Teachers cheating at school athletics carnival WWYD? VENT

[Mildez]

Just wanting some advice.

My daughters thing is athletics. Her carnival was yesterday. I went and watched her and was so disappointed in the behaviour of her teachers.

Firstly one must qualify during school sports day to compete in the field events. DD was in shotput and longjump and the running events which they don't do trials for anyone can run in that.

I watched the LJ yesterday. The girl who won did a jump of 3.9m. I witnessed the teacher and a parent measure the jump and give her atleast an extra 30cm (they measured from the foot furthest away from the take of line when the second foot was well back) they also didn't pull the tape so it was all loose and kinked. DD came 2nd and I can assure you her tape was pulled very tight. I let this go for a few reasons. Mainly I knew DD had qualified for the next level so I didn't care to much and next level will be much harder to cheat as its with alot of other schools.

But what has made me really mad is DD did the 200m. She was in the slowest heat and knew she had to run fast because winning doesn't mean she will place as this same thing happened last year (they don't have finals just take the times from the trials) DD did a decent time of 33.5secs. Anyway much to my horror the next 3 fastest girls were all in a heat together. DD has never been beaten by these girls. Well they joined the times and DD came 4th and the girl that won did a time of 30secs the one that came 3rd in that heat did 31secs. I watched this race. No way was her time even within 4secs of that. That is the time you need to run to qualify for state not local school athletics. DD's very good friend who won at the trans tasmin trials and placed at national level and is 2yrs older only runs a fraction quicker then this.

Ok this might sound really petty but my DD has behavioural problems. DD never gets picked for team events because she is unpopular despite been a very good athlete. She doesn't get good behaviour awards or any awards at that. She is always in trouble. She struggles in school. Athletics is DD's thing and she puts everything into it. She trains and practices and does little A's and went to state this year (anyone that does little A's will know how competitive regions are) Now the 1 and only thing she is good at the school wont recognise her for been good at it. I'm so angry. I know my DD should have atleast placed. Her local little A's she got aged championship and won every running event in her age (70m, hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m plus the walk) 2 of the girls that beat her yesterday also do little A's with her. I looked up online the girl who won the 200m and her season best time was 37.8secs. I'm so mad. I know I must sound competitive but when DD is always in trouble, does remedial reading etc it really hurts to see the one thing she does so well deliberately sabataged by her school teachers. I now have no doubt why she was not in the same heat as any of the other girls. The 100m DD won her heat also but I don't know her results. I expect they will be the same story as the 200m.

Anyway I don't know what to do. DD has been looking forward to this all year. She knew she was the fastest and was looking forward to going away for it. Now she only qualified for LJ (Thank God she did for something) I can't even speak to the school principle. Can't say why but something really horrible happened and I was one of the nurses involved. There has been multiple problems with this school (a private one at that) I don't want DD to go to the state school as she will get in with the wrong crowd having the problems she does (the public schools here have terrible reputations) and the only other private school I can not afford (its 3 times what I currently pay) I feel like I'm stuck inbetween a rock and a hard place. If I jump up and down it will look like I'm the competitive mother who can't except my daughter didn't place but if I don't they get away with cheating and my daughter doesn't get rewarded for the one and only thing she is good at and deserves.

[JLeigh29]

I have no advice to give except to speak to the principal, deputy or head of PE. I don't know that it will make any difference to your DD getting picked, but it will make your objections known. Is DD as disappointed as you or is she just glad to have made it through for LJ?

[Rivlas]

Talk to the PE teacher and just ask how they work their times out as you know your DD was faster and was wondering how the system worked.

[Mildez]

DD is disappointed she isn't going away for 100m amd 200m but doesn't know that its virtually impossible (unless they are an elite child athlete) for a child of her age to run as quick as the 3 girls that beat her did. I just told her how proud I was of her and never mind. I haven't mentioned anything else to her apart from that. Its just me thats super pee'd and disappointed for her. I'm heartbroken actually. My little girl is always in trouble and I just wanted her to be recognised for what she is good at but nope. Yesterday was the day she has been looking forward to all year. The teacher seem determined to punish her for everything. If only they run them together there would be none of this which is why I am sure DD was deliberately not in that race. Funny how the 1st and 2nd place getter both broke the original record in the 200m. I want to write a written complaint but I don't want to make things worse for DD which I am sure it would for no benefit.

Oh well atleast she does little A's and there are no cheats there. They are all so supportive and encouraging of DD's efforts so I guess we will just wait and look forward to that starting up again soon. Plus she has the longjump at the next level to look forward to.

[Mildez]

Thanks Rivlas they will have times to prove the other 3 were quicker then DD maybe I should point it out the times they have suggested the other girls ran are up there with the winning state times and print of the state times from Athletics NSW to prove it. Maybe I should highlight the real times 2 of the girls plus DD did at Zone level and then print of the times DD did at region also.

[~clover~]

Does the school support her at all? If not I'd be considering changing schools.
If there are no awards at all handed out to your DD, even for encouragment or a 'good try' I'd be wondering.

[krysalyss]

That is shocking. I had a similar thing when I was at high school. I was pegged as not sporty so even though I had played softball for years and was by far better than most of the other people trying out (simply because I had played it for so long) I didn't get picked. Even though the captain asked for me to be in the team. I also remembering trying soccer and getting yelled at for something I did wrong. I picked up soccer as an adult but may have found it a lot earlier if I had just had a little bit of support. (I love my soccer and it is my main form of fitness) To this day I feel a bit bitter about it all. Honestly I think it is better to let it go because just like in a game when the ref gives a call you disagree with, arguing will not change the result and they can't go back and replay what happened. I think the fact that she has other avenues to continue her love of the sport is fantastic and I would also be questioning whether that school is right for her. Terrible that you are in this situation at all.

[Trillian]

I know the other schools might be a bit ****ty, but gee, it sounds like the school she is at is actively going out of their way to not include her, and that is NOT cool at all. Personally, I wouldn't waste my breath saying anything to them as it's only going to go one and way not the way you want it too Is she upset by this or is she just happy that she's going for something else? Maybe just focus on that for now and next year make a point of being more involved in the carnival so you can try to stop it happening again.

[~StarBright~]

Thats really wrong of the teachers!!! Although it wont change anything for your DD, those other girls are going to be creamed in the zone race by kids who can run fast and did qualify correctly! At least then it will be obvious that they are out of place. But like i said, it doesn't help your daughter

[meow]

Personally I'd be looking into those public schools even with their bad reputations. They may not be as bad as they seem once you're in and settled with a few friends etc. The school she is at sounds down right awful. If they do that in front of you and have obviously given active consideration as to how to exclude your daughter then I'd be very concerned. I'd probably tell them you noticed and were disgusted after I changed her school.

[Phteven]

I think it might be time to reconsider the public schools and go and talk to the principals about your situation. You might be surprised and a talk is only that - not a commitment to enroll her. A school that actively excludes her sounds awful.
Does the more expensive private school offer athletics scholarships?

[Rivlas]

Keep looking forward to little Aths starting again and forget the school sports. As she is encouraged there she will thrive and it will show in her results. Next year if you think this will happen again it might be worth taking a sick day and having a day together.
Maybe over winter months try and find a sport that she can try, thinking of badminton etc if you think the she will be ignored in a team sport.

If she is OK with not getting in then leave it. Favouritism in sport has been going on forever so it goes to show it's nothing new.

[RhiChiChi]

I feel just awful for your DD. I too was a child that was deliberately excluded from things & was in my sisters shadows alot - it made me a worse student b/c I just didn't want to try in fear of failing or being compared to my sister. It has taken me a long time to feel better about myself and accept there are things that I am much better at than my sister.... I know that my teachers would just blatantly lie to my parents about goings on (to protect themselves) and in the end it made no difference to the way the teachers treated me, so I don't know if I would bother if I were you.
BUT having said that - if they know they are being watched and think they can get away with it, then they will continue to -what a crappy situation.

Little A's that your DD is in, is fantastic & I think you should concentrate on what she gets out of that. My mum put in me in a local netball side & it was the best thing she did for me & my confidence.

Hugs to you & your DD.

[sloane]

I think it might be time to reconsider the public schools and go and talk to the principals about your situation. You might be surprised and a talk is only that - not a commitment to enroll her. A school that actively excludes her sounds awful.
Does the more expensive private school offer athletics scholarships?

i totally agree with this.

i also think that trying to initiate a conversation with anyone at her current school may not have a lot of success as there is a fair chance they will be defensive & not admit anything was wrong. i think the way they're behaving is completely out of order & even if a student is considered more difficult then you think they'd be happy to have something at which the student is doing well & seems to enjoy & want to develop her interest. if that is the way they treat students, i don't think it's a great place for your daughter to learn & grow. perhaps there is some sort of scholarship to the other private school (never hurts to ask or chat to them) or you may find the public school is a better environment than expected.

[~ Mylitta ~]

You would think the school would want the best representatives sport-wise for their school, so perhaps if you speak to someone that is in charge of deciding who goes to the next level and explain that the times were incorrect and that your DD is the fastest, then perhaps they would decide that it's best to take your DD as well...

[Mildez]

Thank you all for your advice. I've calmed down now and not so pee'd about it. DD is going for the relay, 800m and LJ so definately focusing on that. She is home now and as happy as larry so its obviously not the concern for her as it was to me. I guess because I saw what they were doing right under my nose that was what pee'd me off and then that I didn't have the heart to say anything about it. I guess I'm pis-ed of with myself more then anything.

The whole school thing is a big concern. The thing is the area we live in (rural so few options) the state school is not an option. Very well known for drugs even within the primary school and DD is not a well behaved girl herself. Where there is trouble I can surely find her in the middle of it. Atleast where she is it rules out alot of children that would have really bad influence on her. This wouldn't be a concern if DD didn't struggle so much herself. DD has a very good friend where she is and I have suggested in the past she moves but she doesn't want to unless then friend comes to. Now I'm concerned they might be trying to get rid of her and when it comes to high school there are only limited places and not every child at the primary school will get a place for secondary. I guess the main thing at the moment is DD is happy. I think she might be to young to see what happened. It makes me wonder what else might be going on. Gee the more I think about it the more I wonder if I should change her school.

Clover this year DD has not received a single award yet. Last year she got 3 behaviour awards which is not much seeing as if you get 5 you get a bronze award, 10 silver and 25 Gold. I guess thats another reason this whole thing sucks even more so as her athletics is the one thing where her behavioural problems doesn't affect her performance.

[Mildez]

Mylitta you would think they would want the best representatives. I know there is no way the girls who will represent the school will get any further then the next level. LJ is DD's favourite although she is better at running. Either way she will do well.

There are boarding schools that offer scholarships for sporting but DD is to young to go their if she did get a scholarship.

Thank you all for the support. I was worried my vent would start a competitive parents argument and make me feel worse. Thank you all so much for listening and taking the time to reply and not shoot me down

[~clover~]

You're right. Your DD being happy AND supported are what are most important.
I've always lived rural, & not had much of an option for schools either. Thats why I count my blessings every day that my kids are where they are, an awesome small public school.