General Chat

Teachers shackled children to railings and poles to punish bad behaviour, it has been claimed.
Five youngsters say they were handcuffed by their wrists and ankles too for up to six hours at a time.
Some say they were forced to eat lunch while handcuffed, and had to shout to be released to use the bathroom, sometimes unsuccessfully.
US civil rights activists have now filed a lawsuit against a Capital City Alternative School in Jackson, Mississippi.
The pupils allege school principals often ordered the shackling, WLBT reported.

The Southern Poverty Law Centre filed a lawsuit naming Jackson Public Schools and Capital City Alternative School officials and seeking class-action status on behalf of all the school's students.

The complaint says the alleged punishments violate the US Constitution and school board policy.
The centre's director, attorney Jody Evans, said that the policy states students can only be handcuffed if they present a danger to themselves or others, or if they are destroying property.
'In these instances, none of these occurred. Students were simply (saying) I forgot my belt today, have the wrong shoes on. They were handcuffed,' he said, according to WLBT
Critics of the Capital City Alternative School in Jackson say the allegedly excessive punishment makes students more likely to drop out of school - and commit crimes later in life.
The school admits pupils in grades 4-12 who have been suspended or expelled from Jackson Public Schools for 10 days or longer.

School district officials said the agency takes the allegations seriously and will respond through legal channels.
Extreme: Children may only be handcuffed if they present a danger to themselves or others, or are destroying property, according to school board policy


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2001361/School-sued-shackling-children-railings-hours-time.html#ixzz1QClS3I1F

Dizzi,

To be honest I have seen the behaviour of some school kids in the UK and I'd shackle the little wotsits!

But then I'm grumpy where ill behaved brats are concerned :-P

Kind of fence sitting here...because my natural instinct towards the kids mentioned on Ann of GGs thread is that a little 'shackling' might work wonders.

The American treatment does seem a little OTT although do we know what their'crime' was? And after Anne of GG report yesterday and Julias today a few hours shackled sounds an idea. Maybe bring back the stocks?

I have 3 friends who all retired from teaching early because they could not control their classes. No shouting at or attempting to restrain a pupil no matter how disruptive they were.

What hope for the decent children who want an education sharing a classroom with fellow pupils who have no respect for their tutors or fellow students?

I'm in favour of a written contract between school and parents.

They agree to send their child to attend ,dressed and equipped for lessons,
and if detention or punishments are given,parents must cooperate, not sue when their little darlings complain.

Written contract? Dressed? Of course they are dressed. Teachers are employed by us. Children are their customers. The buildings are provided by us. That should be made clearer in THEIR contracts. Once they've signed up to that the disruptive kids should be ejected. End of.

There is a case in 19c Parliamentary Papers of abuse in the Fareham workhouse.A teacher was giving evidence. She had had her own little pair of stocks manufactured to punish unruly children.

Rose, It would work wonders if it were used on Friday and Saturday nights in the centre of some towns.**M**. :-D