11 YO DD1 told not to bring Twilight book into school again because it's 'unchristian'

[AgentZigzag]

DD1s teacher from last year asked her what she was reading at playtime on Friday, DD1 told her it was 'New Moon' which we'd bought her for her birthday in December.

The teacher hurried off and had quiet words with the teacher taking her class this year, they both came back and said she wasn't in trouble, but they didn't want her to bring the book in again to school because it's at odds with the christian values of the school (it's C of E).

The teacher said she'd read the first Twilight book and it's fine if her mum and dad think it's OK for her to read it, but she didn't think it was for little girls and they'd 'get into trouble if anyone saw her reading it' (DD thought the trouble would be from the vicar, although I find this hard to believe).

There are a few things I feel a bit uncomfortable about -

-this teacher had asked DD what she was reading a few times when DD took in the first Twilight book in, and just smiled and said nothing.

-they're actively encouraged to read Harry Potter books, and if you're banning Twilight because it's 'unchristian' then shouldn't that go for HP as well, and anything else with fantasy characters in? So no more fairies or Father Christmas then.

-DD was reading it at playtime, so nothing to do with lessons. Are they expecting her to spread dissent on what the Evil books are about or something?

-I feel they're somehow insinuating we're being unchristian letting her read them, although I couldn't care less about them judging me on my religious views, it annoys me because it seems a bit of a random rule when she's gone all the way through the school and no other judgments on our christian values have been mentioned.

I'm pretty much hands off when it comes to school, letting them get on with their job and do what they ask of me re homework etc. So I'm not planning on storming down there to confront them or anything, but this has really got on my wick and I'm posting to try and sort out what I think about it really.

Am I being unreasonable?

[Kayano]

I think she should have been told not to bring it to school because it is the biggest pile of steaming shit ever written personally

[squeakytoy]

I would say vampires and the afterlife are a bit different to Harry Potter actually.

[PattiMayor]

I would be very angry at a school trying to dictate what children should and shouldn't read in their free time.

[Kayano]

And also Bella is NOT someone who I would want my daughter to read about and potentially aspire to be like

hates twilight face

Worst 'heroine' ever
And Edward is a crazy stalker
And don't they both try to kill themselves in that book because of their mutual patheticness?

[Gumby]

This is what happens if you send your kids to faith schools

They get indoctrinated by nutters

[CuntWorm]

yanbu - i would go and ask them to explain their reasoning. Its not up to them to chose what you let your child read

Tis a shite book though and Edwards a pedoand bella's a twat - i would object on those grounds

[blondie80]

I love the Twilight saga.

Maybe have a chat with the teacher about it? Why was dd allowed to read the first book but not the second?

[Kayano]

Suicide and a limp and pathetic snivelling message it portrays for young girls?

I don't actually think they should restrict what people can read but I will endeavour to judge and bash that series at every opportunity

[PersonalClown]

I'll admit it that I love it for its pure cheese factor but let's not kid ourselves...it's shite!!

But I would not actively discourage a child from reading whatever the trash including Horrid Henry

[nizlopi]

If your teacher is worried about the religious aspects of Twilight, then she needn't. It is written by a Mormon and has a lot of reference to Heaven and the soul. For example, Edward not wanting to turn Bella into a vampire because it might mean that she can't go to Heaven.

On the other hand, Twilight is awful. Just... just bad. I wouldn't be happy with my kids reading it. I certainly wouldn't fight for their right to read it. Have you actually read these books, OP? I think you probably should. Bella is not the sort of female I would want my child seeing as a potential role model.

[eaglewings]

Never read it, now never want to but just to say, the Vicar will not have had anything to do with the decision

[WorraLiberty]

How very weird

Do they not teach the children to read up on other religions for example?

My DS2 won a prize for his RE work and was presented with a set of 5 books...each one about a different religion.

I know that's not quite the same thing as the OP, but still kids should be encouraged to broaden their minds.

[AgentZigzag]

I agree on the shitness of the stories, although I'm quite keen on Michael Sheen

But they're for tweenagers who don't know any different.

I say about HP because a few of the films have the same 12 rating, and I was thinking about the uproar in the US about them being banned for being unchristian.

I wouldn't go as far as to say it's indocrtination by nutters, this is the C of E we're talking about at the thought.

They did say it's none of their business what she reads at home, but they've asked her to write whatever books she reads into her reading log, and this is encouraging her to keep some stuff to herself in that case.

[sieglinde]

Agree that's it's donkeydroppings, but that doesn't seem to have been the reason given, and YANBU to complain about the stupid reason given. Almost everything is 'unchristian' by these measures.

[squeakytoy]

yanbu - i would go and ask them to explain their reasoning. Its not up to them to chose what you let your child read

What they allow on the school premises is up to them though. I doubt they would allow a Jackie Collins novel to be read by an 11yo.

[CuntWorm]

Jackie Collins isnt written for children though

[eaglewings]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_(series)

This makes interesting reading, esp the bad review section which talks about the female character and losing her virginity beng linked to losing herself!

[cory]

I think Twilight is morally vile in a way Harry Potter is not, but am not sure this is the school's call to make or that banning is a sensible way to deal with it. Much better to use it as a subject for a PSE discussion on peer pressure and male/female relations.

[OrmIrian]

It's sentimental romatic bollocks for a start. Sod the fact that it's unChristian!

[MerryMarigold]

I'm not saying I agree with the school, but:
a) teacher didn't make a decision by herself, it was was discussed
b) it IS the school's right to decide what it allows and doesn't. Ds is not allowed hula hoops in his packed lunch on Fridays even though school dinners get fish and chips, which annoys me, but...that's their 'policy' (which I didn't know about until half his lunch was confiscated) and I choose to send him to that school.
c) it's likely to be other parents who maybe have brought it up (Twilight not being appropriate reading for 11yr olds) so now the school has a policy on it when they didn't before

I would have a chat with her teacher. Just say you were a bit confused as to why the first one was ok. And is there a policy on reading books? If so, what is the policy.

[squeakytoy]

Jackie Collins isnt written for children tho

Neither is Twilight. It is aimed at young female adults.

[MrsHoarder]

I think HP and Twilight are quite different, because Harry Potter does not set an emotionally abusive and all-encompassing relationship up as being a good thing which should be aspired to. There is a quote attributed to Stephen King which made me chuckle:

''Harry Potter is all about confronting fears , finding inner strength , and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.''

I think its reasonable to put that as not in line with Christian values and unsuitable for young girls to read. Even if you are happy for your daughter to read it, its not the sort of thing that should be in a (primary?) school playground as other children may also want to read it then.

[littleducks]

I would wonder if the real reason is due to the more adult themes but the teacher didn't want to say that?

[passmyglass]

it's completely different to HP! It's much more sinister and sexualised. And the teachers said it's fine for her to read it if you said it's ok, just not to bring it into school. Seems perfectly reasonable to me. You chose to send her to a Christian school, and vampires isn't really within the Christian remit. Father Christmas IS btw. Has it not occurred to you that if these teachers had not (very nicely IMO) asked your daughter to keep the book for home, they would in all probability receive perfectly justified complaints from other parents who did not want their own DC exposed to this material. And btw i have nothing particularly against this series, apart from it's fairly rubbish.

[FaithHopeAndKevin]

Ban it because it's trite shite, yes.