‘The school is outing our children with this new rule… it’s disgusting’

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/our-kids-being-humiliated-school-30272421

by suspended-sentence

29 comments
  1. >Parents say their children have been “humiliated” at school after being told to carry lanyards revealing learning disabilities.

    >Parents say Werneth School in Stockport has told children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to wear or carry sunflower lanyards this week and show them to staff when asked.

    >Messages from the school, seen by the Manchester Evening News (M.E.N), say the pass can be worn or concealed and that breaching the policy ‘based on defiance’ may result in disciplinary action. But furious parents have complained it has left their children feeling “embarrassed” at having to share their disabilities.

    Nothing sinister about this at all

  2. >”She also said the school has stopped access to a quiet room for neurodiverse children”

    What the hell is wrong with this school?

  3. This is where the popularisation of “neurodiversity” in internet culture is going longer term harm.

  4. Bizarre. Forcing children to disclose their disability is just wrong. The people who run the sunflower charity must be so upset to see their tool being misused in this way. I am surprised they have not been called on for comment.

  5. Feels like a complete moron’s reaction to the requirement that staff know and accomodate their classes SEND needs.

    Don’t know why they can’t do what every school I’ve ever worked at has done and have staff annotate seating plans for each class.

    For a secondary teacher with a dozen classes on my schedule it’s a pain in the arse, but it does the job and for a primary school it’d literally be half an hour of directed time a year tops since most teachers only see one class.

  6. How dumb do these teachers have to be, singling out a child for something they will be picked on for. That’s the opposite of what good teachers should be doing.

    Disgusting.

  7. Disgusting, dehumanising behaviour from the school who clearly didn’t consult the parents or any kind of SEND support service before implementing this policy. No thought put into it what so ever.

    I’m also not surprised at all to find that this is a secondary school. They are a law unto themselves it seems.

    I’m sure what they’ve done is illegal. The parents should raise merry hell over this either way because morally it’s not right.

  8. Is there a primary school in the country where the staff don’t already know and are briefed on who the SEN kids are, and what their needs are? I can’t believe there’s any need to show a special badge as if the staff weren’t aware.

  9. As another user has said I think this being not only highly immoral but it might actually be illegal. There’s solid ground for harassment and/or bullying against the school.

  10. Why don’t they tattoo a fucking serial number on them too?? You know, so staff can easily identify and determine how best they can help them?

  11. SEND has become a real burden on mainstream schools and they’re clearly not equipped to deal with it.

  12. Having three autistic kids myself, I’d be furious if they were treated in such an appalling manner. What an inhumane, stupid school

  13. This may be to indicate which pupils it’s worthwhile educating, and which ones aren’t worth the bother as they’ll never have to work, due to their ‘disabilities’ 😐

  14. Of course there is *nothing* wrong with making people who are already on the fringes wear a sign featuring a yellow star shaped object?

  15. Typical of the bullying, petty tyrants who run so many schools. I don’t remember it bothering me when I was a pupil buuuuuuut

    My sister is a teacher and before I got married we shared a flat. Her teacher mates were absolutely insufferable. Far too much time spent patronising children- interacting with them was an utter chore.

  16. Imagine doing this with any other protected characteristic. Have some stars of David, or some pink triangles lanyards.

  17. Due to the rise in anti-Semitic incidents we’ve decided to institute some new measures to better support our Jewish pupils. In order that we can better see who may need extra care, we are asking all Jewish pupils to wear a yellow star. Refusal to do so due to “defiance” will result in disciplinary action.

  18. Governments, establishments, corporations, spend so much time and effort when it comes to race, or sexual orientation and gender but they all seem to treat disabilities as an afterthought.

    I never thought of it before, but once I was diagnosed with a disability, you really start to notice that they really aren’t there for you. You are not seen as a problem to be solved, you are seen as a problem that needs to be shoved off to the side.

  19. Yeah that’s bullshit. Kids with genuine disabilities that want to be treated the same as all kids should have the dignity of being treated the same way as other kids without having to highlight it.

  20. “In the name of inclusion, all Jewish students must wear a yellow star of david patch and all LGBT students a pink triangle. Kids will be disciplined for not outing themselves. Brilliant!”

  21. I can’t even parse how they thought this was a good idea. Don’t they have anyone with an interest in history, Have they forgotten the black triangle so quickly?

    When you see people say their disabled and terrified. This is why.

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