to be upset with what my child is learning at school / WWYD?

[IteotYEARawki]

My older boy is 5 and in his 3rd term of school so far (year 1).

He has learned that Guy Fawkes was hung, drawn, quartered and then burned on a bonfire.

That hundreds of people had their heads chopped off with a guillotine.

And the latest - that Anne Franks hid from the SS behind a bookcase, that people were marched off to concentration camps and that thousands, including children, were killed by gassing. And that the children were told they were going to have a shower when they were taken to the gas chamber.

There has been a museum display on Anne Franks & her life in town which was advertised on the radio - DS1 overheard it and started telling us all that he'd learned about it at school. Apparently his teacher has visited a concentration camp and described it, including the rooms full of boxes of bones.

I don't deny that history needs to be taught and that the Holocaust is part of it. But this graphic detail, at 5?

We already had a chat with his teacher after the Guy Fawkes thing. I don't think I'm being precious in not wanting him exposed to this stuff so soon. It'll take about 3-4 months for him to process through it all and then we'll have inconsolable crying at night while the horror hits him.

AIBU? Should we talk to his teacher again, or chat with the principal?

My DD1 refuses to do history GCSE and part of the reason is that she doesn't want to do the Holocaust again. She watched The end of Ann Frank twice at primary and really hated it. She loathed the Black Death too!
She likes horrible history's and reads historical books. It's schools apparent need to study only the most depressing bits of history that upsets her.

sorry, forgot to add: not sure if chatting with teacher helps, as it's obviously part of the National Curriculum. you coudl ask for them to present it in a more age appropriate way IMO!

Her honouree God mother is Jewish which doesn't help.

My ds is 4 (year R) and he recently became very interested in WWII. He's got an Usborne book aimed at about junior school age and is fairly graphic. He's also very questioning.

He does know some details about the Holocaust, including that we lost family members in it. Not the whole horror of it, but basic details. He'd tell you that he's glad Hitler died at the end of the war because he couldn't kill anyone else.

However on Remembrance day he announced that during the 2 minute silence he was going to remember the people who died in the Luftwaffe because they had mummies and daddies and little children who were sad too.

I don't think they should be teaching 5 year-olds about the Holocaust. It's too traumatic a subject. I think children so young will either be frightened, or not be able to take in the full meaning. I know children enjoy reading Horrible Histories, but IMO it's not appropriate for them to be fascinated by the piles of bones and so on, any more than it is for them to be terrified and upset.

He happens to be an over sensitive child with bucket loads of empathy. I switch the news off in the car if he's with me.

Is that not giving the message that the world is a scary place, and by your actions you are making the problem worse.

What's the solution then? Do they ban under 7s from such school assemblies??

I'm really surprised by the reactions you are getting.

My youngest is 5 and they have done nothing at all like this at school. She wouldn't be able to understand it or get anything of any value from that sort of lesson - far too young.

At the moment they are making a giant advent calendar (learning about dates), making mini cardboard trees (learning some simple stuff about different types of trees), and learning how to write simple words. They are also reading a book about a rabbit and his various forest mates. Last week they made bread (they recently read a book about a mouse who farmed wheat and sold it to the baker).

And this is in France where schools tend not to be a barrel of laughs.

I would not be happy about what your child is doing at school at such a young age.

I wouldn't be happy about my 5 year old learning about the Holocaust. It's important to teach children about it obviously but not this young.

I think the OP is getting a rough ride here. Presumably the 3-4 months comment is based on her experience. And children often worry about something in secret and it is only revealed by a chance remark or connection.

Lots of children do not read Horrible Histories at 5, and certainly do not learn details about the Holocaust. When my children were at primary, they "did" Anne Frank's diary in the upper juniors, and then the focus was on the literary/diary/growing up side, and broad outlines of the story, not boxes of bones. There is an age limit on the Holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London - 12 or 14 I think. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a 12 certificate.

I also think that the class teacher should be being much more careful about the holocaust for all the reasons mentioned but also because these details will be new to many five-year-olds - and some may have relatives who were killed. Their families may wish to tell them this particular aspect of their family history gradually and in their own way. This is not the same as being fascinated by Henry cutting off wives' heads.

I also agree with those posters who say that five is too young to understand the holocaust anyway - so it is trivialised by the here is another interesting story from history approach.

OP, I would ask to see the scheme of work and curriculum details as I am also surprised that Guy Fawkes' death is covered in such detail. Some 5 year olds may thrive on this diet - but you have every right to be concerned that it is not right for your son.

I agree that the Holocaust is slightly different and as fluffytowels said it cant be applied with the same 'Horrible Histories' goriness that other events are. In my school WW2 is not taught until Year 6 for this reason.

When Osama Bin Laden was killed one of the kids in my class (Year 3) mentioned it and we got onto talking about 9/11. It happened a couple of years before they were born (yikes, where has that time gone?!) and I was a bit wary to go into too much detail because I didnt want kids going home telling their parents about it in case they thought it was inappropriate!. Some of them knew all about it in a very factual way, and some of them knew nothing about it. But I dont think any of them had any real concept of how horrific it was or the complexity of the issues surrounding it. One little girl said, 'I dont think they should have killed Osama Bin Laden, I think they should have had a chat with him about why we are not horrible to others and perhaps he could have said sorry and we could all get on'. Bless her.

I don't think you are being precious at all. FWIW I wouldn't be happy for my ds to learn about the Holocaust in Y1 either. I think there is still plenty of time for them to learn about it later when is more emotionally mature. What's the rush?!

This is shit teaching because it's just using sensationalism to get kids interested. Ask him why Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and I bet he doesn't even know, so what's the point?

I really wish history teaching in the UK would get beyond frikkin' Hitler. Other stuff did happen.

I am surprised by what they are being taught too beachcomber, but I just assume things have moved on since I went to school and at that age it was all drawing pictures, telling the time, doing simple sums and practicing learning to write.... all of which I could do, and found school very boring, I must admit, but the curriculum did not really cover anything at all until we moved up from infants to junior.

My dd was taught the exact same stuff last year in y1. I was a bit shocked at the gruesome detail but she was fine with it.

Posted a reply and lost it.

The 3 months thing comes from a while ago - he was 2-3, we were putting together a basic family tree and we talked about my mother who had died before he was born. We talked about her life, her death, and probably lots more. About 3 months later we had a week of inconsolable tears at bedtimes because he was thinking about Grandma, that he didn't want to die and that he didn't want us to die.

He will often bring something up a few months after first talking about it and question or talk in a way that implies he's been thinking about it on his own for a while.

They don't have school assemblies here so the only place he's learned it is in class.

How we reacted at home was to keep it factual and fairly basic.

And while I don't think he can for a moment grasp the full horror of it, I do think he's capable of understanding more than I would like him to.

Surprised so many people think iabu! However, reading and trying to see alternative points of view.

"He happens to be an over sensitive child with bucket loads of empathy. I switch the news off in the car if he's with me."

I agree. what the fuck is wrong with hiding scary stuff from our kids

or should we just get em all over, wack Hostel on and let them see how evil life can be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Squeeky, I expose him to bits of news at the pace (and items) I think he's comfortable with.

I like to have some control. He just isn't ready. My other DS is very analytical and "cool" and he deals with news and history much better.

Kids are so different!

This morning he wanted to know what fair trade is about, and that had him in tears about the unfairness of the world.

I have to take a slow pace with him. He would have sleepless nights if he were taught about the holocaust now.

problem is most of history is GRIM. I cannot think of one nice thing

witch burning, war, holocaust, another war

may poles????

Far too young imo.

I am surprised by the amount of people who think it is acceptable I have to say.

A couple of posts have mentioned the National Curriculum. I've just checked and there is absolutely no requirement to teach WWII at KS1. The closest thing is that children should be taught: 'past events from the history of Britain and the wider world' and 'the lives of significant men, women and children drawn from the history of Britain and the wider world'.

Even at KS2, schools don't have to do WWII in detail- they can choose to do so, or a broader look at changes since the 1930s.

So the school can change their planning if they wish and not cover this topic. I'd certainly have a word with the teacher.

It's schools apparent need to study only the most depressing bits of history that upsets her

As opposed to the fluffy bunny bits where we all joined hands and danced round the maypole? Surely the 'depressing bits' are the important bits Star?

OP, you only have his word for it that this level of detail came from the teacher. There may have been other DCs in the class who are perhaps inappropriately fixated on the gory details and who filled him in? I am surprised about that level of detail on the Holocaust, certainly.

YANBU, I am sure that I was about 8/9 when I learned about this at Primary school and learned about the Holocaust for GCSE.

Have just reread your OP.

I would be livid if somebody told my 5 year old about children being gassed in showers in the Holocaust.

I would be seeing the head teacher and be asking what the fuck was going on in the school and wondering what sort of person was having contact with my child that they felt the need to go on about violent death quite so much. Is the teacher a young person with no children by any chance? What on earth are they thinking?

And the educational benefit to 5 year olds of this is what exactly?

I was 13 when I learned about the Holocaust, it is very distressing and emotive and at 5 years old this subject is not appropriate for a little child.