Guilt, especially religious guilt has often been used as a way to get children to act a certain way. But does it work?
I don’t think it does.
Others must disagree because they quite clearly depend on it.
A CATHOLIC primary school head is facing dismissal for telling naughty kids to lie face down as she “phoned God’ about their bad behaviour.
Parents of St Joseph’s Roman Catholic primary school in the town of Devizes in Wiltshire, south west England, told Wiltshire Gazette and Herald that headmistress Shelia Jones should reign or be sacked for “humiliating” their children.
Ms Jones made four boys lie face down on the floor in the prayer room before telling them she was telephoning God on her mobile phone to tell him of their misbehaviour. She also has allegedly told naughty kids to lie down face first on the floor on other occasions.
Tammy Brimble claims her 11-year-old son Cyrus was among four boys threatened by Ms Jones with a “phone call to God”.
“I didn’t find out about it when we got home. Cyrus was very quiet and I could tell something was bothering him,” she said.
“When he told me what had happened to him and three other boys, I was upset and I wanted to find out why she did it.”
Another mother, Alexandra Jones, who worked as a lunchtime supervisor at the school, told how the children had been talking among themselves “and then it came out that Sheila had made some of them lie face down in the prayer room while she pretended to ring God on her mobile phone.”
The school’s governors dismissed the complaints against Ms Jones and that decision led the group of parents to contact the school watchdog, Ofsted, which is investigating.
“You should be well aware now that the current head has irretrievably lost the support, confidence and trust of the overwhelming majority of parents, as well as from teaching and support staff,” parents said an email sent to the governors.
“Her remaining in post will continue to damage the school’s formerly good reputation and is causing the school to fall further and further into disrepute. It also damages the good name of the church.”
“I don’t think what she did was appropriate at all,” said Ms Brimble.
“We are not Roman Catholics, but it was still distressing for my child.”
Ofsted said the complaint raised concerns about the children’s safety.
“Ofsted has shared your concerns with the local authority (Wiltshire Council) so they can progress these safeguarding concerns as they consider appropriate,” Ofsted said to a parent who complained.
Click on the link to read What Kids Think About Love (Video)
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Click on the link to read Things Middle School Students Wish We Knew
Tags: Phoned God, Religious guilt in the classroom, St Joseph’s Roman Catholic primary school, St Joseph’s Roman Catholic primary school phoned God
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