To object to childrens paintings of Hitler being displayed in school?

[coribells]

My DS is in year 6 . He will be studying WW 11 this year in History. Obviously a big part of that will be learning about the Nazis and Hitler.
Over the past couple of years ive noticed childrens work displayed in the entrance hall, and in the assembly hall. These have included quite a number of childrens paintings of Hitler and descriptions of his early life etc. My stomach turns whenever I see these displays, it almost looks like he is being glorified in some way.
I am of german descent and my kids father is Jewish. Am I being over sensitive. ? would be unreasonable to talk the teacher is about the manor in which they display pictures of Hitler?

OP why don't you go and discuss it with the teachers and tell them how you feel you don't have to complain but just tell them why you found it offensive,

WHy are people suggesting complaints to the LA? I don't think I see a problem with it, but even if you do, surely you speak to the school not go straight off to the LA? WHy would you do that?

Totally disagree raspberry. It trivialises its use.

Well for a start Hitlers reign is within living memory, so IMO is not like Henry VII or any other tyrant.
I understand the need to link different parts of the curriculm. I think I will talk to his teacher and (phase leader) to see what is trying to be acheive. Im not going to complain just yet. .

Was it the OP who suggested going straight to the LA? I thought it was another poster. Always best to speak to the school or teacher first.

Maybe the exercise was about propaganda learning how the children in Nazi Germany were taught.

I understand the need to link different parts of the curriculm. I think I will talk to his teacher and (phase leader) to see what is trying to be acheive. Im not going to complain just yet

I think this is a good idea if you are uncmfy about something then you are uncomfortable maybe the school will help you understand how they do the topic,

Maybe the exercise was about propaganda learning how the children in Nazi Germany were taught.

this

I don't understand why people think it is inappropriate. it isn't saying Hitler was right, it is learning about who he was and what he did.

Exactly!

I would certainly find it odd, jarring, and would want further information. Talk to the teachers about it.

Personally, I think he gets enough space and there should be more on the rest of the Nazi party, the society where he got democratically elected in and knew quite well what was going on and used it to their advantage. WWII isn't a war of one evil man, and the idea that it is only halts the reality that an entire society was able to be turned towards hate and that those people were basically just like us. To be vigilant against it is to realise there was nothing special about him or them and much as we say "never again" or "The day we forget is the day it happens again" it has already happened again, repeatedly, and is happening now.

he is a historical figure of great importance and should be taught & displayed. many people died defending our country against Hitler & his crazy reign, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about it despite the controversy.
sorry but I think you are being unreasonable.

By doing the same thing? I see. I would be very interested to see how this school handles other forms of prejudice then. Racist posters perhaps?

I don't why the fact it is within living memory for some should mean it isn't studied? Infact in a way it makes it much more important as we are now at a stage where it is in living memory for very few people and as such we need to make sure young people are fully aware

Is anybody saying it shouldn't be studied? I haven't read that.

I think asking the teacher why it was done is fair enough. It is a bit odd. Why not paint a range of WWII subjects/people, including Hitler? That would make it more obviously a schoolkids' montage and less a direct echo of propagandist display.

I'd bet MissAnnersley is right and the teacher just doesn't have a clue about the practice they are echoing.

Complaining to the LA would result in action. Complaining to the school would result in nothing them justifying it.

Yes miss some subjects in high school do cover racisim and civil rights and yes sometimes they display propaganda pictures and leaflets 1 of my daugherts history teacher has a blacks at the back of the bus sign ,

Just sounds a bit I'll thought out to me. I worked with an inexperienced slightly crazed History teacher once who thought it would be a good idea to get Yr 7 to make anti semitic posters for display as a way of exploring how the Holocaust occurred. We managed to convince him this was inappropriate.

ill thought out

Sorry raspberry - I don't think the school are doing exactlythe 'same thing'.

I think they are either trivialising the use of his image in the brainwashing of people within the Nazi regime. I think they misunderstand or are ignorant of its use today in far right groups.

Madbuslady - nothing has suggested that's not what the children have been doing. I very much doubt they were instructed to paint hitler but there are many tasks that could involve visual representations of him.

I think people are very much over thinking this and almost wanting to hide from the parts of history they don't like. History teaching needs to be varied and not just 'text book' learning for children to engage and understand

I remember us all doing pictures of Henry the 8th when I was in year 6, they were in the school hall for about 5 years! It's only the same really!