Duma and the last straw

I know you are hoping this is about strawberries and frankly so do I.

Have you ever seen DUMA?  It is a fantastic movie.  Can you imagine our surprise when we were on safari in South Africa that we just happened to stay in the Farm Inn in Pretoria.  I love this place even more than the Hippo Hollow.  It is the most fantastic property, and where else can you listen to the lions roar all night long?  It is also a stone’s throw from some of our greatest friend’s home and not too far from the in-laws.

It is a great place for kids too, many paths to run along, pay areas, grassy fields, swimming pools, and a Game Ranger second to none.  There was only one other couple with us on that safari.  The Game Ranger let the boys take turns riding in the tracker’s seat, a seat suspended on the hood of the vehicle, usually reserved for the tracker with a rifle.

It was a wonderful day, petting the real Duma and letting her lick us, running with the lion cubs, getting to see Zeus, the King of the Lion pride, and petting a warthog.  They are not as cuddly as you might imagine Duma was the highlight.  She was so tame and the movie is such a great movie, especially for a boy who wishes that he could move back to South Africa.  There is something magical there, even with all the crime.  Hopefully, some day, it will settle down then I won’t feel so nervous about the boys spending the summers with their grandparents.  Until then we’ve always got Duma.  Watch it!

It had been 4 school days since the ‘New Deal’ began.  If this was FDR this would not be a deal he could be proud of. This would have made history as the biggest FAIL of his presidency.  See the snowball of events:

• Day One: teacher finds all and any reasons to point out any infraction or shades of imperfection and makes a BIG deal out of everything. (great way to foster feelings of hope and trust)
• Day Two: After a diplomatic response from a very, very large man, Principal spent most of the day in the classroom to oversee the hostility from the teacher. There was none.  Surprise!
• Day Three: Teacher badgers student over one missing spelling assignment for nearly half an hour until said student finally makes a snide remark.  Then marches kid to Principal’s office to prove his disrespect.  Later teacher thinks the boy made a comment under his breath so she pulls him out of class again, forcefully removes his pencil from his hand, threatens “drastic measures.”  The day ensues as the child and the adult go back and forth.  Who is wrong?  Definitely both, however provoking the student to be disrespectful is despicable.
• Day Four: 12 yo kid decides that he has to go back to the war front because there are some things that he “needs to finish as a human being.” I have no idea what that means, I did not intend to bring him back.  All was fine until the Principal called him in the office to ask him questions.  He told me that he lied and said “no” to every question because he feels like he had already given her too much information.  Then he went to the office to call his dad and she showed up behind him.  She asked him if he felt threatened.  He said “no” and made up some crazy story trying no to have to tell the truth.  Would you feel threatened if the Principal was standing there with her hands on your shoulders, questioning you? Especially under these circumstances?! duh

The sad thing is that the child here, who was very fond of the principal, found out that people are not always as they seem.  He was very hurt when he found out that she really did not have his back.  He feels that confiding in her in the past was a very bad decision.  He had trusted her and she let him believe that this was a safe place where he would not have to fear harassment.  That is all gone.  He feels violated.  He does not trust her.

Am I wrong by thinking that school should be a safe place where kids should not feel threatened or fear being harassed by their teachers?  I know it was normal in the past to live under such mores.  Today, hazing is not permitted.  I guess that is the difference in the Catholic School system, harassing the children is acceptable. Especially if it gets the teacher off the hook for her bad behavior. We will blame it on the child.  Way to go.

Duma and her sisters

I am now the “bad” person.  Which is fine.  You find me one mother, who, if their child is being thrown under the bus in order to save the teacher’s hind end, is not going to become defensive and angry?

Yes, I confronted the teacher.

Yes, I told her that she had no business teaching.

Yes, I raised my voice.

Yes, I slammed her door when I left.

Yes, I may have over stepped the bounds.

Tagged as: education system, South Africa