Five-year-old girl 'cannot stop laughing' at teacher's name: Miss Butt

A mother says she was hauled into a meeting with her daughter's school after the five-year-old laughed at her teacher's name - Miss Butt.

Annalise Terumalai told her mother Priscilla that she could not stop giggling whenever she heard her teacher's comical name.

Priscilla later met the teacher at a parents' council meeting at Mayville School in Leytonstone, east London.

She told the teacher the story and said she dismissed it and did not seem bothered.

But within days, the mother-of-two was summoned to a meeting with the head of year, the school manager, a teacher assistant and another reception teacher to answer for her daughter's 'naughty' titters.

Priscilla said:

When I received a call from the school, I was appalled at how pathetic and petty it was. I wasn't making fun of her name at all. I wasn't happy about being reported."

Priscilla, who is also mother to Destiny, 11, now wants Annalise to be moved to a different class as a result of the tension - but claims requests have fallen on deaf ears.

I felt intimidated in the meeting and they made me feel like I was in the wrong. The school over reacted and it made me feel really angry and it is not good enough. I felt I was treated unfairly because I am putting my trust in the teacher and I am not comfortable with my daughter being in her class now.

Annalise is too young to notice if she is being treated differently and I am disappointed about the disruption to her learning.

The drama means she is now considering moving her daughter to a different school.

Terumalai says she and Miss Butt are not on speaking terms after her daughter laughed at her comical name.

Priscilla said:

We don't speak now, and I'm worried about it having a negative effect on my daughter's education. I saw her at the school gates picking up her daughter but we didn't say hello. She's my daughter's teacher but I won't be going to any more meetings.

A spokesman for Mayville Primary School said:

We're talking to the mum on a regular basis. Generally speaking we would only transfer a child from one class to another as a last resort as it can be incredibly unsettling and disruptive for the pupil, and their wellbeing is always our priority.

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