Poster: A snowHead
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Nadenoodlee, careful what you say about Lulworth Cove and Swanage - that's where I come from!
austin7, personally the greater the distance between me and 13/14 year olds the better. University students are a bit better behaved...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nadenoodlee wrote: |
Its the whole compensation culture thats ruining it for the masses. |
Quite, that and the attempt to replace common sense with rules.
My sister's a deputy head for a school and she was saying it's difficult to take the kids on a walk round the village now, in place of all holding hands and looking both ways at the road they need parental consent forms and a risk assesment.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Its a sad but true fact, teachers efforts today are constantly undermined by rules, regulations and constraints, all of which are necessary to protect the teachers from legal liabilty. I admire anyone who enters this daunting profession - I couldn't do it!
Another thing which I firmly believe has ruined so much for so many is the fact that no one has respect for authority nowadays. Teachers don't get the respect they deserve from pupils or parents. I don't advocate the cane or anything like that, but teachers are really up against it from all sides. Unscrupulous parents appear to be waiting in the wings, ready to contact their solicitor at the slightest excuse. This often is more important than the welfare of their child.
Nadenoodlee hit the nail on the head - COMPENSATION. I mean when's the last time you heard about a car accident where no one was injured, even when the cars involved are barely marked? Its a vicious circle. I've no problem with people being compensated for genuine loss, suffering or hardship but where does it all end? Solicitors based in hospitals? Lawyers ambulance chasing?
OOPS - rant over
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TC wrote: |
Nadenoodlee hit the nail on the head - COMPENSATION. I mean when's the last time you heard about a car accident where no one was injured, even when the cars involved are barely marked? |
It's only one factor, the other is an attempt to attach rules and process to every action. This often uses compensation as justification but is something totally seperate. Look at the NHS, how many managers, service delivery consultants and associated hangers on have been added over the last decade? Education is no different and many companies are far worse. The associated obsession with "process" makes performing even simple tasks a nightmare of paperwork, at which point most normal people give up.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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As a counterpoint to the British figures French ski school classes (part of the school curriculum) have dropped by 50% from their peak and many communities are questionning the educational benefits.
Winter sports tourist numbers have dropped from 10 million to 7 million over the previous decade, most of the loss being French visitors. (figures from Ski France who maybe paint the picture blacker than it really is).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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A recent letter to the Independent that may be relevant:
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Sir: In a report that examined Britain's so-called compensation culture, the Better Regulation Task Force said it would be helpful if senior commentators and those in positions of influence could resist talking about what is in effect a myth.
So it is disappointing that the Master of the Rolls, in his interview with The Independent (21 June), says Britain is "edging closer" to the compensation culture of the United States. This is absolutely not the case. Independent advice has found that accident claims have decreased by almost 10 per cent in the last year.
The well-publicised fear of litigation among schools and other public bodies is usually irrational and groundless, and is increasingly fuelled by careless comments which, on closer analysis, rarely stand up to scrutiny.
Of course, reasonable steps must be taken by such bodies to ensure health and safety guidelines are in place. But this does not mean that activities have to be curbed. It is a lack of understanding about the legal process - the fact that you can't be sued unless it is proved that you have been negligent - which leads schools to cancel trips. Hysterical claims about a compensation culture only exacerbate the situation.
COLIN ETTINGER
President, Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
Nottingham
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On the whole I think I'd rather believe that the Master of the Rolls knows what he's talking about. It seems slightly unlikely that the MR is prone to hysteria.
But the courts only have themselves to blame for this compensation culture. Even where a school, for example, does owe a duty of care the courts make ludicrous choices as to when that duty has been breached.
It would be no wonder that accident claims have decreased as so much activity has been curbed. Children, for example, are no longer allowed to use a playground if there's a bit of ice because they might hurt themselves and then the school would be blamed.
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Many of my friends are teachers and the amount of hoops they have to jump through to organise a ski trip is unbelievable. With risk assesments, paperwork as well as the actual organistation of the trip it seems to be a logistical nightmare. So much so that many of my friends say that they will only organise a trip every two years. One friend inparticular had a particulary nasty incident when for behavioural reasons he refused to take one particular child. Please bear in mind that on the same trip he was taking a number of other children with a mixture of learning, behavioural and physical problems. However, in his words, with this one particular child he could not guarantee the safety of that child or the other children and his inclusion could potentially have been to the detriment of all. This decsion was not taken likley and the parents were invited into the school to discuss the reasosns why.
However, the next thingis a letter from the parents solicitors demaning that their child should be included and threatening legal action. This added extra stress on a trip that was already proving extremely difficult to manage. The situation only became resolved as my friend had the full support of the school, the union and I believe that as the trip was taking place during half term, i.e. non school hours, the school could pretty much refuse to take anyone.
Nonetheless, it was personally difficult to see a friend who has devoted his life and a whole slice of his own personal time to devloping young children brought to the brink of quitting the education system just beause he was trying to do the right thing for the good of the 'whole' rather than an individual.
Its been well published but parents should really take more responsibity for their own childrens actions and support schools/teachers rather than jumping on the compensation culture bandwagon.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The law is an ass (Mr Bumble).
In the case referred to in this thread, the law is a complete ass (jonpim)
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The judge rejected an argument that to tell Mr Chittock off was within the reasonable range of decisions that a teacher acting in the place of a parent should have reached. |
So would any of us parents have remove their wayword son's lift pass after a good telling off? I think not.
At 17 he can drive a car (lethal weapon), be a father, and consent to sugery.
If the teacher had removed this lad's lift pass, and the Mr Chittock had still gone off skiing (as any self-respecting 17 year old would have done), would the teacher have been condemned for not puting this idiot in a straight-jacket?
Cases such as this bring the legal profession into disrepute.
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Of course, events like this one don't help.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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School skiing resulted in a twenty year addiction - to skiing, tobacco, alcohol and good coffee. It was also the start of a lifelong interest in the fairer sex, and the effect the former have on the latter.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks skanky, . You may be iterested that Independant schools like this one are going to give those of us in the state sector some guidance under latest Government plans.........
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With this government, that doesn't surprise me.
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You know it makes sense.
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a lifelong interest in the fairer sex
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Rich Goodliffe, was that because they were dressed in binliners and plastic sheets?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Ah yes, Martin, the humble but versatile binliner. And much cheaper than a body bag. Here's another report on that fun day in the Cairngorms from The Scotsman.
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Poster: A snowHead
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the humble but versatile binliner
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Vivienne Westwood's new "outdoor" line, perhaps?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Martin, in them days it was more "Frankie Says" tee shirts and big hair. Or burgundy sta-press and button down shirt, for us trendy lads.
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