PGCE Unfair

I'd like to ask a question on behalf of a friend of mine. She has undoubtedly been treated unfairly on her PGCE placement and I just wondered what the next steps would be so that someone else does not get treated as dreadfully as she has been.

She is currently 2 weeks away from completing her PGCE. Her first placement went extremely well , she was deemed as 'RI' in all areas + was excited at the prospect of becoming a teacher.

However, Block B has been an absolute nightmare for her. It began around 2 months in when her professional mentor observed her lesson. To cut a long story short she was extremely nasty towards her and made many unprofessional comments to her. These including asking her if she was mentally ill, after claiming that the only person she had ever seen fail a pgce had been mentally ill. She also asked her if she was dyslexic because she didn't use a capital letter in naming a powerpoint. I must also mention that my friend lost both her parents whilst studying for her undergrad course. So, when this mentor asked her if she had any subject knowledge gaps she said she did as she missed almost a year of uni in total. To this the mentor replied that although this was tragic, she needed to 'toughen up'.

Since then, my friend has felt completely demoralised. When she spoke to the uni about this treatment (other things were also said that are too complex to mention), they too were disgusted, and they had a word with her about her treatment, which she then toned down. However, my friend's subject mentor continued to what i would deem as 'bully' her. When applying for jobs, she told her that certain one's were 'too good for her' and that even 'she wouldn't apply for them', which once again severely knocked her confidence.

The uni too, have behaved unprofessionally, they have accidentally sent my friend emails criticising her teaching and personality (and also other students') and when my friend addressed this they simply told her to delete the emails (which she hasn't just in case she has to take things further). I won't go into detail about what the emails said but they implied her lessons were terrible and since then she had no confidence in herself.

I have seen my friend's usually vibrant personality deteriorate over these past few months, and I am extremely worried about her. Last week, she felt a little relieved to be told she had passed by her subject mentor. However, 2 days later in a meeting with a uni representative and her professional mentor she was told she had failed. When she asked them why, they simply said they had changed their minds. She had been told her lessons had greatly improved, but they had since decided that they hadn't and that there was 'no proof' they had anymore.

To make matters worse, today, her professional mentor copied her into an email to an external examiner saying she had passed. My friend was confused by this, but too disheartened by this point to get excited. She was right to do so, as a few hours later the same mentor sent another email just to my friend this time, with the same document saying she had failed.

I feel this behavior is extremely unprofessional, as they have no right to be constantly toying with my friends emotions. I am at my wits end about how to help my friend. She is exhausted and feels utterly messed around. There are many other incidents I could mention which involve bullying, that are too complex to go int o. But I feel she really does have a valid case to take this further. She does not want any sympathy or to pass out of this as after everything she has been through she has been put off teaching for life.

I was just wondering if anyone knew what the best course of action would be to take / do you think she has fair grounds to make a case, perhaps to a union or to the university? I myself, work in a writing profession so would be willing to take the case on for her and argue her case as I am horrified by all that has gone on and I am worried it may happen to someone else next year.

Coincidentally (or not), someone at the very same placement last year had their PGCE investigated by a solicitor due to failing, however, it became apparent that they had been mistreated on their placement and this failure was retracted and she passed.

PGCE Unfair

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