AIBU about school showing this movie

[TGISummer]

DD is in Y8. Yesterday she came home upset saying that her class had watched a horror movie...she can be a bit of a drama llama so asked her what the film was:

The Purge.

BBFC/UK - Rated 15 (strong language, bloody violence).

She's just turned 13. Came home and told my younger DD and DS various graphic details. I asked her why she didn't say anything...she did, the rest of the class said it was fine and she should shut up.

I phoned head of year and (politely) asked why would you do that??!! She seemed surprised and said will get Teacher to call and explain. Felt a bit fobbed off but thought ok, will see what he says. No phone call from Teacher.

DD came home today, they watched another film:

Paranormal activity. Another rating of 15.

Seriously??!!!

I know it's just end of term movie watching but what would you do?

[FriendsDontLie]

I don’t have children so I don’t know what I’d do, but both of those movies are wildly inappropriate for school!

[WorraLiberty]

Surely she would've been excused from class if she really didn't want to watch them?

Why would she tell her younger siblings such graphic details though?

[NapQueen]

Id be livid! More about it being horror than a 15 specifically.

Could you email the head on Monday? I presume they will monitor their emaila even vaguely through the summer break.

[Sparklesocks]

It’s certajbly unusual to have horrors as end of term watching! Most teachers stick on crowd pleasers like chicken run!

[VickyEadie]

This is definitely a cause for written complaint. Address it to the headteacher and copy to chair of governors.

[WorraLiberty]

Sorry I did add at the bottom of my last post that it's a bit silly to be showing 13yr olds if it's rated 15.

Not sure how it disappeared.

[cardibach]

I’m a teacher, and that’s totally unreasonable. Actually, watching films to kill time in the last week is unreasonable unless it’s connected to topics covered in the term.

[TooStressyForMyOwnGood]

I am relaxed about tv and films but yes I would be annoyed at that. In year 8 I would have been too embarrassed to ask not to watch something but would have been scared. I find paranormal films very scary and even as an adult would not want to have to watch one.

[Hobbes8]

That’s so weird! I’d be reasonably relaxed about parents showing that sort of thing on a sleepover (mine are littler though - I might feel differently when they’re teens) but at school?

[user1493413286]

I found the purge quite disturbing as an adult so I wouldn’t be happy with an 13 year old watching it

[huggybear]

YANBU! I was terrified when I watched PA and I was probably about 18!

[DroningOn]

I'd be furious, totally inappropriate

[shinyredbus]

the purge is not for 13 year olds - is she youngest In her class? Either way, not appropriate. Paranormal activity is an awful awful film, but, not appropriate either.

[Disquieted1]

Bang out of order.
Daughter's school asked for permission to show Frozen as it's PG.

[IsTheRainEverComingBack]

YANBU. I’m 30 and wouldn’t want to watch these films. It’s also definitely not ok to show 15 films to 13 year olds without parental consent, you’re well within your rights to complain. It’s also very hard for a child of that age to say they’re not ok with something like this that will mark them out from their peers, a situation shouldn’t be created that makes a child feel like they can’t speak up - which is what this was. Saying can’t they just be excused completely ignores how hard it would be for a child to ask to be excused.

[Booklover18]

The school should be showing age appropriate films, so they have broken the law by showing 15 cert. to underage children. They need parental permission forms to be completed if they intend to show other films. I would not be happy about this, especially if it had affected my daughter/son adversely.

[Kingkiller]

That's really bad, OP. I'm a teacher and although I'm not always totally strict on age ratings with my own dc (as long as I've seen the film and think it's appropriate), I would never in a million years show an age-inappropriate film to a class. And those films sound properly inappropriate!

[8misskitty8]

They need to ask parental consent for films above class age rating. When Dd was in P7 and doing ww2 the school had to get parental permission to watch the boy in the striped pyjamas.
You need to bring it to the heads attention, she might not be aware of the films being shown.

I work with 3/4 year olds and we are only allowed to show U rated films so like another poster we are not allowed to show frozen.

[Naveloranges]

As a teacher, I would always get consent for a 15 rated film. I teach MFL, so foreign language movies can be really useful.

[TatianaLarina]

Why on earth they watching shit films at school? Quite apart from the age issue.

[BetterEatCheese]

Completely out of order! The subject matter is very disturbing.

[Oscha]

Completely inappropriate-I’d have been really upset in her shoes, and in yours too 😕

[Samcro]

wow i read the age and film title and thought WTF
that is beyond bad

[TheFrendo]

They are both crap films.

I understand it is the last day of term, so it is a good thing to relax and show films. But, but, but, show something decent.

[Indierockandroll]

I too am fairly relaxed with my yr 7 sons.
Lately they've been asking to watch it, but there is no way.
I'm a big horror fan but I found The Purge disturbing as an adult so you have every right to contact school.