Lecturer is sacked over student's plastic gun
Harry the Horse
Lecturer is sacked over student's plastic gun
By Athalie Matthews
(Filed: 20/01/2003)
A lecturer who allowed a student to bring a plastic toy rifle into a college
for use in a photography project has been sacked for breaching health and
safety regulations.
Richard Browning, 40, from Doncaster, was dismissed as a photography teacher
at Doncaster College in South Yorkshire last Monday.
The student, a 16-year-old girl, had brought a two-foot green and black
rifle to the college last November to photograph it for her HND course.
Mr Browning's dismissal comes days after the Government said it would ban
replica guns in public. The Home Office has confirmed this will cover
anything looking like a firearm, not just fake weapons capable of conversion
to live ammunition.
Mel Battersby of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher
Education, the union representing Mr Browning, said it had been the
student's decision to use a toy gun as the subject of her project.
Mr Browning had checked that it was a toy before allowing the photo session
to go ahead. Mr Battersby said: "Despite the current worry over replica guns
and what happened in Dunblane, the school has taken a very harsh view and we
are appealing against the decision.
"Perhaps at a distance it could look like a real gun but there were no
health and safety rules on such items. The school had banned guns which fire
pellets or ball-bearings, but there was no policy on toy guns which cannot
fire any sort of missile.
"As a result, Mr Browning thought that he was acting appropriately and
ensured that the student in question kept the toy in her locker at all times
when it was not being used in class.
"The day after the toy gun was brought in another student of the college who
was not in Mr Browning's class brought in a gun which fires ball-bearings
and the school created a link between the two incidents and accused Mr
Browning of perpetuating a gun culture.
"If there had been a clear policy on replica weapons that everyone knew
about, this would not have happened."
Mr Browning, who is married with a family and had been at the school for
four years, was off sick with stress in November and December. He returned
to work at the start of the new term in January before being informed of the
decision last week.
Stephen Clough, senior deputy principal at the college, said: "Richard
Browning had his employment with Doncaster college terminated on Monday Jan
13 after the college's disciplinary procedures had been followed.
"Since the dismissal is subject to appeal, the college is unable to discuss
the details. Obviously, the health and safety of our students and staff is
paramount." The appeal will be heard by college governors a week on Monday,
he added.
John Dunford, the general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said
that although most schools had not yet formulated a policy on toy guns, it
would be desirable for them to do so.
"This is something most schools will probably not have a policy on and will
only make one when an incident of this nature happens. In the current
climate, it would be advisable for schools to give the question some
thought.
"A decision like this reflects the fact that after September 11 and with the
increase in gun crime in Britain, we have all become more nervous."
geoffrey
"Harry the Horse" <ha...@horse.com> wrote in message
news:2RTW9.1126561$%W4.1...@news.easynews.com...
has a £10 green and black plastic sub-machine gun which makes a synthesised
sound while red LEDs flash at the end of the muzzle. Should he always leave
it in the house? What can happen to him/us if we take it outside - to the
garden, for instance?
DaveK
4)
> has a £10 green and black plastic sub-machine gun which makes a
synthesised
> sound while red LEDs flash at the end of the muzzle. Should he always
leave
> it in the house? What can happen to him/us if we take it outside - to the
> garden, for instance?
>
favoured at the college and this is a half baked excuse to get rid.
DaveK.
Mim
Irony, wit, humour, taking things at face value and not looking for hidden
agendas, and general commonsense are not favoured!
Blackboards must be referred to as chalkboards (racist). Yet you can call a
whiteboard a 'whiteboard'. Eh?!
Brainstorming sessions are taboo (offensive to those with mental problems -
most of the staff I suppose!), so are referred to as 'ideas gathering
sessions'.
You cannot have master copies of anything (sexist). They are main copies.
And light-hearted banter and joviality is frowned upon.
And I was 'spoken to' by my centre manager because I was considering
transferring one of my older students onto a less demanding course because
he was struggling. He is black and I was told to reconsider this as he's
black and the college doesn't want to be seen to say or do anything that may
upset a black person. I'm doing this to help him and help him develop
confidence at a level that's right for him - not because he's black!
Crazy!
Alan
wrote:
>
>"Harry the Horse" <ha...@horse.com> wrote in message
>news:2RTW9.1126561$%W4.1...@news.easynews.com...
>> Reposted from uk.politics.guns:
>>
>> Lecturer is sacked over student's plastic gun
>> By Athalie Matthews
>> (Filed: 20/01/2003)
>>
>>
>> A lecturer who allowed a student to bring a plastic toy rifle into a
>college
>> for use in a photography project has been sacked for breaching health and
>> safety regulations.
>>
>> Richard Browning, 40, from Doncaster, was dismissed as a photography
>teacher
>> at Doncaster College in South Yorkshire last Monday.
>>
snip
>Just what is going on, here? Toys-R-Us is full of kids' guns. My son (age 4)
>has a £10 green and black plastic sub-machine gun which makes a synthesised
>sound while red LEDs flash at the end of the muzzle. Should he always leave
>it in the house? What can happen to him/us if we take it outside - to the
>garden, for instance?
Very possibly an armed response unit will descend on your garden and
arrest your son. If you are unfortunate enought to be playing with him
you might be killed. You would certainly be arrested and probably
fined or imprisoned.
See this
Replica gun earns court date
ARMED police officers were called to a flat after a report that a man
had been waving a gun in the street.
But what Mark Millward, 33, was brandishing was a replica toy bought
for his eight-year-old nephew.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Millward was followed home by a
passer-by.
The man called the police who sent an armed response unit to St Mark's
Way, Laygate, South Shields, South Tyneside, where Millward could be
seen at the window with the weapon.
Stephen Duffield, prosecuting, said: "He produced a magazine and
showed it to the officers then loaded it into the bottom of the
pistol."
Millward was eventually persuaded to give himself up.
Judge Esmond Faulks sentenced Millward, who has learning difficulties,
to a community rehabilitation order for two years.
Peter Shofield, defending, said Millward had no intention of hurting
anyone and was sorry for causing trouble.
Millward pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence.
>
Alan G
The rule of law 'excludes the idea of any exemption
of officials or others from the duty of obedience to
the law which governs other citizens or from the
jurisdiction of the ordinary tribunals'
(Dicey)
Helen
"Alan" <m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:aqio2vo4epr637854...@4ax.com...
pissed, with a sword we'd knicked (and returned the next morning) from the
wall of a house having a party (particularly as my pissed mate hid it down
his trouser leg). Is any student safe from being arrested? And does anyone
care ;)
fred
<xxx...@xxxxxx.com> writes
very glad to see them arrested. If you present an imitation firearm as if it
was real, oh say by loading it with a magazine, then I'd be very happy for
you to be prosecuted as if it were real too. These two for me go beyond
your typical student prank.
--
fred
Helen
"fred" <n...@for.mail> wrote in message news:W9i1DAAFjFL+Ewof@y.z...
The sword he was carrying was down his leg. The jokey point I was making
went that away --------->
PeteM
<mir...@sodoffspamcheldonroad.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>I'm a lecturer and political correctness has gone berserk in colleges.
>Irony, wit, humour, taking things at face value and not looking for hidden
>agendas, and general commonsense are not favoured!
>
>Blackboards must be referred to as chalkboards (racist).
Who told you this?
--
PeteM
Mim
that may be considered racial.
The Todal
"Mim" <mir...@sodoffspamcheldonroad.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:b0ja5c$9b7$1...@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...
> At a staff meeting. We must always try never to make references to things
> that may be considered racial.
Since a blackboard has no racial characteristics, did anyone raise any
objection? Are references to black paint to be banned as well? It must be
depressing if your line manager (or head teacher, or whatever) is a David
Brent.
Mim
the staff are very sensitive and thought it right.
I had a problem with another lecturer before Christmas. We had recent
local publicity about a care worker in an old people's home who had been
convicted of pulling out the fingernails of an elderly lady with a pair of
pliers. We talked about it one lunchtime and I quipped that my husband had
put my mother's name down for the same home. You know, typical
mother-in-law joke - not in the best taste but all 'in house' not public in
front of students.
This lecturer then made a complaint about me to our manager and said she
felt upset, disturbed, uncomfortable and 'unsafe' with my sense of humour.
Banter, humour and light-hearted interaction between staff is now frowned
upon.
PeteM
<mir...@sodoffspamcheldonroad.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>At a staff meeting. We must always try never to make references to things
>that may be considered racial.
But did someone *specifically* state that you aren't allowed to refer to
*blackboards* anymore? If so, what was his name, what college was this
at, and when was the meeting? Was the instruction recorded in written
minutes?
I am sorry to sound distrustful, but this is exactly the kind of story
that the Daily Mail makes up when it is hard up for "Lesbian Asylum
Seekers Mugged My Granny" scoops. I am not going to believe it without
chapter and verse.
--
PeteM
Mim
*blackboards* anymore?<
Oh yes. And no-no to 'master' anythings, only 'main'.
>If so, what was his name, what college was this at, and when was the
meeting?<
I'm not keen on mentioning names or specific details as I still work there
and I'm not sure whether I'll lay myself open for trouble for making these
things public. But it's a major Merseyside college. And I understand your
scepticism, but it is true. It was first drawn to my attention about 2
years ago at a standard end of term staff meeting.
>Was the instruction recorded in written minutes?<
Not sure. It was brought up as a reminder to newish staff who may not have
been aware of previous instructions. All I have in my possession is a paper
which states that no references can be made to colour, race, sex, sexuality,
mental health that may be considered offensive or uncomfortable to
individual staff or students. I think the word 'considered' is important -
obviously someone ultra sensitive to PC issues has taken this on.
Francis Burton
>But did someone *specifically* state that you aren't allowed to refer to
>*blackboards* anymore?
The real scandal is the disproportionately low numbers
of black and other ethnic minority students in our
universities, more especially the older and 'elite'
ones - not that blackboards are called blackboards,
for pity's sake!
Francis
Mim
One young black girl once told me she felt the 'odd one out' simply because
she was aware of staff and students being wary of her in case they said the
wrong thing to her and she cried 'Racial Discrimination!'
So a so-sensitive policy has, in my opinion, worked against what it is
supposed to achieve.
Mim
basis for this college, and has been for the last 7 years.
Being seen to work against the system or being too vocal or antagonistic
just results in your contract being dropped at the end of term. And there's
nothing you can do about it.