Every parent wants their child to succeed in school - but more importantly, they want them to enjoy their learning, grow in confidence and make friends. So one mum was left outraged after hearing about how a teaching assistant has been speaking to the children in her daughter's class - and is worried it'll impact her seven-year-old's enjoyment of school.
Speaking to Reddit, the mum explained how her daughter has recently taken a "dislike towards school", despite spending the summer holidays counting down the days until the new school year arrived. She said: "She started with a new teacher in September and really enjoys being in her class. However, she doesn't like the teaching assistant, who is an 'old' woman, according to my daughter."
The teaching assistant sits at the back of the classroom and watches over the children while the main teacher takes the lesson or speaks with them one-on-one.
She has a 'zero-tolerance policy' when it comes to misbehaving children - and has her own methods to deal with them.
The mum added: "She said the teaching assistant gets really angry when the class misbehaves and tells them to stop acting like dogs.
"My daughter says she calls some of the boys on her table by her dog's name when they're acting up.
"The woman's dog is called Cooper and she uses this on boys and girls in the class."
While her daughter "isn't the type to act up", she is now scared to attend class because she doesn't want to be called a dog for doing something wrong.
"I'm in shock and disgusted at how this woman, who has a duty of care to our children, is treating them. She is literally treating them like dogs," the mum said.
"My daughter is terrified of her. I'm dreading the day she comes home in tears over this.
"I'm not sure how long this has been going on for or if any other mums or the teacher is aware. I will be asking around the playground when I collect her this afternoon."
It comes after a mum 'burst into tears' after a school teacher mocked her son's name saying it's for a dog and not a little boy.
The mum's sister was collecting the four-year-old from school while she attended a long-awaited dentist appointment - and this is when the teacher made her thoughts on the boy's name known.
She claims to have overheard the entire conversation and relayed it to her sister when she dropped her nephew off at home.
Speaking to Reddit, the boy's auntie said: "I am always waiting around for my year 6 to stop talking to her friends. Almost everybody from the playground had already gone home.
"Everybody was now with their parents and the teachers had gone back inside the classroom but they left the door and windows open and I could just about hear their conversation.
""I overheard them talking about the children in their classrooms and whether any of them are 'bad', and I overheard my nephew's teacher says 'no but one of mine has a dog's name'.
"The other teacher asked what it was and she said Benji - speaking about my nephew. I was in shock and disgusted! Thankfully, I don't think he was paying any attention and didn't hear them."
As soon as she arrived at her sister's house, she told her everything she overheard and shared her "disgust" about the entire situation.
"I told her straight away and she burst out into tears. She is now thinking about going in and speaking to the head about it. But she is not at all confrontational so she is still in two minds about this. She is distraught. I feel so bad for her," she said.
Do you have a strange dog story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
