Remember the good old days when teachers were allowed to hug their students? When a first grader would forget their lunch or homework and start to cry, the teacher would console the child with a loving and understanding hug. Not anymore! The hands-off policy says it is not permissible to touch a child and that goes for the school nurse, as well.
Some parents suggested that letters should be on file giving permission to the teacher to hug their child if the situation so warrants it. Are you kidding me? So if a little child falls on the playground and has a bloody knee and tears running down her cheeks, the teacher has to make sure there is a signed letter of permission, or stand their coldly not touching the child?
Yes, there are situations where teachers have been groping, molesting and even having affairs with students (turns my stomach), so because of the few, the masses must suffer? I see no solution to this problem. If I were a teacher in a situation where my little student needed a hug, what would I do? Follow my heart or follow the rules, knowing that I could lose my job. That’s a hard call. What would you do?
Nancy:
Wow! Did you nit the nail on the head.
I suspect that those of us of “similar” vintage may have slightly different memories of the teachers who we encountered when we were younger than perhaps those of the more recent generations.
This, among to many other “issues” with our education system (don’t get me started…) is the proverbial “tip of the iceberg”. Budgetary cutbacks have impacted the background checks that are possible, a variety of laws have equally impacted those checks which we may perform and the questions that we may pose to prospective teachers – and other members of the education community – and perhaps there is even a decline in the quality of those who are applying for such positions.
I personally know – and have known – many teachers. Most of these folks have been wonderful, caring and a true credit to their profession. Some, however, have given me the creeps and seemed honestly to be of a malevolent nature and I was left to wonder how they ever got such a job.
It is such a sad issue. I cannot imagine being a child, having fallen in the playground (or other…) being left to cry alone because the teacher cannot (or will not) take my hand, sponge my wounded knee and be kind a gentle with me. Yikes!
Great topic.
Kirk
I really am amazed myself. Are people so scared to make a commitment before God? I’ve been married for a long long times through tough and good times but we are still together. What is their excuse.