Article About a Child Forced to Sit Alone at Lunch

[daisy madness]

A principal forced a 6 year old child to sit alone at lunch because he was 1 minute late for school.  The picture is disturbing and sad.  I assume this is not a child with food allergies.  It's extra sad because there are children with food allergies who are forced to sit alone at lunch and snack every day. 

http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/02/28/6-year-old-forced-eat-lunch-alone-behind-cardboard-divider-after-hes-1-minute-late-school

[TabiCat]

The child was assigned detention for chronic tardiness.  Which is problematic to begin with when it hardly within a 6 year-old's power to effect when he arrives at school. What I found ironic is the amount of outrage in the comments about this punishment yet no one bats an eye when our kids are excluded not as a punishment but due to allergies. 

[GoingNuts]

^  This. 

[guess]

Schools have a sort of loophole of discretion to use restraints and seclusions.  By most measurements they are disproportionately used on students with disabilities, clustered by district not necessarily by state though it is governed by state law.  The inconsistencies within a state are attributed to the hypothesized deference to district policy and culture driving use of restraint and seclusion.

By the way posting about restraints and seclusions only to FYI any drafting 504 to think about putting that in.  No restraints or seclusions, no exceptions.  Child must be able to have access to meds at all times, an adult delegated to monitor, talk to child, supervise welfare at all times etc.

Exclusion is bad, seclusion and restraint could be deadly.  Talk to them about the definition as well.  Close that loophole.

[SilverLining]

The child was assigned detention for chronic tardiness.  Which is problematic to begin with when it hardly within a 6 year-old's power to effect when he arrives at school. What I found ironic is the amount of outrage in the comments about this punishment yet no one bats an eye when our kids are excluded not as a punishment but due to allergies.

Thing is though...the parents who are so outraged about this apparently are not outraged enough to get him to school on time.

I've worked in a class and found it extremely disruptive to the entire class when a child is late. And when it is the same kid day after day, it's unfair to the other students.

And one minute late? I cry BS on that. One minute and the kids would still be getting snow clothes off.

[Janelle205]

This was my kid a few years ago before we got custody.  My experience would be that if a child that age is late that often, you don't need to give them a detention, you need to call someone - not the parents, but probably child services.  Because if a child that age is late that frequently, there are probably other things going on in the house that need to be checked on - the family could very well use the services that a public organization can offer.

In DSD's last year of school before she started living with us full time, she was late 17 times.  And that was with me dropping off on half of the mornings, and we were never late.  17 tardies from only half of the actual school days.

[Macabre]

Okay--we're late---more often than we should be.  It doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong.  Well, seriously wrong. 

[hedgehog]

First, your DS is older than six.  Second, being chronically late can just be a personality trait, I know many who are.  But it could also be a red flag.  It could mean parents don't care, there is no money for reliable transportation, there are other issues going on in the home, or it could mean nothing at all. 

I myself was late very often in third grade.  So much so that the teachers had a conference with me and my mom about it.  My mom worked nights, and had only been in bed a few hours before I had to get up, and my dad was out the door super early every morning, which left me to get ready on my own.  I had poor time management skills, and missed the bus on a regular basis.  Then my mom had to get up, get dressed, and drive me to school.  So I was late.  Of course my poor time management skills stemmed from the fact that I would turn on the TV before I was finished getting ready.  Lesson learned after that meeting.

But that was the proper way to address it.  Speak to the kid and the parents.  See what is going on, then work with that.  Not punish a six-year-old for what is likely, though not necessarily, beyond their control.

[SilverLining]

But that was the proper way to address it.  Speak to the kid and the parents.  See what is going on, then work with that.  Not punish a six-year-old for what is likely, though not necessarily, beyond their control.

The parents are obviously aware of the problem. After all, they posted a picture on the Internet. Which is working much better than actually addressing the real issue of why their own child is habitually late.

In fact, someone will probably start a crowd-funding site and buy them a car, a house, and a private tutor.