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Letters to the Editor
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Education
A moral responsibility to tackle bullying
From Mr M. E. Q. James, FRPharmS
I am obliged to our Chief
Executive and Registrar for his reply to my
letter (PJ, 29 March 2008, p361) in which he endeavoured to answer my
concerns about preregistration students who, for whatever reason, find
themselves
to be incompatible with their tutor.
I welcome the news that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society “is undertaking
a number of initiatives in relation to the operation of the preregistration
scheme”, and that it recognises “the need to support trainees by
developing guidance on addressing training issues in the workplace”.
However, Mr Holmes indicates that the current view is that our Society has
and can have no involvement with workplace issues. No doubt, according to the
strict letter of the law, he is correct, although our Society has a poor track
record when it comes to legal opinions.
For my part, I do not think we can shrug off a moral responsibility quite so
easily. We have told the student that he or she must undergo practical training.
We have told him or her that such and such a person or organisation has been
approved for the purpose. Then, when there is an allegation that the tutor
could be found wanting we say “Oh, that’s an employment issue and
nothing to do with us.”
That may have been acceptable once but I wonder what a modern employment tribunal
would make of it or a High Court judge, if it got to the point where they were
asked to look at the principles behind the arrangement.
I fear that, as well as the law, both would look at the fundamentals behind
the “contract” and, in those circumstances, even if, as our Chief
Executive suggests, they might find for the Society, the terms of the judgment
might be such as to set back the best efforts of our public relations department
for a generation.
I am certain that we are only considering a minority of students, but I disagree
with Mr Holmes when he says it is not our problem.
Students are our future colleagues. One of the marks of a profession is that
it looks after its future members. Failing to do so would be both shameful,
and to our collective peril.
Miall E. James
Colchester, Essex
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal