Page 5 | School making DC wrote a letter of condolence for the Queen

wheredidIleavemystyle · 2022-09-15T05:48:31+00:00

The school are creating a book of condolence for the DC to write in. On the surface of it, this is a nice idea, and I can see

saraclara · 15/09/2022 08:29

longestlurkerever · 15/09/2022 08:26

Meh compulsory. "If you don't get it done in class finish it at home" is hardly enforcement

It's the other way round. If they don't do it at home they will be made to do it in class the next day. This is what is odd and makes it different from any other homework the school has set.

brookstar · 15/09/2022 08:30

I don't mean using ANY current event is wrong - that is a very good teaching tactic - my view is using THIS current event is wrong due to strong anti-monarchist views held by some people... as evidenced by some of the people on this thread.

It is equivalent making people pray, IMO. Even if 90% of people support, you have to leave room for the minority to quietly not join in - and views on religion, monarchy and politics are very personal and families should lead on instilling those.

Then it's your responsibility to discuss this with your children. There will always be elements of formal education which might not be completely in line with your views.

Whether you are a royalist or a republican the fact remains that we have a monarchy and our longest serving monarch has died. This is history in the making and it's not unreasonable for a school to use this event as a way to give context to learning.

toomuchlaundry · 15/09/2022 08:32

How long will it take to write, I am sorry for your loss? Treat it as a writing exercise, so doesn’t have to be sorry in real life. Job done, move on. But now they know that is the sort of thing you write if you need to write a letter of condolence

carefullycourageous · 15/09/2022 08:36

brookstar · 15/09/2022 08:30

I don't mean using ANY current event is wrong - that is a very good teaching tactic - my view is using THIS current event is wrong due to strong anti-monarchist views held by some people... as evidenced by some of the people on this thread.

It is equivalent making people pray, IMO. Even if 90% of people support, you have to leave room for the minority to quietly not join in - and views on religion, monarchy and politics are very personal and families should lead on instilling those.

Then it's your responsibility to discuss this with your children. There will always be elements of formal education which might not be completely in line with your views.

Whether you are a royalist or a republican the fact remains that we have a monarchy and our longest serving monarch has died. This is history in the making and it's not unreasonable for a school to use this event as a way to give context to learning.

All I would do is tell the school my kids were not doing that piece of work adn no one would bat an eyelid.

Of course I talk to my kids all the time anyway.

But also when I was a teacher parents talked to me and now I am a parent I talk to teachers.

AngelinaFibres · 15/09/2022 08:37

OppsUpsSide · 15/09/2022 07:07

I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. A letter of condolence isn’t usually written by someone who is grieving but to someone who is grieving, so the fact your daughter isn’t grieving but can see it’s a sad thing for others isn’t at odds to writing a letter of condolence. It’s essentially a form of letter writing.
Whatever a persons feelings about the monarchy may be, it is still a National and historical event which you would expect schools to acknowledge in some way.

This.
At their age it is just a writing exercise of a few minutes and then they will be onto something else. Whether you agree with the monarchy or not is largely moot this week. She was the Queen for 70 years. She has died. We currently have a monarchy so the disposal of her remains is done in a certain way and her heir becomes King the minute she dies. The time for discussions about whether we should have any of this is for the months to come . I am not a monarchist BTW.or a republican . There are problems with both options.

brookstar · 15/09/2022 08:37

Fair enough carefully

But I stand by the point I made earlier, I do think people are letting their anti monarchy views cloud their rational thinking!
It's just a writing exercise..... 🤷🏼‍♀️

Wheresmymoneytree · 15/09/2022 08:41

It’s the start of a new school year, being lenient last year could be the last teachers style or down to age. It’s just an activity, my year 7s had to write a police report about the death of a bacteria the other day. I’m not forcing them to be in the police or anything, they are developing skills. You are over thinking it.

carefullycourageous · 15/09/2022 08:42

brookstar · 15/09/2022 08:37

Fair enough carefully

But I stand by the point I made earlier, I do think people are letting their anti monarchy views cloud their rational thinking!
It's just a writing exercise..... 🤷🏼‍♀️

I agree they are letting their anti-monarchy views influence them... but that is why it is not a wise choice. Why inflame a division that we all know is there already?

This country is riven with culture wars. The change of the monarch we could well have done without. The Queen was old and it was inevitable but we had a stability there that we have lost. We all need to tread carefully at this time - the monarchist, the republicans and the (majority) middle ground.

TwinGirlsOnTheWay · 15/09/2022 08:47

toomuchlaundry · 15/09/2022 08:18

@TwinGirlsOnTheWay are you suggesting that they write a letter to their grandma expressing sadness that their husband (the pupil’s grandad has died) as a writing exercise to learn how to write a letter of condolence. Getting them to imagine that scenario might upset a few people.

Easier to write to King Charles who they personally don’t know and aren’t emotionally involved with, to learn how to do a letter of condolence

I'm suggesting that they don't use this farcical event as an enforced monarchy worship.

toomuchlaundry · 15/09/2022 08:51

Doesn’t have to be worship though does it. OP can explain to their DC that sometimes you have to write a letter of condolence as part of your work etc, and this just an example of this.

Notanotherwindow · 15/09/2022 08:52

It's just an exercise in formal writing really isn't it?

Plus, practice on how to correctly send condolences, which many people have no idea how to do and to be sensitive to someone's loss. I wouldn't read too much into it tbh.

TwinGirlsOnTheWay · 15/09/2022 08:52

toomuchlaundry · 15/09/2022 08:51

Doesn’t have to be worship though does it. OP can explain to their DC that sometimes you have to write a letter of condolence as part of your work etc, and this just an example of this.

When? When do you ever have to write a letter of condolence as part of your work, unless it is to a staff member? In which case you'd be using more personal language anyway. Young children do not need to be involved in the idol worship of a bunch of rich people sitting in their gold leaf palaces while people starve. It's another way to try and force them to conform to this horrific national "grief" being pushed down our throats at every angle

PizzaFunghi · 15/09/2022 08:55

I think it's fine, because it is just a letter about the queen to express something to the royal family - the child doesn't have to grieve. They don't have to like the queen, and they don't have to feel sad or be told they should feel sad. They can learn that other people are grieving and it's nice to send condolences to people in that situation, and they can learn about a historical event and the fact that she's been queen for so long, what the role is and so on. They might well stay (or become) republican throughout all that. But it's still an important even in their lives, and it will be affecting people around them in all sorts of ways, so seems fine to learn about it in this fairly low key way.

People all around the world are writing condolences in books and online, and sending well wishes to those affected. It doesn't mean that everyone is actually grieving, nor even liked the concept of the royal family. It's just acknowledging the event, rather than forcing them to think any particular way about it. You can discuss why you don't like the idea of a royal family with your child, at the same time as helping them understand that others do like them, and some are actually sad about it so expressing condolences is kind.

You could ask for the letter not be sent or used as part of a book, however. I think it's fine as homework, as a writing exercise etc, but I do think that if a child feels strongly about not wanting to write (for real) to someone about whatever issue, then that could be respected by not actually sending the letter and just doing it for practice. But i suspect that once it's explained and they realise that they don't have to be grieving in any way to do it, then they might not mind sending that sort of letter. It might be more your issue with it.

Hellocatshome · 15/09/2022 08:55

Its just letter writing practice. The send a letter of condolence doesn't mean you necessarily hve to feel grief for the loss of the person just that you empathise with the person you are writing it to.

brookstar · 15/09/2022 08:56

I agree they are letting their anti-monarchy views influence them... but that is why it is not a wise choice. Why inflame a division that we all know is there already?

This country is riven with culture wars. The change of the monarch we could well have done without. The Queen was old and it was inevitable but we had a stability there that we have lost. We all need to tread carefully at this time - the monarchist, the republicans and the (majority) middle ground.

I don't see this as inflammatory.
This is a national and historical event. This will be part of the history curriculum in years to come. It would be remiss for schools not to acknowledge it in some way.

MintJulia · 15/09/2022 08:56

Writing a letter of condolence is a skill they will need at some time in their life. The current circumstance is the obvious time to learn it, without it being too personal to anyone. I don't see the issue.

Cognacsoft · 15/09/2022 08:59

TwinGirlsOnTheWay · 15/09/2022 08:52

When? When do you ever have to write a letter of condolence as part of your work, unless it is to a staff member? In which case you'd be using more personal language anyway. Young children do not need to be involved in the idol worship of a bunch of rich people sitting in their gold leaf palaces while people starve. It's another way to try and force them to conform to this horrific national "grief" being pushed down our throats at every angle

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@TwinGirlsOnTheWay you're verging on ridiculousness now.
If you've brought your dc up with the ability to think for themselves then you've nothing to worry about.

Hellocatshome · 15/09/2022 09:03

TwinGirlsOnTheWay · 15/09/2022 08:52

When? When do you ever have to write a letter of condolence as part of your work, unless it is to a staff member? In which case you'd be using more personal language anyway. Young children do not need to be involved in the idol worship of a bunch of rich people sitting in their gold leaf palaces while people starve. It's another way to try and force them to conform to this horrific national "grief" being pushed down our throats at every angle

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It might not necessarily be as part of your work. It might be writing a small message in a condolence card to anfriend or family member. These are primary school kids they are not expecting War and Peace. They are expecting them to learn how to set out a letter, how to write with empathy hopefully spell things correctly thats about it.

TwinGirlsOnTheWay · 15/09/2022 09:04

It might not necessarily be as part of your work. It might be writing a small message in a condolence card to anfriend or family member. These are primary school kids they are not expecting War and Peace. They are expecting them to learn how to set out a letter, how to write with empathy hopefully spell things correctly thats about it.

Which comes with friendship. They shouldn't be being taught that you have to be stuffy and uptight with their friends/family. You can teach empathy without enforcing this on them. I'd say it's rather the opposite of empathy to force them to take part in this pointless exercise.

Doyoumind · 15/09/2022 09:06

I remember doing a letter writing exercise in school and we all had to write to Jimmy Savile.

crowsfeet57 · 15/09/2022 09:21

They're not asking the children to prostrate themselves with grief. It's merely an exercise in letter writing using a topical subject. A letter of condolence is just to acknowledge that someone else will be feeling sad.

Whether you support the RF or think we should send them all to the guillotine ia immaterial; it's just asking the children to write an empathetic letter.

Cognacsoft · 15/09/2022 09:35

Doyoumind · 15/09/2022 09:06

I remember doing a letter writing exercise in school and we all had to write to Jimmy Savile.

Funny but not funny.

Doyoumind · 15/09/2022 09:38

Cognacsoft · 15/09/2022 09:35

Funny but not funny.

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Not sure if you think I made that up, but it's entirely true. We all wrote to Jim'll Fix It.

longestlurkerever · 15/09/2022 09:45

TwinGirlsOnTheWay · 15/09/2022 09:04

It might not necessarily be as part of your work. It might be writing a small message in a condolence card to anfriend or family member. These are primary school kids they are not expecting War and Peace. They are expecting them to learn how to set out a letter, how to write with empathy hopefully spell things correctly thats about it.

Which comes with friendship. They shouldn't be being taught that you have to be stuffy and uptight with their friends/family. You can teach empathy without enforcing this on them. I'd say it's rather the opposite of empathy to force them to take part in this pointless exercise.

Sometimes you write a formal letter of condolence when you don't know people very well. The empathy is in acknowledging it's a significant time for them and they are grieving. That could be on behalf of your work or in your personal life. If you think that is bollocks and stuffy then teach your kid that but personally I send my child to school to get a wider perspective than just my own.

Twizbe · 15/09/2022 09:49

@Doyoumind I wrote to Jim I'll Fix It. I think most children of the 80s did lol.

Anyway OP. Just do the letter.

It's writing practice and it's a good lesson in how to respond to someone who has had a bereavement.

At school you write all sorts of things. I'm sure I had to write a letter about D Day at primary school. It was a bit anniversary and we all had to do it.

I also had to write a letter to Oliver Cromwell (local history so we learnt all about it) I think we had to be in support of him... not sure.

School making DC wrote a letter of condolence for the Queen

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