Is anyone else aware of what goes on at this school?
My son catches the bus back to and from Nerja to this school. I’ve found out that for MONTHS, hard, uncut pirate DVD’s have been shown every evening and every morning by the bus monitor
DVD’s such as:
The film “Taken” - kidnapping, female trade slave by auction, prostitution, rape, forced drug addiction, and extreme torture
The film “Gladiator” - beheadings, extreme bloodthirsty violence
The film “In Betweeners” - a group of university students **** themselves senseless
The film ?Saw? ? mutilation
There are kids as young as 4 on this bus.
My son, aged 11, was mentally shaken by one of these films, and has had nightmares ever since.
When I made a complaint about this, the bus monitor WAS NOT INSTANTLY DISMISSED. Unbelievably she was allowed to stay on the school premises and allowed to express in front of the children that there was nothing wrong with these DVD?s. She then actually approached my child to ask him if it was him who had complained
Then and only then did the totally incompetent headteacher Susan Richard give the monitor a suspension. In fact her first responses were ?I?m shaking? and ?I wish you had gone direct to the Governors, as I don?t know what to do?
Unbelievably this montor is now back in school serving lunches. I spoke to 3 other headteachers at International schools, and they say they would have instantly dismissed the monitor. I’ve now logged this with the Police and my solictor is taking this school to court
The more I talk to people the more i hear very bad reports of this School
That is absolutely horrifying. I cannot believe the school are still permitting this person to work with children - can you do something with the other parents, to raise awareness, or boycott the comedor, or something, until they are removed from the premises..? The Head sounds totally pathetic, can you go over her head to the owners or governors - they are taking an unbelievable risk allowing someone like this to continue in their employment.
I wish you every success in tackling this awful situation, and I hope your son is OK soon. It’s a huge betrayal of the trust we place in the institutions we allow to care for our children,
As posted on some other forums, I am using the forums to inform parents about what is going on at this school
My son reacted to a film called “Taken” which is about a daughter being kidnapped, sold, drugged, raped, and then the father getting his own justice with graphic electricution. This was an “extended harder cut” UK pirate DVD version of the film. He told us in details what he’d seen, and if I wrote down what my 11 YEAR OLD SON told me, some forum members here would be physically sick!
After questioning sensitvely further, we found out that DVD’s (including Gladiator and Saw) had been shown both morning and night for months by a certain bus monitor.
For some reason the school are happy with a two week suspension and a change of job for the monitor to dinner duties. Meanwhile I’ve been advised to keep my son away for his own safety, so he has missed his SATS, and has had to undergo Child Pyschological tests to show in court.
I haven’t been in this area long, so don’t actually know a lot of other parents.
I don’t think a lot of other parents are actually aware that this event happened. After all if my son hadn’t complained about this DVD, they would still be watching them to this day. My son was watching all kinds of stuff on the bus before this DVD affected him, and I wasn’t aware.
I did leave this with the school to sort out, however this has been one big cover up by the headteacher. The year 9 boy who brought in this particular DVD in question actually wrote an apology to all the parents and children on that bus, but the headteacher chose not to distribute it.
As for the Governers, I’m not even sure they are aware either, I’ve asked numerous times for a meeting but the headteacher has never come forth with one. The headteacher actually joked that i’d be wasting my time because they don’t speak english!
I think the school was banking on the fact I was the only parent who complained, and that I would go away, in fact the headteacher did remark “If you don’t agree with our ways, I find it puzzling why you would want to keep your child here”
I actually havent taken my son out of the school for good yet. Having paid this years fees, and next years registration fees, we were only advised to keep him away after the monitor firstly approached him, and then returned to the school.
I even had to write to the school to get my sons report posted to us!
I really hope this isnt indicative of all International schools in Spain
The school is registered with the National Association of British Schools in Spain Jason, I suggest you alert them immediately if you havent already. http://www.nabss.org/en/schools.php
I don’t believe for a moment this is a typical experience of an International school in Spain, our own is very different and highly positive - I really do wish you every success in resolving this,
I wrote to the NABSS committee a few weeks ago, explaining the situation and asking for their help and direction, i enclose the reply from the NABSS president - Christina O’Dowd:
Dear Sir
I acknowledge receipt of your email and I apologise for my delay in getting back to you. We discussed your complaint about Almu?ecar International School with the NABSS legal advisors; we have been advised by them that the steps taken by the school were appropriate and within legal procedure:
? The monitor was suspended without pay immediately.
? She has now been moved to another position within the school as a
dining room assistant.
I am confident the matter has now been acceptably resolved.
Yours sincerely,
Christina P. O?Dowd
President of NABSS
The monitor wasn’t suspended imediately, she was allowed to stay on school premises and discuss her opinions of the DVD’s with the children, and then ask them which child had complained. Her suspension was only 2 weeks.
This stinks, and according to my Solicitor is one big BLUFF. This monitor should be nowhere near kids.
That’s absolutely staggering, that they don’t think this person should be removed from anywhere near young people immediately! How on earth can they regard this situation as ‘acceptably resolved’?
I have to say that has really shaken my confidence in and opinion of NABSS - and I am very glad you have the support of a solicitor who clearly sees sense.
Please let us know how this all turns out, if you manage to obtain a resolution that most sane parents would regard as ‘acceptable’... and meantime I hope the summer break helps your son recover from this horrible experience,
Hi Jason,
I do not personally have kids (parter has 3 grown ups)...
I would be as horrified as you in this instance.
I hope you are able to get some support from the other parents.
Do they have a PTA type assocciation?
(A friend locally - acutally German - is President of the local schools parent committee (Spanish state school). I know she would have a lot to say/sway if something like this happened on her watch!).
I hope you get the matter resolved to your satisfaction (i.e this monitor permanantly dismissed) -
but as a word of caution; I hope your case is heard and dealt with fairly - but do not be disappointed when you get
stonewalled all along the way.
Is the local press interested? (Even The Sur in Engilsh).
(Although sadly I have found the press lacking in conviction - as I myself tried to get an article on the abonimation that is the
motor insurance cover/claims process here).
I wish you luck - and stick to your guns.
(Is there a women’s association locally? I know they will be interested to help as they are a great place of support/information).
What do the local Consumer office advise? (They are a free service in every town where they give impartial advice - sort of like UK’s CAB).
All the best,
SJ
ps - at the very worst - do some digging on this person who should definately NOT be working with children!
And to top it all .....My sons report arrived in the post, along with a letter from the Headteacher, stating that they won’t be offering my Son a place next year!
BEWARE - you send your kid to this school, and a member of staff does something highly illegal to your kid, they keep the member of staff and kick out the kid
I’m going to sing like a canary to the press when this gets to court
Thanks again for all your support and pm’s. I’ll keep you all posted.
I’ve a client who is a languages teacher and was thinking of applying to this school. Needless to say, she’s crossed it off her shortlist after reading about this and was utterly disgusted to hear about your circumstances.
Hope you get the justice your family deserves jasonc. It’s absolutely shambolic how this school have dealt with matters.
Not to undermine your complaint, but isn’t “Inbetweeners” a teenage comedy show that’s shown on network television in the UK?
The three movie titles are obviously inappropriate for children. But they are all mainstream titles, that most children over age 12-ish would have found some way to see, or see something similar.. I’m guessing there must be a range of both young and older children on the bus? There must have been older students on the bus who enjoyed the movies, else there would be no reason for the driver to play them. Unless she was just demented.
It is unprofessional for sure, but I do not believe it is technically “illegal” to show a child an R-rated movie in Spain or in most countries. Gladiator and Saw are both rated R. Taken is rated “PG-13”, although perhaps the version that was shown was more like “R.” In the U.S. (where I live) an 11-year-old child could easily access any of these films at the library (of course that would be at their own will..)
Anyway, on one hand I can understand why you’re upset. But, on the other hand, the movies aren’t being played anymore. This woman has been embarrassed, lost two weeks of pay, and was put in another job where she has no access to a DVD player. It seems like you just want to get her fired to seek some kind of revenge.
My son reacted to a film called ?Taken? which is about a daughter being kidnapped, sold, drugged, raped, and then the father getting his own justice with graphic electricution. This was an ?extended harder cut? UK pirate DVD version of the film. He told us in details what he?d seen, and if I wrote down what my 11 YEAR OLD SON told me, some forum members here would be physically sick!
This was an ?extended harder cut? UK pirate DVD version of the film - That is: it was a blank, copied DVD with nothing written on it, shown to children as young as 4. Pirate “harder cut” films such as this had been shown for months.
It was not the legal PG-13 version as you have assumed. Nor was it the “In-Betweeners” (Teenage comedy show on TV) that you have assumed either, rather a totally unconnected uncut film.
How exactly do you know that this woman has been embarrassed? Do you know her, or the school? If you read above I stated that this woman was allowed to stay on school premises before her suspension, and express her opinion to the kids that there was nothing wrong with the DVD’s. She actually believes she didd nothing wrong.
It is very worrying that people like you think the Monitor should still be working with kids, and you think that parents like me are just hell bent on some sort of revenge because I have nothing better to do. Some of us just don’t want people like that anywhere near our kids, believe it or not.
Thanks for your comments all the same. Perhaps you may have thought differently, if it was your child, if you have one, that was subjected to this and then the nightmares and child pychologist tests to show in court that followed. I wouldn’t wish this on you or any other parent.
sally2 - 29 July 2009 06:15 PM
Not to undermine your complaint, but isn’t “Inbetweeners” a teenage comedy show that’s shown on network television in the UK?
The three movie titles are obviously inappropriate for children. But they are all mainstream titles, that most children over age 12-ish would have found some way to see, or see something similar.. I’m guessing there must be a range of both young and older children on the bus? There must have been older students on the bus who enjoyed the movies, else there would be no reason for the driver to play them. Unless she was just demented.
It is unprofessional for sure, but I do not believe it is technically “illegal” to show a child an R-rated movie in Spain or in most countries. Gladiator and Saw are both rated R. Taken is rated “PG-13”, although perhaps the version that was shown was more like “R.” In the U.S. (where I live) an 11-year-old child could easily access any of these films at the library (of course that would be at their own will..)
Anyway, on one hand I can understand why you’re upset. But, on the other hand, the movies aren’t being played anymore. This woman has been embarrassed, lost two weeks of pay, and was put in another job where she has no access to a DVD player. It seems like you just want to get her fired to seek some kind of revenge.
I just think it’s unlikely that there’s this sadistic bus driver out there, trying to ruin children’s lives. It sounds like she just made a stupid mistake by assuming kids would enjoy these films. She clearly had a far too liberal idea of what’s suitable for children to watch. She was wrong, and she was prevented from continuing what she was doing. And that’s all good. I’m sorry that this had such an adverse impact on your son. But I just can’t believe that this woman would have intended that, and I think it’s kind of cruel to wish hardship on her. Losing two weeks of pay is a big deal. Having to switch jobs, and have all your co-workers know why, is embarrassing. I think it’s possible to teach someone a lesson without throwing them out on the street. Maybe I am just too forgiving..
Yes, pirating a movie is illegal no matter the rating, but showing an R-rated movie to children is not illegal (especially in Spain, where they’re especially anti-censorship.) It’s just unprofessional. You wouldn’t have legal grounds to sue her for pirating, the film companies would have to do that. Even the most “uncut” version of a Hollywood movie is not going to be so explicit that it becomes illegal for a minor to see. They’re usually just longer and more drawn out. You must not have seen an R-rated movie in awhile if you are shocked to find death or rape in a film.
In the case of Taken, I just did a Google search on it. And it seems the “Extended Harder Cut” is the “European” version of the film. In the U.S. it had been edited to get a “PG-13” rating. The European/Extended cut version would be more like an “R-rated” movie, although it was never rated in the U.S. since it was never in theaters. Here’s a review of the extended cut: http://www.elasticpop.com/2009/05/blu-ray-review-taken-extended/
The term “Harder Cut” was a marketing term specifically used for this film by the production company for a re-release of the extended version of the Taken DVD. It’s not a term that I’ve seen often used to characterize exteded cuts of other films.
Like I said, I completely agree that it’s inappropriate to show any of these movies to other peoples’ children. Parents should make decisions about what their kids can and cannot watch. It was totally out of line. I would be really pissed off if it were my son, no question. And maybe her punishment was a little lenient… maybe she should have been suspended a little longer. But I just think there isn’t really that much that can be done at this point. The movies have been stopped. What else are you worried about? Do you really think she would make another mistake like that after all this? Maybe she will start slipping kids porn with their lunches…
No, I don’t know this woman, or much about the school. But neither do most of the people on here who are alongside you holding stakes and crying “off with her head.” So, I think my point of view is equally valid. I’m just going based on the information provided like everyone else.
Also, there is no such film called “Inbetweeners” as far as I could find via Google (Although there are a couple little-known movies called “Inbetween.”) Out of curiosity, I’d be interested in a link to a review of the movie or something.
—-
P.S.: I totally missed this line initially.. “The year 9 boy who brought in this particular DVD in question actually wrote an apology to all the parents and children on that bus, but the headteacher chose not to distribute it.”
Wait—so they weren’t even the bus drivers movies? If that’s the case then she definitely didn’t do anything illegal. Sounds like all she did was provide a DVD player and television for the childrens’ use.
Also, if the note wasn’t distributed, how do you know that such a note existed?
Lastly, you say that you’re the only parent who has complained. Have you tried contacting any of the other parents?
The Bus Monitor in question (not the driver) who is responsible for the well being of kids whilst on a bus from school to drop off point, accepted an uncut pirate “extended harder cut” DVD from a year 9 boy, and showed it to children from the age of 4 onwards. She was told by the boy what the film was, and she said that she had already seen the film. She took the unmarked DVD, and placed it in the DVD player and pressed play and she made the decision to show that material to under age kids. There wasn’t a single child on the bus that was legally old enough to watch that film. She also made the decision not to turn the DVD off at any point, the film was watched in its entirity over a few days. Perhaps she likes watching the reaction of kids when she exposes them to graphic material, as this had been going on for months with various uncut films unsuitable for minors.
Yet you believe that this monitor didn’t do anything illegal because it wasn’t her DVD, she just provided a DVD player and a TV.
This film in question was the “harder extended cut” copy of the UK film that carries an “18” certificate. It is illegal for a person under 18 years of age to watch. I cannot reword that for you in any other way.
You then wrote:
“Even the most ?uncut? version of a Hollywood movie is not going to be so explicit that it becomes illegal for a minor to see.”
If that is true then I don’t know why the world bothers with film classification.
If, however, thats just your opinion, then you do have a right to air your opinion on a public forum.
I wouldn`t be happy my kids seeing it until they were past 18yrs old.
We put our children in Public Spanish Schools system, had a bad experience with the first school though, to long and boring to repeat here, but we moved her and that school was amazing.
From Spanish friends there is a problem with certain private schools, the International One near us although run by Spanish has a bad reputation for elitism, one child suffered was treated as a bad achiever, then they noticed she had a form of autism.
I would agree that a complaint to the relevant authorities in the UK though.
Although i fear the school will just distance themselves from the minder, explain there was an investigation and sack the person involved.
Might be worth finding out from the UK if that person has a history of child complaints in the UK. There have been rumours that people who like children a bit to much have moved to expat regions of Spain.
I would certainly want clarification/evidenance that everybody in that place had both Spanish and UK CRB checks up to date.
