Parents’ guide: How to deal with favouritism in the classroom

Seek the signs: Does your child give up easily and walk away from school projects? Have they developed a sense of hopelessness? Is a particular subject seemingly the source of their problem? Speak to your child: Are they upset because of a particular incident in class? Or does it sound like they are the victim of a teacher’s personal dislike? Try to establish concrete examples of favouritism. Ask around: It can be worth mentioning your suspicions to other, trusted, parents — have their children noticed any favouritism by a specific teacher? Be honest: Are you bringing any of your own issues into play — perhaps a previous disagreement with a certain staff member at the school, or even your own past experiences of favouritism? Tackle teacher: If you are sure that your child’s teacher is expressing a preference for certain students, approach them — but gently. Be tactful and go in with the assumption that they are only human and trying to do their best. They may not have realised that they have ‘pets’ or surprised. Next steps: If the situation becomes serious — i.e. with students expressing that they don’t want to attend school — it might be advisable to call a meeting between parents and the head teacher.