Teacher teaching my DC6 about apartheid - AIBU

You are completely unreasonable. It doesn't matter if it's a supply teacher or a regular teacher. They are teaching a prescribed curriculum. Schools have enough to deal with without you wasting the time of the head teacher with this nonsense.

Exactly! It’s actually very remiss as a parent to not have had these conversations before now!

My son does not need to know this at age 6!!

Of course he does! Are you waiting for someone to shout something at him when he's on the slide at the park and then tell him about racism.

if you ever wonder why teachers are leaving the profession in droves…..

But he does need to know this- white privilege and all that. This crap about i don't see colour. We should see colour and acknowledge that skin colour can cause people to be treated differently

I'm sure the head teacher could use a bit of a laugh in jan because that's what she will be having at your expense.

I don't understand why you are furious. It's history , it happened and it's important that it is taught in schools. He isn't too young. my grandchildren have been aware that some people judge others based on the colour of their skin since they were 3!

🤦

Year one lesson.

www.thenational.academy/teachers/programmes/history-primary-ks1-l/units/why-do-we-celebrate-mandela-day-b5b1/lessons/what-was-apartheid-cnj6cc?sid-689b88=La0V4TeQ2v&sm=0&src=0#lesson-details

That's appropriate what are you trying to bring up with the school?

We actively teach protected characteristics from the day they arrive in school - colour of skin is part of this. Our y2 children have a history topic looking at "movers and shakers" which includes Rosa Parks. I love that they are so shocked as it means they don't share the beliefs.

Mad. Hopefully the head teacher will laugh you out of their office

Gosh I hope it wasn't me, I did a similar thing the other day! Been teaching 20 years and it never crossed my mind anyone would have a problem with it! It's factual and not at all inappropriate as long as not going into details and explaining in an age appropriate way!

Teacher isn’t the problem in this situation. You are going to sound unhinged. Do not speak to anyone at the school about this. Just… wow.

We teach our children history, even though it is painful. It can be done in an age appropriate manner.

from a societal perspective, it is one of the most important subjects students will follow. They need to understand how we became the people we are today and how we as a society can avoid repeating our mistakes.

these lessons are often not taken to heart. People think history doesn’t apply to them or that it couldn’t happen again, but they are clearly mistaken.

Please don't speak to the headteacher tomorrow. These people have actual problems to deal with and don't need you taking up their time with your misplaced, privileged outrage.

Honestly, talk about a mountain out of a mole hill. This is absolutely appropriate and taught in ks1 frequently and discussed using age appropriate language.

Some of the nonsense parents will complain about...

Yes this sounds really odd.

YaBU - you need to get yourself some age appropriate books. Little people big drems etc.

I've been reading these to my children for years. There are some great ones about British black history too

I don't have all the answers and I'm not getting it right by any means but I talk to them about the world / history / white / British wrongdoings etc

When we walked through Atlanta airport this summer there was MLK jnr exhibition and my children were in awe that they were looking at his actual suit / glasses / watch.

Educate your child and don't be surprised when others do

Have you had his vision checked?

I genuinely don't understand why you are upset by this? It sounds like a perfectly reasonable, age appropriate explanation of a historically factual event to me. Same as how they should learn about how women were treated less favourably too.

Why was your child unaware people have different skin colours?

Sounds pretty normal to me.
The school I work in compare Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole in Year 2. The then do Rosa Parks a little later in the year.
Black history is studied from quite young - as it should be.