Teacher-speak

One of my pet-hates in this ridiculous job is when other teachers - almost always management - say, "Do you think that's appropriate?" when they actually mean, "I don't approve". Because despite the fact that the latter formulation isn't a question, it is more open to disputation than the former, which pretends to be an appeal to some universally agreed standard, rather than one person's opinion.

Which is why this story made me laugh:

"A PE teacher faces disciplinary action after pictures of her in a range of "completely inappropriate" poses appeared on a modelling website.

In one photograph, Natasha Gray was shown wearing a thong and lying on her front on a bed."

A bit like this...



Ben Slade, the headteacher of the school in question, was not amused. Miffed, even:

""They were completely inappropriate for somebody who is a teacher," he said.

"They were absolutely not pornographic but do you want to see your teacher in that way?""

Um, if you were an adolescent, obviously the answer to the question is, "Ooh, yes please" - which is presumably why they are thought to be "inappropriate". But Mr Slade, inexplicably, seems to think the answer is "probably not". Honestly - if you can't count on teachers to speak plainly, what hope is there for the future of our civilisation - yea, even mankind itself?