This is what we've come to
Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 9:00 pm
A teacher has hit out at society's 'state of paranoia' after she was suspended for driving a stranded pupil home and helping another who was struggling with a grandfather's illness.
Heather Wolfson, 56, was suspended from her fixed-term contract with Ysgol y Grango, in Rhos, north Wales, and has never been reinstated.
She claims she was disciplined because her behaviour was considered inappropriate.
But she says her actions were born out of compassion for those in her care and says a culture of fear has developed in many schools.
Mrs Wolfson, who has two grown-up children, believes her 35-year teaching career is now over and feels her reputation has been destroyed.
Neither of the children’s parents complained to the school. Instead, a member of staff alerted the headteacher that the girl and boy had the food technology and textiles teacher’s number.
At a disciplinary hearing Mrs Wolfson, who had been on a fixed-term contract to cover maternity leave, was handed a written warning. Her contract expired the following day and was never renewed.
The school gave her a basic dated reference, but it is proving a blot on an otherwise untainted career.
Mrs Wolfson, from Weston Rhyn, near Oswestry, told how she has been struggling to get a job ever since.
'I have taught hundreds of pupils over the years many of whom remember me for who I really am and what I did to help them achieve their position in life.
'I’ve given my life to teaching but now I’ve been rendered unemployable,' she said.
One incident involved Mrs Wolfson giving her phone number to a pupil who was struggling with her grandfather’s illness.
She said: 'This poor student was inconsolable and all I did was give her my number and say ‘if you ever have nowhere else to go, call me’.
'I replied to one text she sent me.
'Another time I took a pupil home after school because he’d stayed late to take part in an extra project.
'His lift hadn’t arrived and it was dark.
'He said his parents were fine with it and he had no other way of getting home.
'I had no idea I should have had a permission slip.
'I was just looking out for them both, it was a mother’s instinct.
'It wasn’t made clear to me what I was and wasn’t allowed to do, maybe because I was on a short term maternity cover contract.
'If they’d told me not to do these things then of course I wouldn’t have done them.
'I love my job and I would never have done anything to jeopardise it.
'And while I agree teachers and children need to be safeguarded the impact often goes against your instinct which is to care for and protect the child.
She added: 'Some people might say with so much experience I should’ve known better but when I was training we didn’t have to worry so much about these things.
'If anything it’s people of my generation who need extra guidance and support because there seems to be a state of paranoia in our society now.
'Schools have fallen prey to political correctness and our careers are walking on a tightrope.'
Amanda Harrison, deputy head of Ysgol y Grango, said: 'We believe the matters have now been resolved and as it is a personnel matter it would be inappropriate to comment further.'
Wrexham Council did not wish to comment.
Colin Adkins, an officer for the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) spoke on behalf of Mrs Wolfson and claimed her situation was not uncommon.
He said: ‘Heather’s case is an absolute tragedy. There are no regulations to say teachers can’t text pupils, the communication should simply be appropriate, and it was entirely appropriate in this case.
‘Heather was providing pastoral support. There was nothing sinister or untoward going on.’
'Schools are too quick to assume allegations are true and some authorities do not seek to achieve what’s best for the school or the pupils.
'Teachers are put through the wringer, suspended and gossiped about but recent research into allegations made against teachers suggests 56 per cent are unfounded.
'I’d appeal to councils and schools to use some good common sense on the balance of evidence before jumping to conclusions.
'What Heather was doing was the best for the pupils.
'Teachers won’t want to try anymore and it will result in poorer teaching.'
