KISS?
Posted on 04/14/2011 11:11:02 AM PDT by WesternCulture
The school board in Skövde in western Sweden has backed local teacher Sam Aalto after he was criticised by a local politician, who argued that his surfeit tattoos and spiky hair set a bad example to students.
"The media circus round this has surpassed my wildest expectations," Aalto told The Local.
Father of five, Sam Aalto, is in his forties and has been teaching at Vasaskolan in Skövde for eight years.
He is described by the school as highly competent and is liked by colleagues and students alike.
The problems started when pensioner and local politician Sture Grönwall, 70, visited the school and spied Aalto’s tattoos, piercings and spiky hair across the school canteen.
“Can a teacher really look like that,” a startled Grönwall asked, according to the Aftonbladet daily.
After speaking to one of the headmasters and not getting the response he was after, Grönwall decided to write to the local school board (Skolnämnden).
In his letter he questioned the example a teacher like Aalto would set for students as well as the values of the school letting someone like Aalto teach there.
The school board however did not share Grönwall’s view, coming out in defence of Aalto and Vasaskolan.
“To let our students solely see adults with no tattoos or piercings and wearing suits would not show them an accurate view of today’s society,” they wrote in their response to Grönwall's complaint.
Sam Aalto meanwhile expressed surprise at Grönwall’s reaction as well as the 'media circus' cropping up around him.
“I have been working here since 2003 and the subject has never been brought up before - no one has ever reacted. I never knew that Grönwall had complained before I found out about the whole thing through the local press," he said.
According to Aalto it isn't the fact that Grönwall questioned his look but the way he went about it that is questionable.
"In a democracy everyone has the right to ask the question, it is the moralising aspect of Grönwall's opinion which I object to," he said.
Aalto said to Aftonbladet at the time that when his finances allow he will add to his existing body art.
The locals in the rural town of Skövde were meanwhile split on the issue.
When asked by a local TV channel, young people said there should be no restrictions whereas pensioners of a similar age to Sture Grönwall did not like the idea of a tattooed schoolteacher.
Sture Grönwall is meanwhile unrepentant, expressing consternation at the flak thrown in his direction in the press.
“They say that politicians shouldn’t meddle in what teachers wear – but then who should?“ Grönwall asked during an interview with SR.
When asked if this was merely a question of different values for different age groups, Grönwall conceded that it might have something to do with it.
“But brought up in the old style of schooling, I believe that school should be both morally and academically educated and properly prepare children for society and labour market,” he said.
If the response from the school board is anything to go by however, that is exactly what they feel they are doing by defending Aalto.
"I am happy about the support that I have received since the incident and I bear no personal grudges against Sture Grönwall," Aalto told The Local.
- No sane member of society wishes to live in a community where well paid politicians don't interfere on a daily basis with each and every single aspect of human life.
How does the teacher keep the kids from laughing at him?
He’s a loser.
...and if you disagree, we have room reserved for you in the Ministry of Love, where you will receive instruction in the best ways to avoid future lapses in to crime-think.
Yup. Gotta keep churning out competent and compliant worker bees...
“How does the teacher keep the kids from laughing at him?”
- Can’t argue with that:)
On the other hand, out of the 25-30 teachers I’ve experienced in life, there were only 5 that weren’t laughable.
Fortunately, one of them who were not was my first school teacher. Namely an old lady with wide experience of what it truly means to school and foster a young mind.
In many ways, I owe her, together with my parents and grandparents everything.
My language skills, my understanding of maths, my sense of being in the possession of the most precious and powerful tool on Earth; a human intellect, it all comes down to proper education and a proper insight into the process of pedagogics.
God bless old fashioned teachers like her.
Looks like he took his inspiration from “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”!
Gross.
“KISS?”
- The kids don’t address him “Sir”, they call him “Dr Love”.
“Looks like he took his inspiration from “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”!”
- Or the other way around..
And yet, his performance evaluations would indicate otherwise...
However...most places of employment have dress codes for employees. Why should schools be an exception? Our local school has dress codes for students and employees. The dress code for staff was implemented due to the slovenly appearance of one young teacher. Teachers are professionals and should dress accordingly.
- Personally, I'm against dress codes, not only when it comes to schools, but in general.
In my opinion, they serve no real purpose and tend to violate the personal need of expressing oneself though individual appearance.
I'm 41 and have worked for a wide array of very successfull companies (- two great examples being Volvo Trucks and Volvo Cars). None of these companies demanded of their staff to dress in the same fashion.
Whatever is expressed through one's appearance would pretty much define "superficial," which, in English, is not a compliment.
On the other hand, letting people mutilate their bodies or don attention-seeking fashions does serve to increase "stand-off" distance between me and the morons of this world.
“You think that you’re too cool for school, but I have a newsflash for you Walter Cronkite... you aren’t”
That was the case with our school. A young female teacher was NOT wearing enough clothing and a young male teacher showed up in dirty cut-offs and sandals every day. The administration didn't have the courage to speak to them, so...dress code for all.
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