Went down to the school today to get S registered for 2nd grade. Because of the language difference we've had to think long and hard about whether to have him repeat 1st grade or move on to 2nd. From what I understand, though, the German system is less stringent in the first couple of years than the Belgian one, and he's way ahead of where he should be, which should give him some breathing room.
M offered to go with me to help with the discussion, but I'm determined to be independent, so I turned him down. Looked up a few words and phrases before I went and figured I'd do fine.
Got an appointment with the Principal and he was SOOOO disparaging. Stopped just short of patting me on the head. He told me that S would have to start off in first grade, do a few months, and then if the teacher thought it was a good idea that they would move him.
Which means starting over twice! I tried to discuss it with him further but he kept looking at his watch and even said "Yes, yes, I'm sure it's different in America." (I hadn't told him I was American-- he must have just picked up on my accent.) I almost spit on him!
Of course it's different in America, as it is in every country! And I wasn't belittling the German system! The fact is that our experience is in Belgium where he has already completed one grade and should move on to the next one!
And then he dismissed me. I was so angry that I called M, who then got so angry that he hopped into his car and drove down to the school. A European businessman. In a suit. And then all of a sudden the principal was singing another tune! Even though M said exactly the same things I had, in exactly the same polite way!!!
So he's now swung back 180 degrees, said literally: "We can do whatever you want". From No to Yes in one easy step!
I know that this isn't a typical German phenomenon and that these kind of things will probably happen to me in every country, but it just pisses me off that I wasn't taken seriously partly because of nationality but mainly because of my gender.
Makes me want to go out and chop wood or operate power tools! I probably could have beaten the principal at arm wrestling-- I'm thinking of throwing down the gauntlet next time I see him...
2 comments:
Sadly this *is* a typical German phenomenon. You're not going to be taken seriously because of your gender. Better come to terms with it now while you can and keep that gauntlet shiny because you're going to be throwing it down a lot. :-/
Hi Lisa.
Well unfortunately it seems this behavior is typical for this guy at least. I'd hoped that after this meeting that things would go smoother but then had to endure another two meetings with him and he was just as disparaging as he was the first time!
He actually made me sit there while he wrote out a note for S's file that said something like "Mother insists on putting child into second grade against my recommendation. When this is a problem he will be sent back a year."
I thought he was going to try to make me sign it! It's a good thing he didn't because I think that pen could have turned into a lethal weapon in my hands...
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