Idiots

Over in my home city - Hull, a bunch of primary school teachers have just found themselves in hot water for indiscreet communication on Facebook. These people are meant to be serving a deprived school in east Hull to the best of their ability. However, via the infamous social networking site they made unforgivable condescending remarks about the poverty and limited horizons of their pupils. I guess they thought that this banter was funny.

Here's a sense of what they were saying. I have copied this from "The Hull Daily Mail" website:-

During the conversation, "Nyanza Roberts" replied: "by town, do you mean top end of holderness road?

"That's bout as far anyone in east Hull goes.

"No wonder everyone is thick....inbreeding must damage brain development."

"Debbie Johnson" then said: "You're really on one today mrs... !! Xx."

"Nyanza Roberts" replied: "Haha, I'm actually in a good mood.

"If anyone reading this is offended, then get a grip."

Another teacher, "Jane Johnson", then said: "Massive queue of Westcott year 5/6 kids in poundland! x".

Copies of the conversation were pinned to lampposts and trees in the school's neighbourhood. The banality of what was said and how it was said makes me shudder. Professional people are not saints and given the pressures of work in the modern world, everybody needs to let off steam from time to time but Facebook is not the place to do it.

Parents reading letters of apology from the school

There have been plenty of examples of serious work problems even sackings caused by unwise Facebook comments. Those presumably well-educated teachers at Westcott Primary should have been wise enough not to let their guard down so publicly. However, what is more reprehensible is the sense that when all is said and done these young teachers look down on their pupils and the community they serve, forgetting that without these people they wouldn't be in receipt of comfortable teachers' salaries.

From now on, how can they hold their heads up high at parents meetings or even in front of their classes? Idiots!