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Cyber-bullies have attacked teachers at a top Medway grammar school on an online social networking site.
Pupils at Rainham Mark Grammar School have used the Facebook website to insult their teachers - setting up an offensive ‘What RMGS teacher are you?’ quiz.
The multiple choice quiz has four outcomes, each giving an explanation of what characteristics the participant and teacher share.
Those likened to maths teacher Dr Bit-David are said to: “have a strange accent which no-one can understand.
“You are only loved by students for the fact that you are an easy target in maths lessons.”
Mr Pearce’s description reads: “Do I need to say any more? You are good at what you do even though some people think that what you do should not really be mentioned.”
History teacher Mr Gascoyne is also targeted, with his one-liner reading: “Some call you the legend of the school!
“You can be very kind and sympathetic but strict at times. People listen to you but you can get annoying at times.”
Religious education teacher Miss Legon – the only teacher to have her picture published on the quiz – escapes criticism, with her description reading: “You think strongly about your religion and like to teach all about it.
“You are a great person and know how to keep everything under control.”
No-one at the school was available for comment, owing to the summer holiday break.
But John Walder, secretary of the Kent division of the NUT, said the quiz was unacceptable.
He said: “This kind of thing is one step along a road no-one wants to go down.
“Pupils are increasingly using Facebook, message boards and chat rooms for this type of activity.
“The trouble is that young people up to the age of 16 do not know how to distinguish between what they should and should not do.
“As always, it may start off as a joke but it usually ends with someone going too far.
“This is not acceptable and the school should put a stop to it.”
Quiz questions include ‘In your spare time you like to…’ which has answers such as ‘Um… do more sport’ and ‘Continue being posh’.
Another question asks ‘You have to teach one-on-one to a pupil who is behind everyone else. What are your views on this?’
The available answers include ‘It’s great. We can have a lengthy chat about God’, ‘Maybe I might get listened to for a change’ and ‘Scrap the teaching… I have other things planned’.
A Medway Council spokesman said: “We take bullying very seriously, whether it involves children or members of staff, and are keen to ensure that everyone in the school community feels they are able to report incidents when they occur.
“Every school has its own anti-bullying policy, which will seek to minimise the opportunities for bullying in the workplace and promotes respect and dignity amongst the community. Schools take action to deal with incidents of bullying at school as they occur.
“Schools have no control over what information is shared by staff and pupils on the internet during their own time, but everyone is reminded that comments they share on social networking sites could constitute as bullying, which is not acceptable.
“The council is about to recruit an anti-bullying coordinator, who will work with closely with the Anti-Bullying Alliance to promote respect and dignity among council employees, teaching staff and pupils.
“This includes work both in the classroom and providing advice on what information pupils and teachers share in their personal time.
“This work will complement the Healthy Schools award, which has been achieved by 78 per cent of Medway’s schools, and promotes anti-bullying measures.
“Medway Council also supports the government's move to make personal, social health education a statutory part of the curriculum, as this is fundamental to teaching everyone the importance of respecting their friends and colleagues and supporting people who feel they are being bullied.
“The council is happy to provide support and advice to the school when it returns from the summer holiday.”
POSTED: 29/07/2009 08:00:00