Honesty is the best policy? · Sat May 13, 18:30 by Eleri Straker
I heard a very worrying story the other day. It was parents’ evening and a teacher I know, and whose opinion I respect, was approached by an extremely worried mum and dad.
They were deeply concerned about their son, a twelve year old who was finding school a little bit hard. This boy doesn’t find English particularly easy, but under the tutelage of my friend, is doing quite well and after a big struggle, has lifted his game from a NC Level 4 to a respectable level 5. All well and good you might think. That’s what my friend thought too. This little lad has worked his socks off and is slowly but surely, getting better. So you’d think that his parents would be delighted. Well, apparently they were. Until they spoke to another teacher.
This second teacher told the parents that no matter how hard their pride and joy worked, he’d never actually get anywhere, and any ambitions they had should be limited to the local college, where he might, if he were lucky, get himself some kind of basic apprenticeship.
Needless to say, the parents were devastated. In one fell swoop, this teacher had written off their son and told them that he had no worthwhile future.
What right did this person have to decide this child’s future? What right did this person have to decide, that at age twelve, this child had no ability whatsoever?
My friend was horrified and disgusted. This child might not be a brain surgeon of the future, but he is trying hard and will probably do OK. That is, if some stupid, thoughtless moron doesn’t get their way and relegate him to the rubbish tip.
Teachers have immense power. We have the ability to make or break a child. We can inspire them to great things, like my friend and other good teachers try to do. Or we can destroy them with a stupid, thoughtless remark, which will stay with them, and their parents forever.
Perhaps this person, believed that this was being honest. And after all, honesty is the best policy, isn’t it?
Well, no. It isn’t actually. If being ‘honest’ involves being needlessly cruel and destroying someone’s hopes, then give me a little white lie any day.
