Having to complain is never a pleasant experience but sometimes it’s necessary. Although speaking ill of a teacher can seem like a daunting task, you shouldn’t let this deter you from filing a complaint, if needed. Student welfare, education and happiness must come first. No complaint is too small or trivial when these things are at stake. What might a teacher do to put those elements at risk?

  • They ignore -  in class, particularly if you raise your hand, or if you email/message them with a question
  • They don't answer questions: "Look it up!", "It's in the book!", "We'll talk about that later!" - and they never do
  • They persistently refuse to entertain talking points students bring up, even if they're related to the topic at hand
  • They treat some students differently than others: some aren't allowed trips to the loo but others are, for example
  • They assign unreasonable amounts of homework
  • They persistently grade low
  • They mock or otherwise deride students
  • They give a distinct impression that they don't like or respect their students
  • They get aggressive, abusive or violent

You might think that the last point is a bit much. Surely, a faculty member wouldn't go that far? I can still recall how angry my Chemistry professor got over a fellow in the front row constantly clicking his pen. Still lecturing, she strode to him, snatched his pen away and hurled it to the back of the room. It smashed into pieces against the wall just a few feet from my head.

We'd love to say that every educator is a paragon of virtue; a fount of wisdom with infinite patience. They're not. They too have bad days and bad attitudes, people they like and others they don't. That doesn't mean that complaint-worthy behaviours should be tolerated.

If you're a student, you too might have experienced disturbing classroom activity. If you're a parent whose learner has told you about a less-than-mentoring mentor, you're probably ready to file a complaint. It should be the job of schools to keep parents and guardians informed about how best to go about complaining. They should make you feel comfortable expressing your concerns and confident that they will be taken seriously and followed up.

Often, this is the case. However, not all schools are great at communicating such information, to parents or students. Whether parent or student, we hope this article will give you a clearer idea of the procedure you can follow if you have concerns about a teacher.

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The Plaintiff's Choice

Students complain all the time. They don't like having to wake up insanely early. They resent having to wear uniforms. They wonder what's the point of Physical Education and why they have to participate in games. They don't like having to sit GCSEs only to have to stay in school for two more years.

Do parents listen as their learners carry on like that? Often, the answer is "Yes! By any means possible, even if it means hiding and spying!". That's just one reason why teachers are deluged with completely off-the-wall complaints.

Two people sitting on a grey sofa in a brightly lit room with three other people facing them in a semi-circle, sitting in yellow, high-backed chairs
Schools often do their best to listen to parents' complaints. Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash

We're not just talking about parents ranting over their kids getting poor marks. Some go to wild extremes, insisting that their decidedly untalented musician should be given first chair in the school orchestra. Or that their 'football star' without an athletic muscle in their body should be the team captain.

In the Weird Complaints Olympics, UK schools might take bronze. US schools are the hands-down gold medalists in blame-casting. Parent complaints range from comparatively mild "Why aren't you sitting with my child at lunch?" to "My child forgot their lunch, why didn't you buy them anything?". We're not quite at that level... yet. But then, we're not too far behind, either.

We can assure you that if you lodge your complaint civilly and professionally, you'll get the support you (and your family) need. Complaining effectively is a matter of debate, though. Do we need to go on a rant over every perceived slight? Or should the first step be a calm discussion?

That may be all you need to do to get the message through. In an ideal world, complaining about a teacher should not be a complex procedure that involves many steps. Unfortunately for us, this is not always the case. Therefore, we address that lag by creating a simple step-by-step process you can use to file a complaint successfully. Read on and find out what the next step you can take is to ensure your complaint gets to the right ears.

Contact the Teacher

For a minor issue or an isolated incident, you should contact the teacher directly. You may write a note to request a face-to-face meeting. The best way to schedule such a review is to book an appointment. That way, you will have a guarantee that the faculty member in question will be free to discuss the issue.

The key word in the above sentence is 'discuss'. You're not going there to have your say and be done with things. It may be your complaint but the educator you address will have input into the situation, too. Keep in mind that discussing support and educational needs isn't the same as communicating expectations to a subordinate. You don't give orders; you exchange ideas and come to a consensus.

We would advise against sending an email to schedule a meeting, even if the instructor in question said they welcome email contact. Schoolteachers, lecturers and professors are busy. They may log into their email only once per day. Conversely, if it's the end of the term and student papers are due - via email, their inbox might be so full that your mail will go unnoticed.

Or it could end up in their spam folder. However, if you're set on sending an email, perhaps so you can have a timestamped copy for your records, consider sending it to either the headteacher's account or the school's administrative office. Either of those positions has someone exclusively dedicated to keeping up with correspondence. They will be sure to see your mail. They may even respond.

Keep in mind that schools and universities process such requests differently. You may be able to hand your schoolteacher a note to request a meeting. If they decline this overture, you can consider addressing the headteacher.

A university professor, on the other hand, will likely tell you to come by during office hours. Usually, such faculty members list their office hours in their syllabi. Or they announce them on the first day of class. You may have to wait in line to talk with them. Often, professors don't set appointments.

phone
You can give the teacher a ring or send them an e-mail to talk things through.

How to Complain Effectively

If you're a parent, you likely know that, as your learner has an issue to resolve, other kids are likely having the same spot of trouble. It’s a good idea, then, to have a word with other parents you know whose children attend the same school/class. That can be a great way to find out whether the problem is affecting more children.

Naturally, that means the school will have a bigger issue to look into. And if, indeed, the trouble is universal, getting other parents involved might be the better way to address the situation. That way, you won't feel like you're fighting a lonely battle while others merely look on. And the teacher will be far more likely to respond to complaints coming from several sources.

Keep in mind that you'll only have a narrow slice of time to review and resolve the contention. Thus, it would be helpful for you to make sure you know exactly what you want to say ahead of the meeting. Make yourself a cheat sheet; a list of keywords to build your argument on. Include dates, documents and any other information you have.

It would also be a good idea to go in with some thoughts about how the situation could be resolved. Take heed that, at this point, you're only working with your perspective on the matter. You've yet to hear what the other party has to say. Going into this, keep an open mind. First, for what the instructor has to say and then, to any alternative resolution they might suggest.

Now face to face, allow the teacher an opportunity to listen to and address your clearly laid-out contentions. Then, it's your turn to listen. Once you've each stated your positions, you can figure out together the best way to resolve the situation and move forwards.

Ideally, through such a discussion, you will find the feedback, advice and support you need. That will allow you to reach a resolution that is satisfactory for all parties involved. If you're a student lodging a complaint, this exercise could be an early lesson in the benefits of having your voice heard.

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Contact the Teacher’s Higher-ups

In the previous segment, you read a suggestion to request an appointment through your headteacher should you not be able to schedule one directly with the faculty member you need to talk with. This step is a different proposition. Should you not be able to reach a resolution with the classroom instructor, you'll have to go above their head. Meet with the headteacher. Or, if at university, talk with the department head, line leader or superior.

When you request the meeting, be sure to specify your reasons for approaching them. Tell them that your conversation with the teacher failed to resolve the problem. Or you may admit that, for whatever reason, you feel you cannot talk to the teacher you're in conflict with. If this is an ongoing issue, be sure to stress that the problematic behaviour you complained about before persists.

Reiterate any of the points that apply to your situation when you're face-to-face with this administrator. As we suggested before, come to your meeting prepared. Make notes. Bring documentation and witnesses - or, at least, supporting testimony.

After you have spoken to the headteacher or department administrator, they will most likely call for a meeting with you and the teacher. That's always provided the issue isn't so egregious that you and your teacher cannot be in the same room together. Be aware that mediation, talking things over in front of a neutral party, is the recommended way to resolve issues. Thus, you may be pressured into talking with the teacher in front of that administrator.

If you're a parent, know that your child may also be invited to the meeting, if appropriate. You have the right to decline to bring your learner, of course. But unless they're very young, you should strongly consider doing so. Making them a part of the decisions about their school experience shows that both you and the school staff value them and their thoughts.

The outcome of such meetings will depend largely on the nature of the problem. Their purpose is to allow each person to voice their opinions and take part in finding solutions. At this point, either you or the faculty member could escalate the dispute if no resolution can be found.

Contact the School Principal

An open, gold and black fountain pen resting on a sheet of cream-coloured stationary with a few lines written on it in cursive script.
If you don't get the response you're looking for from the teacher, it might be time to pen a letter to the head of the school.

If the problem persists and is affecting your (or your child's) education and/or welfare, you have a serious problem on your hands. And if you talk with classmates and/or other students' parents, you'll surely find that they're affected, as well. Under these circumstances, the next step is to contact the school principal about the problem.

As noted above, this is another situation where speaking to other parents could be of great advantage to you. After all, it’s unlikely that the head of the school will ignore complaints coming from several sources. It will be in their best interests to, at the very least, look into the problem. And anyway, they're supposed to periodically assess the teacher’s behaviour in the classroom. Your formal complaint might compel them to do so ahead of schedule.

The teacher is made aware of more intense scrutiny is this step's most immediate consequence. From this point, things can go one of two ways. Either this level of consideration will be enough for many teachers to get their act together. Or they will double down, believing they've been in the right all along.

In the first case, all's well that ends well. You - parent or student, will work to resolve whatever issues there may be. Such cooperation can lead to a variety of solutions for the principal to approve of. Once implemented, that administrator will likely dismiss the matter - but keep a record of it on file. You can then start the healing process at home by engaging a Superprof academic coach. That way, you'll have a qualified mentor as well as someone who can help you with English, Maths or any other subject.

Conversely, if the teacher is found to be genuinely lacking, the school director could decide to reassign that instructor. If the behaviours and actions prove to be dangerous to the student body, they may be dismissed. On the other end of the spectrum, the principal may conduct an in-depth investigation by observing the teacher during lesson time to see what is really going on. Experienced teachers are hard to come by these days, after all. It wouldn't be wise to let one go without full assurance that the dismissal is warranted.

Write to the School's Governor

You'll note, by now, a certain progression to our procedure. First, talk with other parents and/or classmates. Then, the offending faculty member, their superior and, finally, the school's chief administrator. If you’ve gotten that far and nothing has come from the conversations, it's time to take another step. You must complain to the school governors.

At this point, we need to inject a warning. If you (your child) genuinely feel that you (they) are in imminent danger - if you worry that the teacher might lash out, seek help and support from the school or social services. You should feel no qualms about withdrawing from that class if you have any reason to doubt your (your child's) safety.

I remember, from my secondary school days, a PE coach who was... 'handsy'. As an example, when we finished running laps, he would place his hands on girls' chests to 'measure their heart rate'. Soon, girls started disappearing from class. Their parents had withdrawn them after those thus affected told their parents about him. He was dismissed shortly after that, thanks to parental action.

If your case isn't that extreme, presenting your issue to the school district is your next step. Phoning in a complaint won't do; you must submit your charges in writing. To legitimise your complaint, you will need to provide evidence to support your claim. If the school governors also fail to follow the procedure, you can escalate further. You may make a formal complaint to the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).

At this juncture, you might also contact your local MPs. If you have, indeed, kept a timestamped paper trail, submit copies of everything with your letter of complaint. That governing body may write to the Department for Education on your behalf. For more information about complaining to the Department for Education, you can visit their website.

This may all seem intimidating but remember: your safety, well-being and education are at stake. No option should be ruled out. Hopefully, things won’t get to this stage. But if you feel like you're being deprived of learning tools, resources and opportunities, you have little choice. And if you have been belittled every step of the way, these more decisive forms of action are your sole recourse.

A person sitting on a wooden slat bend with one denim-clad ankle crossed over the other knee, reading a newspaper.
Reach out to the local newspaper if things still don't seem to be improving.

Get the Press Involved

If you have carried out all of the above steps without any results, your last option is to contact the press. We emphasise this is definitely a measure of last resort. To be used only if you've followed every complaint procedure and have found no relief.

Before deciding on this course of action, you must think about its implications. It would put you/your child and your family in the spotlight. That's a big ask after what you/your child has already gone through. Also, consider that you're opening yourself to libel accusations. Particularly if previous steps in the complaint procedure revealed no wrongdoing.

With that said, we note that, in some extreme cases, contacting the press has resulted in the problem finally being resolved. Everyone in the school will be under intense scrutiny within the community. That generally leads to some sort of action, particularly if money is involved; if there's any talk of victim compensation.

Flaws in the Complaints System

Unfortunately, there are significant flaws in the existing complaints procedure. For example, you might be unhappy with the decision reached by the school governors concerning your complaint. You can contact your local council and ask them to appeal the decision on your behalf. But the council cannot actually change the original decision.

Also, a school is an entity unto itself. Therefore, if the staff are not willing to deal with an issue, the governors may simply adhere to whatever the school wants. Even if that means disregarding and covering up a major problem.

If you choose to move (your child) to another school to protect them from the problematic teacher, your case will be closed with no action taken. This means that the teacher can potentially continue to cause issues for other students. You may be safe from harm but allowing harm to continue is not the desired outcome.

Unless you're at university, parent-child communication remains the most viable option for resolving issues at school. The adults in your life automatically receive more credibility and respect than you do. Your parents should not have to feel nervous about complaining unless it's about something trivial like school lunch fare not being suitable for brain development. However, if they are concerned about a teacher’s behaviour or ability to perform their duties, speaking up is the right thing to do.

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Samuel

Sam is an English teaching assistant and freelance writer based in southern Spain. He enjoys exploring new places and cultures, and picking up languages along the way.