DD fainted in toilet - teacher irresponsible?

[diannescruffy]

Today during PE DD fell over and grazed her leg so a fill in teacher sent her and another girl to the toilet to wash it, DD fainted which is not unusual, happens often so her friend runs back to tell this teacher. Teacher informs the girl to take DD to sick bay. DD said she couldn't see properly and felt like vomiting and barely made it to sick bay all this guided by another 8yr old. Maybe I'm wrong but I'm thinking the teacher should have alerted another teacher/office staff to go to DD. The office also knows that DD is prone to having a seizure after fainting, luckily that didn't happen. I'm thinking of speaking to the principal tomorrow, just wondered what your thoughts are on this? TIA

Regards,
Dianne

[Miss H]

Definately speak to the principal. That was just plain irresponsible!

[feeb]

Speak to the principal as she should have been accompanied by a teacher.

[Visitor7]

Definitely speak to the principle about this! Feinting is serious business, especially if she is prone to seizures, which the school knows about. Due to a medical condition I have I am prone to feinting, and even as an adult, I always need assistance after feinting.
Your poor dd, how is she now?

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

Yeah, I agree with you, the teacher should've gone herself or got another teacher, especially given your daughters background. Is that particular teacher aware of it?

[*Beema*]

Gosh, if they were aware of her histpry I think it was an inappropriate means of taking your DD to the sick bay, so much responsibility on another child, especially if things did go like they have before. I would definitely be speaking with the principal I hope she is feeling much better now
Take care xxoo

[diannescruffy]

This teacher was a fill in for PE today so she knew nothing about DD's background and DD is fine now but she was still pale when she came out of school and this happened at 11.00a.m. I will speak to the principal tomorrow as I feel she should have been accompanied by a teacher not a child. Thanks everyone.

Regards,
Dianne

[butterfly_warrior]

We have procedures in our school where if someone faints, they are collected by the office staff in a wheel chair.

Now, I'm not saying that the teacher hasn't done the wrong thing, but as it was a fill-in teacher it's possible that this teacher was not made aware of medical issues. It often happens in a school where it's only the teachers regularly in contact with a particular student that get informed of the problems and everyone else can end up finding themselves highly embarrassed by the fact that they simply aren't aware of things that they really should be.

Also, the teacher has a duty of care to the whole class and can't just leave the entire class to take one student to sick bay. Sending a student to get help would have been a better approach.

I think that it's still worth talking to the school about the issue, though.

BW

[diannescruffy]

Thanks BW, I thought she should have sent a student to let the office staff know that way they could have sent First Aid/teacher to get DD.

Regards,
Dianne

[butterfly_warrior]

Argh! Just had to edit my post so that I was saying what I meant and not the complete opposite!

BW

[*Ali*]

I agree with BW- if it was a fill in teacher and they were not aware of the situation then they dont know what they don' know- does the school have an action plan for your daughter? A medical condition which involves feinting and seizures should have an action plan, that should be passed on to a fill in teacher.
As for sending a child to take her to the office- they were making the best of a situation, obviously it might have made sense to send someone to the office to get help. Unfortunatley the probably couldnt have taken the child themself as they have duty of care to all the students, and there for can not leave an entire class un attended.

When you speak to your principal I would be asking for some sort of plan to be drawn up, so that if this happens again, they can get her the proper assistance straight away, then everyone who teaches your daughter should have a copy of the plan so they know what to do.

I hope she is feeling better soon.

[{sarah}]

I was a fainter & was always taken to the office by a teacher, even if it meant another student had to run to the office to get someone while I sat with my teacher. Regardless of it being a fill in & not knowing your DD's history, I think she should have gone to check that DD was ok & able to get to the office on her own (even if it was with a friend).

[diannescruffy]

Ali you raised a very good point, I really don't think there is an action plan in place that I know of, there is definately one for her asthma so I will mention that, thanks.

Regards,
Dianne

[deletedit]

Sometimes they don't actually notice ... try these for size:

Summer camp, REALLY hot weather on the beach. Burning hot sand. Teachers didn't insist the smaller kids wore shoes My offspring has a very high pain threshold, they let her on the sand, of course she didn't feel walking on 50 degree sand so when she got home the ENTIRE soles of her feet were just one massive blister and came off completely, which ranks as one of the grossest things I've ever seen. Never even got an apology out of the school for that one, they couldn't explain why she was missed.

More recently the offspring got a rope burn at school. Said she told the teacher, but she can't tell when people are paying her attention so turned out she just mumbled to the back of a teacher's head and never got a response. Told me she told the teacher at school so silly me assumed she'd had the graze washed at least - never assume. Turned into the biggest and most gruesome infection the local doc had ever seen (which made it easy to bump someone aside in a completely booked medical center to get an appt), and it took 2 courses of antibiotics to clear up. This graze went from something that didn't break the skin to a massive, oozing, deep chunk of missing leg. Child kept whacking her leg on things in the meantime without noticing (there's that high pain threshold again) so every day she came home with blood soaked socks and a fresh bandage ...

I'm actually impressed I only have those two incidents. Every other time she's done something at school it has been more obvious and they've been really good. Teachers seem to be better at spotting things if there's copious quantities of blood and puke involved than more subtle things.

[Violet Star]

Sometimes they don't actually notice
I'm actually impressed I only have those two incidents. Every other time she's done something at school it has been more obvious and they've been really good. Teachers seem to be better at spotting things if there's copious quantities of blood and puke involved than more subtle things.

In most cases, schools now send notes home when ANY first aid is applied. And a record is kept. For any other issues, parents or other contacts are called to come and collect the child, ambulances etc are called if needed straight away. If children do not say anything and you cant see anything or notice any change, its makes it very hard to follow up.

Back to the original posters thread.. Dianne, I hope your daughter is feeling better now. Unfortunately at some schools, relief teachers are called at the last minute and are not given much information at all. This does need to be raised with your principal and they need to make sure the relief teachers DO have this information. Ive seen some really dodgy information packs for relivers. Some have lists of pages and pages of information, which is usually not useful as you might not know the kids names. Photos of kids with first names and what you need to know is a much better way.

The teacher does have duty of care for the whole class. The relief should have either moved the whole class to go to your daughter. Send another runner to the office to get someone from there.

An action plan should be filled in.The school should have a copy of it. Ask to speak to the person who is in charge of first aid. It would be especially important for school excursions eg: swimming. Schools allocate staff to watch children with particular needs even though lessons are run by the swimmin instructors.

[nic]

Definately speak to the principal. That was just plain irresponsible!

:yeahthat: