Comments on: Jack Waterhouse

By: caroline

caroline — Mon, 31 May 2010 12:08:43 +0000

One thing that strikes me about many comments made about this incident is how many commentators are taking sides one way or another, including you Alex. The whole issue needs to be seen from a more removed standpoint to draw some useful conclusions and possible future actions to prevent it happening again. The teacher here obviously had some mental health issues very much related to the goading of his pupils and he can’t be entirely left to blame for his actions but neither can it be right that misbehaving pupils (no matter how badly behaved) are subject to physical violence. There are much wider concerns to consider here than the particulars of this incident and they aren’t going to be solved by an armchair critic such as myself (or many others posting here). Two salient points to consider are:

1. The amount and type of support and backup that teachers get within the school (not just outside it from counsellors or unions) on a day-to-day basis for dealing with their pupils/students. Is there a coherent national strategy on this or is this done on a school-by-school basis?

2. What kind of support is available to misbehaving pupils? Their behaviour can come from many background causes and isn’t usually just down to being ‘bad apples’. I know that many pupils with problems in school will often have social and emotional problems at home and outside of school; this doesn’t excuse the behaviour at all but what processes and services are routinely dealing with this?

By: penelope keith

penelope keith — Mon, 24 May 2010 11:06:34 +0000

Kids always push the boundaries…. that is fact, however this wet, soft, pathetic ‘little angel’ centred society has to wake up!! These are CHILDREN…… they need to know and will be happier when they know they are LESS important than ADULTS and should RESPECT ADULTS……When the hell did we start calling them STUDENTS!!
Children need clear boundaries…… and some children will only listen to fear. BRING BACK CORPORAL PUNSHMENT FOR GOD’S (AND OUR< AND THE CHILDREN"S) SAKE!!
Pay teachers more and allow them to have some physical contact….. I was often lead by the ear or little finger under excruciating pain when I'd pushed the mark…….It's the natural way of doing things……. Maybe not the FEMALE way but it works!
Boys need discipline and in teaching a clip round the ear saves valuable TIME currently wasted in all schools following slip systems/detention and the like.

Penelope Keith (ex teacher)

By: Spike

Spike — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 02:44:29 +0000

I suggest updating the original post with full information as the case has now concluded. Although I do not agree with the language used in the original posts from facebook, especially as the only real information they had to go on was a picture of Jack Waterhouse. However, on this occasion it appears the trolls were in fact correct in their comments.

The case has now finished and it appears Jack Waterhouse was part of a group of students who, knowing of the teachers fragile mental state, conspired to push him over the edge for the purpose of recording it on a cellphone to then distribute for their own amusement, and to humiliate the teacher. This to me is the very definition of evil.

Thankfully the court saw the incident for what it really was, a group of inherently evil children pushing a fragile man too far. The following violent incident was a result of “their” actions not the teachers. Having already served 8 months in custody the teacher will be released. It is good to see common sense prevailing once in a while.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/8652243.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/8652702.stm

By: Max_Normal

Max_Normal — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:27:52 +0000

Clearly, this child was part of a group of pupils that were instrumental in driving a teacher with an exemplary record into having a nervous breakdown. He probably did not deserve the injuries that he received, but in a way, this was bound to happen sooner or later, and will certainly happen again.

Children should never, never be empowered to attack adults, particularly teachers who should hold a position of respect. This is a real problem all over our society. If anything, the boy (and his piers) is a victim of the governments enforced lack of discipline in schools, terrible parenting, and a general decline in mutual respect in British society. He cannot really be fully blamed for what he conspired to do: mentally torture a human being until he was literally driven mad.

Although the boy is a victim in this, I feel slightly more for the teacher. He could see that his career was over. He was a weak and easy target for the baying feral kids because of depression and illness and caring for his life partner. Something had to break, if not this, probably he would have taken his own life. I hope the boy makes a good recovery and learns from this, I hope that the judge goes easy on Mr. Harvey.

By: Lady Di

Lady Di — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 05:56:16 +0000

I can’t be certain that the boy needed a good kicking. What is certain is that, had he died, we would not be missing a cure for cancer. I find the entire story hugely entertaining – this teacher is (literally) fighting the idiot culture in Britain. Of course he needs to be tried and convicted of GBH, must never teach again, but can’t you see the funny side?