Teachers often refer misbehaving students to the principal, but who does the principal refer such students to?
God, of course.
Angry parents are demanding that a Catholic primary school in the UK sack its principal, Sheila Jones, after she told four students that she would “phone God” about their bad behaviour.
If exploiting God-fearing students wasn’t bad enough, Jones allegedly demanded that they lay face-down on the floor while she dialled the heavenly father’s digits on her mobile to report the troublesome students.
The incident, which took place at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic primary school in the town of Devizes in Wiltshire, has now made international headlines.
Parents of the students involved told the Wiltshire Gazette and the Herald that Jones should resign immediately or be sacked for “humiliating” their children.
Tammy Brimble claims her 11-year-old son, Cyrus, was among four boys threatened by Jones with a “phone call to God”.
“I didn’t find out about it until we got home. Cyrus was very quiet and I could tell something was bothering him,” Brimble said.
“When he told me what had happened to him and three other boys, I was upset and I wanted to find out why she did it.”
However, the school’s governors didn’t see the big deal, and dismissed the complaints made against Jones. That decision has now led the group of parents to contact the school watchdog, Ofsted, which is investigating.
“You should be well aware now that the current head has irretrievably lost the support, confidence and trust of the overwhelming majority of parents, as well as from teaching and support staff,” parents said in an email sent to the governors.
“Her remaining in post will continue to damage the school’s formerly good reputation and is causing the school to fall further and further into disrepute. It also damages the good name of the church.”
“I don’t think what she did was appropriate at all,” Brimble said.