5 year old excluded from a Manchester City Council school

Yes, from the council with the highest ASBO rate in the country we now have the exclusion of a 5 year old.

Now, a 5 year old in Withington has been excluded, permanently, for 'attacking' 6 teachers and one other student. I'm sorry but 5 year olds do not 'attack' teachers. It is simply the wrong language to use. She might have behaved aggressively and hit or pushed a teacher; perhaps she has problems in terms of acquiring emotional balance and 'social skills' - but it is feeble in the extreme for a teacher to say they were 'attacked' by a 5 year old. She is not a physical threat to an adult.

As her mother said - she would have expected more support from the school for a child with difficulties, not just the door shut in her face.

The headteacher says that children today can be 'very aggressive'. This is probably true; a materliastic society, social deprivation and then, a testing and assessment regime in schools which makes extraordinary demands on children. It is a recipe for disaster.

To grow up children need relationships, constructive play, respect, time, space, love. If children are deprived of this by a society which focusses more or less entirely on external acquisitions (material possessions, status symbols, school ranking tables, literacy targets, etc) they will become 'hyperactive' because they have not been provided with the kind of environment they actually need to grow up. Electronic computer games for example do not develop the same kinds of skills that wooden building bricks, models, dressing a doll etc do. These kinds of play require perseverance, attention, care, reflection. They are not about status.

'hyperactive' children are calling us back to ourselves ; we need to become more loving.

Manchester City Council is now providing 'intensive support' to this child. I.e. it's the child who has the problem. Lots of 'professionals' will now become involved 'helping' and 'supporting' the child. But we won't become any wiser.

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