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?

Questioning is fine, but if they stand by their decision I think it's fine. Is the Twilight series really appropriate for that age anyway? Haven't read them in a long time, and only skimmed when I did. :)

I suppose I'm projecting though, because a 12 year old's mother once yelled at me for not letting him "share his movie" on Bring A DVD Day. So sorry I'm not going to let 6-12 year olds watch the Family Guy: The Complete Season 1.

In my ideal world there would be no such thing as a faith school. Let parents do the 'faith' thing in the privacy of their own homes and churches.

Still a shame malinois that there's no option for you. I drive my daughter a couple of miles despite there being a school one street away, but 15 miles is too much.

"Is the Twilight series really appropriate for that age anyway? "

It wasn't being banned because of age appropriateness, it was because it was "unchristian", that well known get-out-of-jail-free card.

I know, I was just saying if that came up. (That it's not appropriate, I mean.)

In my ideal world...well, I guess I'm in it. Our state schools are secular and you have the (very expensive) faith school option.

Good thing my DD doesn't go to a faith school - she's currently taking in The Magic of Reality

"Is the Twilight series really appropriate for that age anyway? "

It's the only thing I envy the US of in regard to religion. It's fab how more and more of the young people over there are expressing violations of the constitution

www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/RI-atheist-16-thrilled-with-prayer-banner-order-2489876.php

www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/May/Seniors-Hold-Prayer-Despite-Atheists-Threats/

Unfortunately both were subjected to some horrible treatment

Sorry Cheerful, used wrong quote, should have been: "Our state schools are secular and you have the (very expensive) faith school option."

YABU if you think this sort of behavour is in any way out of order.

I'm afraid that's the trade off if you send your children to schools which are underpinned by a religious ethos. You can't expect them to be either reasonable or rational in their world view. To expect them to is to be naive in the extreme, surely?

Rational - but I don't envy them living in a place where they'd use the phrase 'Openly atheist graduate' - WTF?

(sorry, I digress from the topic. Can't comment on Twilight as DD thinks its rubbish)

In my ideal world there would be no such thing as a faith school. Let parents do the 'faith' thing in the privacy of their own homes and churches

But this is a free country (hence nutters being allowed to preach hate in the name of religion outside mosques).

DS1 is named after a vampire I wonder if he would be banned from school

The school hasn't taught her to be unreasonable or irrational in any way Perri.

And I'm not naive. Extreme or otherwise.

"but I don't envy them living in a place where they'd use the phrase 'Openly atheist graduate' - WTF?"

I know, lol, in a gallup poll in the US they'd rather a muslim, gay, female, black, jewish or mormon president than an atheist one. Nearly half of Americans said they'd vote against an atheist candidate.

See Cheerful, that's why I think you're a bit bonkers

Sorry OP, hijacked your thread.

I love a bit of hijacking, so long as no violence is involved

I'd like to know a bit more about Cheerfuls weird and crazy book list

I would certainly vote for an atheist if I thought she or he was right for the office.

I agree with the first link but not with the second. I feel that religion does not have a place in state schools so I don't support the banner being hung, but I think people as individuals have the right to pray, or not, as they choose.

I don't have a weird and crazy book list, sorry! :o

Agent Zigzag - You may not have wasted the teacher's time, but when he or she gets a parade of complaining parents to deal with, that will be a massive waste of his or her time. And what is it about being a teacher that makes the population at large think they can have 'opinions' that in any other field would be termed 'judgement' ? The teacher has made a professional decision (perhaps not all together honestly I give you, as the 'unchristian' message is a little feeble). But nevertheless you should model respect to your child by accepting it. And I am not even going to rise to your comments about my teaching. Wind in your neck. You know nothing about me.

When I was a kid, I was allowed to read anything I liked at all, because my parents were pleased I was reading. They were strict about other things, but if I wanted to read it, at any age, then I could. I think the school is being utterly ludicrous and should be ashamed of themselves for being so narrow minded and idiotic.

I'd prefer you not to tell me to wind my neck in thank you delphine.

I don't owe teachers the obedience you seem to feel you're owed, and I'll repeat that I can have any opinion I want about how and what my children are taught.

Furthermore, I can choose whether I'd like to share that opinion with my daughters teacher or not.

You seem to think teachers are the be all and end all, their word is law.

Not to me they're not.

It happens that I've never had reason to complain about any of the teachers at my DDs school, but the way you're coming across in your posts reminds me of the teachers I had to deal with when I was at school.

And there lies the origins of my lack of respect for the ones who think they're some kind of moral baseline.

I'm disappointed Cheerful

I was pretty much the same Polly, my dad's a total book freak and used to (still does) buy me books he thought I'd like from charity shops, so he's really broadened the subjects I read to things I'd never even consider buying for myself.

Although I did read a bit in a book from his bookshelf when I was quite young (that I knew I shouldn't have), about someone getting buried alive as a punishment. That gave me nightmares for a while, so I know there's a line that has to be drawn somewhere regarding freaking children out.

I was reading Stephen King from a very young age, but I wasn't supposed to. :o 'Salem's Lot terrified the shit out of me!

I just couldn't remember much about the Twilight books. But iirc they're not too graphic and on second thought I'd probably let a mature 11 year old read them...with heavy discussion on not letting your boyfriend stalk you type topics.

I don't think the Twilight books are "unChristian" and I certainly think you're within your rights to calmly ask the teacher about it...however, I also think that if they stick with "we don't feel it's appropriate", that's their right.

I was into Stephen King and James Herbert (who someone mentioned earlier) Misery was the one that shit me up the most, when I was in my 20's

It's that psychological isolation isn't it? Annie just gets into you head

I can't see them changing their minds tbh, DD was embarrassed when they said it to her and wouldn't thank me going steaming in, she can just as easily take one of her other thousand billion books in (of which only a billion of them are actually on her bookshelf )

Did you ever read SK's short story The Boogeyman? I almost peed my bed at age 14 because I wouldn't walk past my closet to go to the bathroom.

And y y to Misery...

I agree with Zigzag, teachers are not infallible, if they did something I disapproved of or just wanted to discuss damn right I'd be making an appointment to discuss it and sort it out. I'm not the type to put up and shut up and respect their decision just because they're teachers, are they not paid to provide a service to the community?

When my eldest daughter was in high school she was humiliated in her RE class because she told the teacher she didn't have a bible to do the homework he'd provided. He was outraged she didn't have one. He heard from me!

Rational, a few postings ago you said you didn't want to have to tell your kids to question their teachers; now you say (much more in keeping with your name) that teachers are not infallible. Quite so.

I still don't see why there's any INDOCTRINATION in faith schools. Faith schools offer a point of view but people can reject it, both then and later. People grow up and they leave school and they make up their own minds. I can't see why this is any worse than the silt of rubbish which comes with just about all subject teaching. Later in life you sort through it and decide. Or paradigms shift and invalidate some of it.

Personally, I like to see my kids being made to notice the failings of authority.

I think what I actually said was I wanted my kids to trust their teacher was teaching them the truth, I didn't want to have to tell her that as far as maths and English go it's fine, trust her, but if she starts talking about god or anything related as truth then that's highly debatable.

If you're going to quote mine my posts can you not misrepresent me?