Pupil suspended after classroom row with sixth former teaching lessons (From Bucks Free Press)

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Pupil suspended after classroom row with sixth former teaching lessons

9:24am Friday 16th May 2008

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By Andy Carswell »

A GIRL was suspended after a row with a sixth form pupil who was taking a class under a controversial scheme.

Chantelle Hagger, 14, was suspended for Monday and Tuesday following an incident in a PE class at Chalfont Community College.

The sixth form student was leading the class as part of a college scheme to use A-level students instead of supply teachers.

Her mother, Yvette, said the programme was to blame for her daughter's suspension.

She said: "A teacher is trained not to argue with you.

"If the sixth former was more mature he would have gone to get the teacher but he stayed there and argued.

"If a teacher was there it would have been sorted straight away.

"I can't understand how they could teach her when they are not qualified.

"Are they mature enough to be looking after 13 and 14-year-olds?"

She said the row began because the student felt she was not far enough away from her friends who were sitting out a PE lesson.

The pupil was suspended on Monday morning after meeting with a teacher to discuss Friday's incident.

She was "exceptionally rude" to this teacher said Sue Tanner, the college's principal.

Mrs Tanner said it was an internal matter and was being looked into.

She did not wish to comment any further.

The scheme uses 24 students.

They must be taking an A-level for the subject they teach and are paid £5 for every 50 minutes.

Mrs Tanner said last month the scheme was introduced as she was unhappy with the quality of supply teachers.

Referring to supply teachers, she told the Bucks Free Press: "They are not teaching, it is more like babysitting, they are just coming in and sitting there to cover.

"Sometimes they don't understand the expectations here, that we have a behaviour policy we expect teachers to follow."

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Your Say YourBucks

Elmo, High Wycombe says...
9:39am Fri 16 May 08

Perhaps if Mumsy took her little darling to task instead of trying to find excuses, she may develope into a far more pleasant individual in the future.

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John, High Wycombe says...
9:43am Fri 16 May 08

A 14 year-old should be mature enough to realise the difficult position the sixth former is in and respect that.
I also agree the sixth former should have known better than to get in a silly row - but the article does not detail this clearly enough to know what happened. This 'Chantelle' is portrayed as quite rude - so perhaps she should watch her attitude in future!

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Elmo, High Wycombe says...
9:48am Fri 16 May 08

Yeah I imagine have a little, foot stomping, hissy fit 'cos she couldn't sit next to her giggling, air headed, chums is considered the hieght of maturity.

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Elmo, High Wycombe says...
9:49am Fri 16 May 08

-height-

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Marmite, HW says...
9:57am Fri 16 May 08

'Chantelle' what a surprise. I suppose it could have been Jordan.

I'm sure she'll enjoy being suspended as it will be some time off with her feet up watching tv. Preparing her for a lifetime of living off the dole and having numerous children.

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Elmo, High Wycombe says...
10:10am Fri 16 May 08

Dreaming of the ultimate TV gig. A contestant on the Jeremy Kyle show.

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influxuk, terriers says...
10:48am Fri 16 May 08

too right, tell keisha, or beyonce or whatever her name is to grow up or sod off.....fair play to the students for giving it a go, and supply teachers are useless - why not train a student early and get them involved - its a shame mugs like this girl and scabby parenting let others down - blame the school not your dauhter - YAWN

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DaveG, Wycombe says...
12:02pm Fri 16 May 08

And we wonder why the UK is going down the drain when there are parents with attitudes like this? I've said this before, but I believe the lack of father figures coupled with the increasingly bad behaviour and man-like attitudes of women is creating a time bomb.

Women used to be the backbone of our communities and the group that would temper the out of hand behaviour of yobbish blokes. Now, though, they have been so keen to join in with the blokes that their standards have slipped and less women are taking the feminine, less violent and confrontational view. of things.

Missing fathers with no responsibilities + lad-culture women with no self respect + police who cannot do anything for fear of being sued + celebrity (not work) culture = perpetuating big problem.

I'm struggling to see how we'll solve this problem while we have politicians with no corjones and only design policies that won't upset too may people to get votes.

Here are some of my policies:
- ban public drinking and being drunk in public
- stop state payments to single mothers under 21 (unless they have no supporting family)
- only pay unemployed if they take part in community work
- stop state payments to any parent who's child is suspended or expelled from school
- only allow sale of alcohol and tobacco and satellite television to those who can prove they are in full time employment
- stop all translation of public documents and signs
- bring in a 2 year (18-20) national service with a choice of military or community work

Sorry about the rant, but I'm getting really sick of the scum in our country.

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sue, denham says...
12:29pm Fri 16 May 08

CCC not only teach pupils lessons but also good manners - it is just unfortunate that this young lady is obviously not as mature as her years.

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Pierre, HW says...
1:00pm Fri 16 May 08

DaveG - surely you are not saying that anyone wo cannot read public documents and signs in English are "scum"????

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DaveG, Wycombe says...
1:35pm Fri 16 May 08

No, I did not say that and neither did I say all unemployed are scum. I welcome immigrants to this country if they are prepared to join and contribute to the UK society. You can only really do that if you speak the language of the country in which you live. If they don't want to do that, then what's the point of coming here? I also have pity for those who cannot find a job - but the stats show many jobless do not actually make an effort to find a job or they turn jobs down because they are better off on the dole.

What I am saying is that all these things combined contribute to the making of a society where people are not taking responsibility for their own lives, their own income or their own children. Emigrating to the UK and not being prepared to learn English is another example of laziness that leads people to expect help from the state instead of being self-sufficient and accountable for their actions.

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erm, ermsville says...
1:38pm Fri 16 May 08

only allow sale of alcohol and tobacco and satellite television to those who can prove they are in full time employment

sky would go bust :)

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SBJones, Wycombe says...
2:42pm Fri 16 May 08

i dont think the name of the child involved should be released to start with, another thing is that A-level students just dont have the authority/experience most teachers have to control teenagers as they are probably teenagers themselves, this scheme clearly is not the way to go.

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smokey, high wycombe says...
4:09pm Fri 16 May 08

I'm afraid that the school is 100% to blame . They are promoting sub standard teahing. They need to put their own house in order and sort out the problem of poor supply teaching. If I were a parent in that school I would withdraw my child and complain to the highest authority as I think this is appalling. And actually the mother has not condoned her daughters behaviour - merely pointed out the errors of the programme.

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happy blue, bucks says...
4:54pm Fri 16 May 08

Oh dear so Mummy isn't happy that the teacher should tell her little darling off. So that is good from now on the pupil rules the class? I don't think so dream on !!!

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smokey, high wycombe says...
5:06pm Fri 16 May 08

the basic miminum wage for young people is £4.62 an hour - but this would be for doing a non skilled job. Teaching is a skill - and I am sure that teachers are paid considerably more than that. Supply teachers are very expensive so I am equally sure that despite what Ms Tucker says to the contrary, this is nothing but a cost cutting exercise.
Few questions - who does the teaching plans for the lessons that the sixth formers teach? Do they do it? And if so, when? Surely in their free periods they should be studying their subjects - not worrying about what they are teaching!
I hope that this comes to an end pretty soon - it is a duff scheme and quite frankly i think that the governors ought to be asking some pretty probing questions!

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DaveG, Wycombe says...
5:12pm Fri 16 May 08

Is this much different to when 6th Formers were prefects? Seemed to work OK when I was at school - they filled in when there was an unexpected absence by a teacher.

The only difference is they are getting money for it now. Oh, and the fact that if I'd answered back to a Prefect when I was 14 I would have had a lot more than just some verbals back from him. I also wouldn't have gone running off to mummy to complain afterwards.

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smokey, high wycombe says...
6:43pm Fri 16 May 08

DaveG wrote:
Is this much different to when 6th Formers were prefects? Seemed to work OK when I was at school - they filled in when there was an unexpected absence by a teacher. The only difference is they are getting money for it now. Oh, and the fact that if I'd answered back to a Prefect when I was 14 I would have had a lot more than just some verbals back from him. I also wouldn't have gone running off to mummy to complain afterwards.

but were you expected to teach?
Were you expected to plan a lessson?
Of course there are still prefects at all decent schools but they have a different role than that of a teacher.

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St George, Not Wycombe anymore says...
11:38pm Fri 16 May 08

DaveG; there will be a vacancy at number 10 soon. You'd get my vote. Time to put common sense back into our country because the future for the next generation looks bleak.

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George - Wycombe, says...
2:02am Sat 17 May 08

Pupils teaching pupils has to be WRONG, the pupil doing the teaching is being exploited for low pay at the same time missing out on their own education.

Whoever agreed to the children's names being disclosed and the reporter(s) who disclosed them should face Police action for breaching the rules governing Child Protection.

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smokey, high wycombe says...
8:31am Sat 17 May 08

George - Wycombe wrote:
Pupils teaching pupils has to be WRONG, the pupil doing the teaching is being exploited for low pay at the same time missing out on their own education. Whoever agreed to the children's names being disclosed and the reporter(s) who disclosed them should face Police action for breaching the rules governing Child Protection.

I agree and I think that the head needs investigation.
I am so glad that my 2 went to a decent school.

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Elmo, High Wycombe says...
1:51pm Mon 19 May 08

DaveG not sure why you spouting your view on immigration on a story about Chantelle the mardy youth?

There may be a link but I can't see it.

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Caroline, Tampa, Florida says...
8:27pm Thu 22 May 08

I bet most sixth formers could actually reach and teach the lower level students better than most supply teachers. And the sixth formers are not being exploited - it's an early exercise in getting and taking a job seriously, and being paid a fair rate for it.

You could have the most seasoned teacher in the world working with a kid who has been raised to respect no-one and that teacher couldn't make a difference with that child.

Don't blame the schools or the program. Blame the parents. It's all about bad parenting and a systemic lack of self-responsibility these days. Kids get that vibe from their home environment.

It's a sorry story about home life and society - not the schools or their programs.

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Caroline, Tampa, Florida says...
8:29pm Thu 22 May 08

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