27 August, 2008

"I'll have you fired"

That was the frustrated reply from an 8 year old boy when I didn't push my grandson quickly enough at a Church playground!

Amazing.

This 8 year old who I had never met before first said, "watch out" as he was swinging from a playschool swing designed for 2-5 year olds. My 3 year old grandson walked over to use the other swing. This older boy did help him into the infant seat, then snapped it and said, "someone else will have to get you out".

This scene only involved three people.

He went back to his swing and then said to me, "push him, I'm not going to do it"

I waited. My grandson and I talk as adults and he will ask if he wants any help.

Then the older boy said, "I said, push him, didn't you hear me!?"

I waited. Then the older boy said, "Push him now, if you don't, I'll have you fired." At that, I laughed at him.

Then he said, "how old are you?"

This is when I began correcting him.

I said, "If you want to introduce yourself, you first give your name, then your age." He did. I did. Then he said, "are you retired?" I finally understood.

He thought I was a teacher or employed somehow as a monitor at the church where we had gone for a relative's 90th birthday party. I said to him, "do you threaten your teachers at school this way to get your way?" He did not reply, then left.

This is the problem with public school education. The students think they are in charge. We have allowed this to deteriorate to this point. This is why many send their children to independent schools or private schools.

I encountered this type behavior about three times when I taught. All were from females. All were threats to lie about what I was supposed to have done to them. I took the threats to the principal each time. All were lies and attempts at blackmail.

This does not occur in european schools. I visited about ten when in europe. This is how education was done in America back when we had control of our schools and parents were married before they had children and sent them to school.