ocare

Can teachers step in between students and theirparents?

take a breaktodo anotherevent,comeback and continue changeshoes jump change shoes run blood onherhandsand arms.It haddried msmears.

She said,"Mylegs hurt."

Shesaid,"I havesrun splints."

TheteacherwaJJ,ed overto her.

"Mynosebleeds when I am undertoo muchpressure,"she said.

BYMOHAN DHALL

Sheran in the openingrace. Shecame first. She jumped, initiallyqualifyingwithout apparentlytrying. Shethrew, the javelin travelling almost perfectlystraight. Sheran again. Andagain. Andagain.The 1500metres, 100m,200m 400111 threw again hoppingbet\veea events.Mum, shesaid, had made her run since she wast\VOyears old.

Theteacher watched as sheran thefirst race,notingherstrengthandpoise. The teacher saw hercomeand go from thehigh jump,competingtherebetweena packed scheduleof events. Theystrucrured the highjump competition inorder for herto change her shoes, markher run up,jump,

"i\lfy back hurts andtl1edoctors tellme thatI willneedmyvertebrae fused if I keep doingthis."

Stillshecompeted.

Hermotlierhovered close,watching eacheventclosely. Whisperingwords with handgesrures Thegir.lnodded. Competed again. Steppedup to throw thejavelin. Held it correctly, adjusting herhand just as she knew sheshould. She stepped forward and gave it her best. Thejavelin wobbled,lost the intended form and skimmed along tl1e surface.

Backco tl1estartline. Astaggeredstare. The teachersaw tliesecondlapof the 800 metreraceasshe swept past tl1e highjump venue.This ti.me though, shewas touching hernoserepeatedly. \Xliping herfingers onher shirt.Theteacherknewshe wasin trouble. At theend of this race therewas

"Please,don'tsayanytl1ingtomymumas 1 ,vill cop itat homelater."

Shortlyafterwards hermother wasasking howrughherdaughter wouldneed to jump inordercocome f:irst.The gid hadmissed mostof thehigh jump roundsonaccount of allof theotherevents shehad competed in. Nevertheless, theteacherhad heldher place opento finishthecompetition.

However,seeingthedried blood, the teachersaid,"She probablyneeds arest." Themother'sbodystiffened forafight and shesaid,'1tisonlyonejump.Tell me -how high?Canyoujust tellme what sheneeds to jump to win?"

The teacherreplied,"Hernosehasbeen bleedingandshe issore-I thinkshe has hadenough."

Themotlierreplied, ''It's her decision. l neverpressureher."

The teacher thought about how scared children will act to protect their parents. Theteacher tl1ought about themother. \Xlondered whather ownlifewaslike.

Recalled a conversation a dayearlierwith someod1erparentswhokepttalJ;:ingin frontof theirsonabout howimportant "nextyear'sexam"is, despiteitbeing 16 montlisaway.

Theteacher recalled a 14-year-old boyhe had metyearsearlier.The boyhad come back to schoolafter ninedaysaway.The student hadsaid abouthisbruisedeye, "Myfather tlirew atennisball to me -but Ican.notcatch."His fatherbadin fact punched tliisboy'seye,fractncing his eye socket, ina drunken rage.Theteacher recal.led another teacherat thetimesaying, "Whatdidyoudo to make himangry?"

The teacherthought aboutthestudent getting20%in3-unitmatliematics because tl1eparents said, ''Maths matters"and pressureleads tosuccess.The sn1dent's an_detyand self-harmdid notlookW,e pressmeleadingto success.

Theteacher considered the issueof negligenceandtliedutyof care. Whatrole wastl1eteachertoplay?An activeoneor a passiveone?

How farshouldtheteacher'sobservations beusedtoinitiateactionand caJJthe parents co account?What was theroleof onlookers? Of teachers whoturnedaway?

Of doctors whomightfuse disks - when rest andrecuperationcouldhelp?

Howshould it manifest- mis dutyto care?