Politically Correct in the Classroom

[Darkdale]

UK teacher in trouble for "bomb joke".

A TEACHER faces a police quiz after allegedly telling pupils: "Behave or I'll put a bomb on your bus."

Palestinian-born Mazin Albarq was said to have made the sick joke to a class of 13 and 14-year-olds.

Parents complained and headteacher Maureen Bates contacted police.

Pupils in supply teacher Mr Albarq's class may also be questioned over a possible charge of threatening criminal damage.

The parent of one 14-year-old said: "Children who use the school bus were terrified. It was surely meant as a joke but in the present climate there was nothing remotely funny."

Now, this was obviously a tasteless joke and this teacher is obviously an idiot. However, why should this sort of thing make it into a newspaper? I see this all the time in the States. A teacher says something "offensive" and is either flamed by the press or even fired, for just one mistake. Teachers are hard to find. Should people just have to learn to be a little less sensitive?

 

[Mike182]

UK teacher in trouble for "bomb joke".



Now, this was obviously a tasteless joke and this teacher is obviously an idiot. However, why should this sort of thing make it into a newspaper? I see this all the time in the States. A teacher says something "offensive" and is either flamed by the press or even fired, for just one mistake. Teachers are hard to find. Should people just have to learn to be a little less sensitive?

should we tolerate stupidity? i can understand making a mistake, but this was a very tactless thing to say! parents should have the right to say "well, actually, im not happy with this happening in the classroom" - i think that any decent teacher would not tolerate 'jokes' like that from their pupils, so why should this teacher be permitted to make such a 'joke'?

 

[Darkdale]

should we tolerate stupidity? i can understand making a mistake, but this was a very tactless thing to say! parents should have the right to say "well, actually, im not happy with this happening in the classroom" - i think that any decent teacher would not tolerate 'jokes' like that from their pupils, so why should this teacher be permitted to make such a 'joke'?

I think he should be reprimanded. I think he should be yelled at. However in many cases people like this are fired or flamed in the press. What is the appropriate action to take against teachers for something they said? Where do we draw the line?

 

[Pah]

... Should people just have to learn to be a little less sensitive?

They should take graduate courses in being sensitive.

 

[Bea Ond]

should we tolerate stupidity?

Yes. If you cannot tolerate stupidity you will find yourself being intolerant of the entire human race. The man made a mistake, a stupid mistake. And he should be called on it :tsk: , and he has. He should be asked to apologise, and then that should be the end of it.

 

[Mathematician]

It's a bit harsh, but I know for a fact that if some students in my school said that they would be suspended.

Nothing unjust, although him being Palestinian raises a racial eyebrow.

 

[Aqualung]

Teachers are who we entrust our kids to for eight hours of the day. If they aren't tactful or wise enough to not threaten a kid with a horrible, traumatic death, they shouldn't be there. He was right to get flamed/fired.

 

[Darkdale]

Yes. If you cannot tolerate stupidity you will find yourself being intolerant of the entire human race. The man made a mistake, a stupid mistake. And he should be called on it :tsk: , and he has. He should be asked to apologise, and then that should be the end of it.

Excellent way of looking at it.

 

[Aqualung]

Yes. If you cannot tolerate stupidity you will find yourself being intolerant of the entire human race. The man made a mistake, a stupid mistake. And he should be called on it :tsk: , and he has. He should be asked to apologise, and then that should be the end of it.

If there's a brain surgen stupid enough to cut off the wrong part of the brain, should he just appoligize and be allowed to continue? Absolutely not. Teachers' jobs are to take care of children, and to teach them correctly. It's not correct to threaten them to follow you, and they, like the brain surgeon, should be fired.

 

[Darkdale]

If there's a brain surgen stupid enough to cut off the wrong part of the brain, should he just appoligize and be allowed to continue? Absolutely not. Teachers' jobs are to take care of children, and to teach them correctly. It's not correct to threaten them to follow you, and they, like the brain surgeon, should be fired.

We don't know the whole story. Just because someone made a terrible mistake, doesn't mean they should be fired from their job and treated like crap. I've said a hundred things I wish I could take back and I'm sure you have too! If I was there, I would have overreacted, but that's me. That doesn't make it right.

 

[Aqualung]

It does when they have something as valuable as children in their hands, and when they treat that valuable substance like so many base things.

 

[Bennettresearch]

We don't know the whole story. Just because someone made a terrible mistake, doesn't mean they should be fired from their job and treated like crap. I've said a hundred things I wish I could take back and I'm sure you have too! If I was there, I would have overreacted, but that's me. That doesn't make it right.

Hey Dark,

Maybe they were afraid because they knew they deserved it and thought they had pushed him to the brink of blowing up the little demons from hell. Maybe he needs a time out and some good tranquilizers