at lunch, in violation of the school policy of not bringing in knives.

The school had originally said Zachary should spend 45 days at an alternative school for troublemakers.

But after a meeting, the board voted instead to suspend Zachary for between three and five days.

Downes Elementary School, in Newark, Delaware, operates a zero tolerance policy on knives, banning them as dangerous instruments.

Continued...

[JimC]

At least the lad did not attempt to use a fish knife to spread his butter with...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I brought a Civil War-era cavalry saber to school when I was fifteen. I got an "A" for that day. I wore it all day as it wouldn't fit into my locker. Several teachers derailed their class to talk about it.

O tempore, o mores.

[Pappa]

Poor kid. You'd think they could be flexible with their rules, even with a zero tolerance policy. After all, it was only the equivalent of a butter knife - a metal rule would be sharper.

[AshtonBlack]

"More than my job's worth, mate."
"Its the insurance, see?"
It boggles the mind.

[Horwood Beer-Master]

I'm feeling a bit lazy right now so...


<insert post here concerning 'law - letter of' vs. 'law - spirit of', and all that gumph>

[Trolldor]

I'm curious... there are forks/spoons with knife edges. Would they be included under school policy?

[Thinking Aloud]

What annoys me about this kind of reaction is that I can imagine it happening to my own kids in a similar unintentional way. Nice kids who really enjoy school, genuinely excited to show their friends and teachers something interesting, taking a harmless item to school that just happens to fit some "weaponry" description. I can just imagine them being completely traumatised by the whole thing. I can picture the fear of returning to school that something like that would instill in them - that kind of knock to their confidence could have long lasting effects.

[CJ]

What annoys me about this kind of reaction is that I can imagine it happening to my own kids in a similar unintentional way. Nice kids who really enjoy school, genuinely excited to show their friends and teachers something interesting, taking a harmless item to school that just happens to fit some "weaponry" description. I can just imagine them being completely traumatised by the whole thing. I can picture the fear of returning to school that something like that would instill in them - that kind of knock to their confidence could have long lasting effects.

Absolutely correct. I would be apoplectic if this sort of thing had happened to one of my kids. The child has done nothing worthy of punishment whatsoever he just needs the rules explaining and then he probably won't do it again. If he does do it again then there should be a gradual escalation of disciplinary action taking into account the child's behaviour as a whole not an over reaction to a single incident.

[The Dawktor]

In the hands of a master- the spork can be as lethal as any weapon. Behold it's lethality: <Drum roll please>



The kid clearly deserved his supension!

[Pappa]

What annoys me about this kind of reaction is that I can imagine it happening to my own kids in a similar unintentional way. Nice kids who really enjoy school, genuinely excited to show their friends and teachers something interesting, taking a harmless item to school that just happens to fit some "weaponry" description. I can just imagine them being completely traumatised by the whole thing. I can picture the fear of returning to school that something like that would instill in them - that kind of knock to their confidence could have long lasting effects.

Absolutely correct. I would be apoplectic if this sort of thing had happened to one of my kids. The child has done nothing worthy of punishment whatsoever he just needs the rules explaining and then he probably won't do it again. If he does do it again then there should be a gradual escalation of disciplinary action taking into account the child's behaviour as a whole not an over reaction to a single incident.

+1

Even a teacher merely saying, "Ah... I think you should take that home and not bring it in again as technically it's a knife and they're against the rules. Come and get it from me at the end of the day."

[Animavore]

What annoys me about this kind of reaction is that I can imagine it happening to my own kids in a similar unintentional way. Nice kids who really enjoy school, genuinely excited to show their friends and teachers something interesting, taking a harmless item to school that just happens to fit some "weaponry" description. I can just imagine them being completely traumatised by the whole thing. I can picture the fear of returning to school that something like that would instill in them - that kind of knock to their confidence could have long lasting effects.

Absolutely correct. I would be apoplectic if this sort of thing had happened to one of my kids. The child has done nothing worthy of punishment whatsoever he just needs the rules explaining and then he probably won't do it again. If he does do it again then there should be a gradual escalation of disciplinary action taking into account the child's behaviour as a whole not an over reaction to a single incident.

+1

Even a teacher merely saying, "Ah... I think you should take that home and not bring it in again as technically it's a knife and they're against the rules. Come and get it from me at the end of the day."

-3

He should've been whacked across the back of the head with a ruler and made to stand in the idiot corner for 2 hours then sent home to his mother so she could take her turn in dishing out a sound trashing.

Jesus kids are so soft today

[devogue]

What annoys me about this kind of reaction is that I can imagine it happening to my own kids in a similar unintentional way. Nice kids who really enjoy school, genuinely excited to show their friends and teachers something interesting, taking a harmless item to school that just happens to fit some "weaponry" description. I can just imagine them being completely traumatised by the whole thing. I can picture the fear of returning to school that something like that would instill in them - that kind of knock to their confidence could have long lasting effects.

+213132

Wankers.

On a seperate but related note, I had to taste the Devlet's formula milk before we got on a flight recently and our daughters had their fruit drinks confiscated, but I was allowed to carry my very pointy, rather sharp car key in my hand luggage.