Mary Macdonald
Encyclopedia
Dame Mary Beaton Macdonald, DBE
is a British
schoolteacher and former headmistress who was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in 2005 for her work turning around the failing Riverside Community Primary School in North Tyneside
, where she spent 13 years.
It appeared that the child had behaved badly and lashed out at other pupils and staff. A nursery nurse had held her on her knee throughout the rehearsal to keep her under control. “I think this mother was annoyed that someone had seen fit to discipline her daughter and she was determined to make trouble for the school”, according to Macdonald. The two mothers refused to leave until they learned that the police were on their way. Both the police and the Local Education Authority (LEA) completely exonerated her. However rumours and innuendo began circulating locally that Macdonald had kicked the child all around the school hall. This was overheard by a bureaucrat who reported the hearsay to another division of the police. Soon calls for Macdonald's resignation were being made.
Macdonald holds that schools should have the right to sue parents who make false allegations against staff and to exclude pupils who do the same. She has worked with the local authority to improve protection for teachers.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
schoolteacher and former headmistress who was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 2005 for her work turning around the failing Riverside Community Primary School in North Tyneside
North Tyneside
The Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England and is part of the Tyneside conurbation. Its seat is Wallsend Town Hall....
, where she spent 13 years.
Scandal
The same year she was named as DBE Macdonald was falsely accused of assaulting a pupil at an assembly rehearsal.It appeared that the child had behaved badly and lashed out at other pupils and staff. A nursery nurse had held her on her knee throughout the rehearsal to keep her under control. “I think this mother was annoyed that someone had seen fit to discipline her daughter and she was determined to make trouble for the school”, according to Macdonald. The two mothers refused to leave until they learned that the police were on their way. Both the police and the Local Education Authority (LEA) completely exonerated her. However rumours and innuendo began circulating locally that Macdonald had kicked the child all around the school hall. This was overheard by a bureaucrat who reported the hearsay to another division of the police. Soon calls for Macdonald's resignation were being made.
Macdonald holds that schools should have the right to sue parents who make false allegations against staff and to exclude pupils who do the same. She has worked with the local authority to improve protection for teachers.