'School is supposed to be a safe environment to learn and grow, yet I can't think of anywhere more horrible to send my children.  No one ever sees the torment that happens every day.'

Stuff to think about.

Latest barmyness (is that even a word?) from the education frontline.  Letter arrived from son's school telling me that from his report, said son has demonstrated a commendable attitude to his studies.  Jesus H Christ, I fucking know.  I have read the report and signed it confirming that I have.  Aren't we supposed to be saving trees?  Aren't we supposed to be saving money and making cutbacks.  I cannot believe that someone is being employed to type letters about stuff that is blatantly obvious to the majority of parents.

My son is in the process of picking his school options, at 13, a year earlier than children used to.  The term 'options' should probably be used as loosely as the 'choices' we have in what schools we send our children to.  I'd like to know the wisdom behind children now having to study all 3 sciences and a foreign language.  Who decides that these subjects are worthier than humanities and arts subjects?  Or that the compulsory RS is any more useful than cooking, yes I know that's not what it's called but I can't keep up with what is now home economics or domestic science or something else altogether.  I suspect that the governments at large daren't get rid of it because of the right wingers waiting to start hysterically screaming that it's something to do with the amount of foreigners in Britain.  Once my son has finished with the compulsory Maths, English, PE, RS, 3 Sciences, a foreign language and a Humanity, he has 2 'options' to 'choose' and I got the distinct impression that this was for a bit of fun.  Tired as I was of the talk of  'if you want to go to a 'good university', why not be honest and scream 'I'm talking about the red brick universities', I got to thinking, where is the national pride in our future artists, designers, architects, animators to name but a few who will get nowhere without Art as an option?  Where is the proof of the statement 'we are committed to all our students'?  In the 70s, after Maths, English, PE and RS, I was allowed 5 choices.  I took no languages or sciences because I was so terrible at them and chose a combination of humanities and arts subjects, which were my strengths and what I was interested in.  I passed them all.  If I had been forced to study languages and sciences, I would have completely lost interest and failed at everything.  I am struggling with the logic behind it all.

'One of the biggest lies told in schools is that bullying will not be tolerated.'

I would like to know just how many more children committing suicide over bullying will it take for schools to take things a hell of a lot more seriously than they currently are?  Where is all the pastoral care we are promised?  Why is it so damned difficult to teach children to be kind?  What the fuck is going on at home to make them think it is ok to be so horrible and cruel to others?  Why can we not figure out how to get on top of it, how to stop it?  With so much focus on the academic side of things, is it impossible to be aware of what is going on in terms of behaviour?  I am so sick and tired of hearing that 'kids will be kids' and it's normal behaviour.  If it was so normal, would not all children be capable of it?  Is there so much bullying in the workforce because it was never really sorted in school?  I am tired of schools issuing statements after yet another tragedy saying '........was a very well liked and popular pupil'.  If you could notice this, how could you fail to notice that the same child was being bullied?

'I accept myself for who I am and what I believe.....it is not my responsibility for you to accept me....that is your problem.'  If ever there was a mantra that should have my name written all over it.