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AIBU?

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Original poster

Would it bother you if school showed a movie with a rating above your child's age?

208 replies

Keremy · 10/01/2017 13:19

DC1 ended up in school in a mixed year group due to an event just before Christmas.

The children involved were year 8 to 10 so 12 to 15. The teacher was aware of the kids ages.

Dc1 had been asking to watch a film and as it was three years above their age range I refused. They have seen 12s at 11 and stuff so I'm not a total fuddy duddy but I think it is entirely dependent on the film.

Anyway dc came home saying they had watched this film and I have just checked with another parent and it is true.

OP posts:
Serin · 10/01/2017 14:05

DD was forced to sit through Jurassic Park aged 4 at school "as a treat". She asked to leave but since their were no TA's available to supervise she was made to stay. It was when she was sick through sheer terror that we were called to collect her. She started to wet the bed afterwards and was v anxious for weeks as well. DS's wouldn't have flinched.

What suits one child doesn't suit another.

Serialweightwatcher · 10/01/2017 14:05

I'd need to know which film also - what I usually do (did actually because mine tend to watch anything now, without my knowledge usually) is to look on Internet Movie Database and look at the parental notes part where it tells you how many swear words (if any), nudity, violence etc ... I just get "oh mum" every time but it did depend on what I call unsuitable as to whether they got to watch it.

Don't think it's right for a school to do that though, as I know some parents would be unhappy if their child watched an older certificate without their consent

Original poster
Keremy · 10/01/2017 14:06

Sorry film was Bad Santa. I haven't seen it in fairness but usually unless it has education value I make them wait as the age range is for a reason.

OP posts:
Pseudonym99 · 10/01/2017 14:06

Wouldn't bother me.

museumum · 10/01/2017 14:06

It depends on the reason for the showing of the film. If it was for entertainment only then yes it would bother me but if it was e.g. schindler's list for education then i'd be ok with it.
we watched 'the accused' in RE in something like fifth or sixth year. it was horrific but was very valuable at that age in terms of discussions of consent and alcohol etc.

Original poster
Keremy · 10/01/2017 14:06

And purely fun.

OP posts:
museumum · 10/01/2017 14:08

x-posts, bad santa just for laughs. no i wouldn't be happy. but given what you've said in the post above i'd have sympathy for the teacher who planned to have only the older kids and ended up with them all at short notice. i'd maybe mention my displeasure but not make a big deal of it.

pishedoff · 10/01/2017 14:08

I was surprised that DS1 school shows films rated as a 12 to the year 7's, bearing in mind a lot could still be 11. It doesn't bother me - hes now 13 and I allow 15's- but I would have thought it wouldn't be allowed!

TeenAndTween · 10/01/2017 14:09

What film it was is irrelevant.
The OP's child, and some of the others are age 12 .
The film had a 15 rating.
No way should the school be screening a 15 to 12 year olds without prior permission.

It should be against the school's own rules anyway.
the teacher screwed up. probably had planned to show to the 14/15yos and then didn't 'click' when younger children were present too.

ptangyangkipperbanguuh · 10/01/2017 14:09

It bothers the BBFC more what parents do in terms of their choices. So , lots of parents take 13 and 14 children to 15s, or let them watch them at home. The BBFC carefully considers ratings and publishes guidelines. How many of you getting yourselves worked up by a supervised film showing allow your children to play Call of Duty etc. Studies show that parents allow their children access to huge amounts of 18 material at home, unsupervised. This bothers me way more. Also note that the BBFC says the children could be a 'year or so different' at school. The BBFC, btw, would not say 'it depends on the film'. The ratings are the ratings! I visit them once a year for a seminar so first hand info here. Their business is child protection. As a teacher, I probably would not show a 15 'for fun' but would show Macbeth to a year 10 class, where many might still be 14. This is OK under their guidelines.

Serialweightwatcher · 10/01/2017 14:09

Oh heck - just looked up original one and Bad Santa 2 on IMDB and it's a bit Shock .... go into them and it says parents content advisory (or similar) half way down page eeek

RoseGoldHippie · 10/01/2017 14:10

I cannot believe Bad Santa is a 15!! My mum took me and my friend too see it at the cinema and made us leave half way through! Cannot also believe why they would show that at school! I'm quite lax about stuff like that but that film is totally inappropriate!

ptangyangkipperbanguuh · 10/01/2017 14:10

ps wouldn't show Bad Santa. It is not appropriate and - also - it's shit.

Floggingmolly · 10/01/2017 14:12

God yes, that does sound shit Hmm

steff13 · 10/01/2017 14:12

I've never seen it, so I'm not sure if it was appropriate. It does seem an odd choice, though, considering there are literally hundreds of Christmas movies that would have been acceptable.

gillybeanz · 10/01/2017 14:13

I think they were wrong and no way does it depend on the film it's the rating.
OK, a parent may have the opinion themselves that it depends on the film and they are entitled to parent as they seem fit, the same as those parents who don't allow underage films.
The teacher shouldn't have shown the film as it was the wrong rating for some of them.

GruochMacAlpin · 10/01/2017 14:13

I don't think it's up to the school to make that decision. If it was a group of kids 12-15 they could have found an appropriate 12 film to watch.

I have allowed my primary aged DC to watch some 12s but those are carefully chosen by us and there are several 12s we won't allow them to watch.

15s these days are not like 15s when I was a teenager. Deadpool for example was hysterical but I absolutely wouldn't think it was suitable for a 12 yo.

Areyoufree · 10/01/2017 14:13

Oh. Was about to say you were overreacting, but Bad Santa? Really? That's pretty inappropriate. I think I would be a bit disgruntled too.

Tinklebinkle · 10/01/2017 14:14

Oh this has happened to my dd and it was a flippin nightmare. DD has autism and gets really hung up about stuff like age certification and is totally over sensitive to anything remotely inappropriate. It caused her masses of distress and was not necessary; I agree with serin what is right for one is not always right for another. Bad santa? WTF?? I would be really Confused at that one. Not a sensible choice at all and I would be unhappy about that.

GruochMacAlpin · 10/01/2017 14:16

ptang my kids don't play age inappropriate games nor do they have unsupervised internet access either.

bloodyteenagers · 10/01/2017 14:18

I run a film club. I do actually have to get parental consent at the beginning. Without this I cannot let the 12 year olds watch a 15. Because the films aren't shown as part of educational reasons, I also had to obtain a license and a part of these conditions requires consent.
So no it doesn't matter what film was shown. It doesn't matter what you do at home because you are making that decision

Jaxhog · 10/01/2017 14:20

Not acceptable for the school to show the film without your permission or at least informing you of their intent. I would complain.

Hardyloveit · 10/01/2017 14:22

Bad Santa is completely inappropriate ! Its 15 cert for a reason and even then I don't think I would be comfortable with it being shown whilst at school...... No educational purposes to that film at all!

There are thousands of movies to choose from..... Lots being Christmas ones so not sure why they chose that?!

HecateAntaia · 10/01/2017 14:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Somerville · 10/01/2017 14:25

As a teacher, I probably would not show a 15 'for fun' but would show Macbeth to a year 10 class, where many might still be 14. This is OK under their guidelines.

After checking with parents?

See, my yr 10 daughter's English teacher asked permission to show them this last term (so when most of the class was still 14). I replied to ask more details - I wanted to know if it was the Polanski (ugh) or Kurzel version and to re-aquaint myself with the former and watch the latter as DD1 can't cope with violent death scenes and they can trigger a panic attack.

In the end, enough parents declined that they decided to instead show scenes from the Polanski version, but not including the most graphically violent scenes or the sex scenes, which DD and I were happy with.