Knives

Matthew · 08-03-2005, 22:47

What do you do if your teacher is carrying a pen knife which is about 4 inches long?

Chimaera · 08-03-2005, 22:49

Get one 5 inches long?

Depends what they are carrying it for - but I thought it was now illegal to be carrying any sort of knife in public anyway? I still have my Swiss Army Knife in my handbag though.
I think it seems a bit strange for a teacher to have a knife about them, although the CDT teacher at a school I used to work at seemed to keep a full tool kit in his pockets (including a couple of knives).

Pierre · 08-03-2005, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by leggom

What do you do if your teacher is carrying a pen knife which is about 4 inches long?

Do as you're fcuking told!

**Damien** · 08-03-2005, 22:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pierre

Do as you're fcuking told!

I would have to agree!

Tricky · 08-03-2005, 23:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by leggom

What do you do if your teacher is carrying a pen knife which is about 4 inches long?

Personnally I would be dropping the head an anonymous note...

08-03-2005, 23:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by leggom

What do you do if your teacher is carrying a pen knife which is about 4 inches long?

First of all read this http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/articles/knife_law.html

There you will find that "A folding pocket knife is not included, so long as the cutting edge is under three inches."

Also, if there is a 'good reason' to carry such a knife (or even some that might otherwise considered off-limits) then again the law would be unlikely to be enforced.

I don't ordinarily put a knife in my pocket (in fact - I don't think I ever do) but if I'm going into the outdoors I will have an extremely sharp and effective knife with me. And not with any notion of offence or defence, but as a tool. But probably in my backpack/day sack.
Hence I can easily provide 'good reason' and it clearly is not in any way carried as an offensive weapon.

So it is not the knife as such, but the how/why of it being carried that is the issue.

If this teacher has used or displayed the knife for any reason that cannot be justified, then that knife irrespective of its size etc. becomes an offensive weapon under the law.

dilli-theclaw · 08-03-2005, 23:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by leggom

What do you do if your teacher is carrying a pen knife which is about 4 inches long?

Give them a bit of wood and ask them to demonstrate their power to whittle....

Serously - what have they DONE with this knife? Anything dodgy?

Matthew · 08-03-2005, 23:05

He gets if out is lesson in front of everyone when his pencil is blunt but the worry is if your ever 1 to 1 with him he could turn on you because that is the sort of person he is. It is not as if we are a million miles away from the school where that lad got stabbed at school (well its less than 30 mins away by car and my mate was in his year) so you never know what could happen.

How shall I go about telling someone?
__________________

In reply to post 7 as it was posted whilst i was typing the last reply, he has not done anything bad but like I say he could turn and that is whatI am worried about.

dilli-theclaw · 08-03-2005, 23:07

Report your concerns to the head either anonymously or in person.

Well that's what I'd do if I was worried and in that situation.

ian@huth · 08-03-2005, 23:10

A nice sharp pencil or ballpoint can do a considerable amount of damage.

08-03-2005, 23:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by leggom

He gets if out is lesson in front of everyone when his pencil is blunt but the worry is if your ever 1 to 1 with him he could turn on you because that is the sort of person he is.

I don't think in this day & age it is really necessary to use a knife to sharpen a pencil (but have to admit I have done it on occasion - when it was the only option) and certainly it is insensitive to brandish a knife in a situation where someone would not expect one.

Do you really know this person well enough to think he would actually use the knife offensively against another human being? Just because he's a nasty, cantankerous, loud aggressive b@stard doesn't actually mean he'd use a knife on someone.

Having said that, if you feel threatened, than in law, technically you have been threatened.

Quote:

Originally Posted by leggom

How shall I go about telling someone?

Very carefully. You could ruin the life of an innocent man.

Or maybe print out the link I posted earlier and leave a copy for him to read. I suspect he'd soon figure it out.

Can he not be confronted about this in a public way that is 'safe'? If he's in front of the class sharpening his pencil, perhaps someone could offer him a 'proper' pencil sharpener to do the job. Maybe comment that his knife isn't very appropriate to the classroom.

Or maybe print out the link I posted earlier and leave a copy for him to read.

Now that idea may not appeal, in which case I assume your school has someone charged with pupil welfare. Talk to them. Then they can handle the issue and decide if anything more than a quiet word in his ear is required.

Matthew · 08-03-2005, 23:56

Thanks for that but one problem is that he is also a member of the senior management team (one of the assistant heads). Might try the offering him a sharpner.

**Paul** · 09-03-2005, 00:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by leggom

How shall I go about telling someone?
__________________

In reply to post 7 as it was posted whilst i was typing the last reply, he has not done anything bad but like I say he could turn and that is whatI am worried about.

You could just do nothing.

You appear to have no proof that this person has ever done any harm, nor is ever likely to do any - other than your own fears - and you want to cause him trouble because of this ?

zoombini · 09-03-2005, 09:21

Irrespective of the law, a teacher should not be brandishing a knife in front of impressionable students, certainly not when there are cheaper, safer viable alternatives (20p pencil sharpener).

If the blade is 4 inches then that's clearly illegal.

Does the school have a policy that states "no knives" ?
perhaps if it has, then you could bring this up next time he gets it out & say, "sir, if the school has a policy that say no knives, then how come you are allowed to have one, sureely that's against the rules" sort of thing?

That would open the discussion & you could also drop the law into it, then ask if he thinks it's a good thing that he uses one in front of all his students etc?

At the end of the discussion., when he is obviously winning by virtue of him being "sir" & making the rules, offer him this shiney new pencil sharpener that youhave bought if he put's it away.

He might then think twice about it, or he may just ignore you.

Our resident teaching expert will advice you about what is & is not allowed in schools regarding the matter....Coggy, where are you?

AndrewJ · 09-03-2005, 09:32

Has non of the teachers EVER seen this or are they not interested??