I HEARD a story the other day wherein a few months ago, a head teacher was requested to visit the police station to answer some questions about an incident that happened at her school.
A little dumbfounded and slightly scared as an expat in Bahrain, she went along to duly answer the questions, taking an Arabic colleague to help with translation.
When she arrived, she gave the duty officer her name and nervously awaited to see if she was going to appear in the next series of Banged Up Abroad.
An officer called her through to an interview room and went through the reasons for her visit.
It seemed that a few weeks earlier a bombastic parent had entered her school and verbally threatened one of her staff because of an incident between her child and another.
The incident was a silly everyday fall out between two grade 1 children but the parent saw it as a major issue that warranted creating an unnecessary and frightening scene for the staff member, parents and particularly the children who witnessed it.
The head teacher was called to the scene and arrived to see the parent screaming in a raging voice at the teacher.
Encouraging the parent into a nearby classroom, the head teacher tried to calm the lady down, explaining that children were present and that issue could undoubtedly be resolved calmly and sensibly. This however fell on deaf ears and the parent continued her tirade at which point the head teacher was left with no other option than to threaten calling security at which point the parent turned on her heels and stomped away still screaming in Arabic as she walked.
The head teacher walked behind her to be certain that no more drama was created and watched with relief as she left the premises.
That afternoon the parent was invited back in to the school to discuss the problem when she had calmed down. An offer that was duly accepted.
The following morning, the head teacher awaiting the parent received the phone call from the police station instead and that’s where our story began.
And the reason for the visit to the police station?
The parent had submitted a report that she was offended by the way she was treated by the school and insulted by the fact she had been threatened with security. Honestly, I ask you?
So to the parents who think that they own a teacher because they pay for their services and who know no manners, meaning their children will undoubtedly know fewer still and who treat schools as places to air their dirty washing and show no respect for the rules, values and professionalism of others I say shame on you. We all have bad days, but most of us don’t inflict them on others.
So, what was the outcome of all this? The teacher an excellent one I believe, was frightened.
She resigned the next day and went back to her home country leaving the children without a teacher.
The head teacher answered the questions and went home to a sleepless night. The police officers decided she had done nothing wrong and took no further action, concerning themselves with much more important things and the parent, well apparently she still walks around as if she owns the place safe in the knowledge that the law is on her side.
Unbelievable!