AIBU to let my son skip this at school?

[Redcliff]

My DS is 10 and has been doing WW2 at school. Tomorrow the class are watching "boy in the striped pyjamas". We had to sign a consent slip last week and were happy to do so. Tonight he has been in tears saying he doesn't want to see it.

My DP has made some good points about how important a film it is but I hate to think of him so upset. AIBU to tell his teacher that he can sit it out?

Leaving aside the rights and wrongs of when children should learn about the holocaust, I am stunned that this book and film should be recommended by schools. Education has really changed in the last 50 years if this is the standard of literature they recommend. It is dire. What happened to reading classics at that age? At 10 or 11 I was reading this like Little Women, Jane Eyre, Ivanhoe, The Once and Future King and of course Anne Frank. TBITSP is setting the bar pretty low.

The Once and Future King is AMAZING! I've still got a copy somewhere - must dig it out.

We read the Silver Sword at school when 10/11. A much much better book.

We read the Silver Sword at school when 10/11. A much much better book

I read that (not as a school text) - agreed that is a really well written book

I found Goodnight Mr Tom really sad as a 10(ish) year old, read it all in one go when I was jet lagged after getting back from Florida one time and was really affected by it! More so by the mother and the belt stuff.

The boy in the striped pyjamas is not a children's book. The author says this in the inside front cover. It says

"If you do start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy called Bruno. (Though this isn't a book for nine-year-olds)".

I don't think children should be reading this at primary school or watching the film. Some probably would be all right with it but for the full impact to be there, I think they need to be older.

Not sure what I would do if DD (in year 6) were told they were watching it, but I think I would challenge it.

I want to take DS and DD to the Holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. But not yet as they're too young (13 and 11). It isn't recommended for children under 14 and as it's not somewhere we would go often, I want the experience to be worthwhile.

YANBU. If he's upset about the prospect of seeing it I think it's important to say no to the school. He's giving a clear indication he's not ready to see such a harrowing film.

I didn't learn about the holocaust until i was 15.

Why is he upset already? Much of the film requires you to see the inferences and none of the scenes are graphic or going to upset him!

Izzy, year six is no way too young to learn about the holocaust. It is a subject that needs more discussion not less.

Clearly there are those who still prefer to have their heads in the sand over this. As for those who feel that the story lacks authenticity, ought to read some survivor stories there is a LOT that is unbelievable.

Shocked that someone had not heard of the Holocaust until 15 years of age.

When Hitler stole pink rabbit is pointless as Judith Kerr points out that she didn't feel the affects of the regime, only her father did.

OopsDearyMe but it isn't a good book and it isn't a good film. It isn't about authenticity for me it is about quality. As HappyFlappy says The Once and Future King is amazing, that is the sort of book they should be reading, it is exciting and well written. Why encourage them to read dross?

OopsDearyMe, if you want a good authentic book then go for Anne Frank, in a totally different league.

OopsDearyMe "Why is he upset already? Much of the film requires you to see the inferences and none of the scenes are graphic or going to upset him!"

How could you possibly know what is going to upset the OP's son?

"Clearly there are those who still prefer to have their heads in the sand over this. "

Who has their head in the sand? Maybe children should learn that concentration camps exist in North Korea! I've seen a particularly harrowing film about that. Should young children see that and if not is that head in the sand time?

Loads of shit things have happened, yes, of course children should learn about them. But I don't see why one film or one book should be held up as the way to teach it.

But again Anne Frank does not make you think, at least the boy in the striped pyjamers, makes you think and ask questions. Yes there may be more suitable literature, anything that has children considering the moral implications is all good with me.
I loved the film, didn't read the book.

It would be bettered still if they watched a documentary rather than any dramatic creation.

As for those dragging out the same old diatribes about other genocides.... Does the fact that there have been others suddenly mean we should ignore the one where a great many of our own not to distant families were involved. Its so very petty, how can anyone be bothered that one atrocity is getting more attention than another! Its not a bloody contest ffs.

The point is that hear in the UK, we were not directly affected by the genocides elsewhere. These happened in differing circumstances and with different affects. We have NOT had a situation in which the holocaust as it did has happened again and that is the whole point of discussing it.

Sorry I thought we were discussing whether a year 6 old ought to watch a film he may be upset by, not doing a film or literature critique nor looking at how WW2 should or should not be taught...

Its funny that a parent who is happy for a child to watch Marvel films, full of violence is concerned about this film!

"As for those dragging out the same old diatribes about other genocides.... Does the fact that there have been others suddenly mean we should ignore the one where a great many of our own not to distant families were involved. Its so very petty, how can anyone be bothered that one atrocity is getting more attention than another! Its not a bloody contest ffs"

The reason I and others MENTIONED other genocides was in response to others who had posted as if this was the ONLY genocide.

Their and your post is ignorant, arrogant and frankly dangerous!

Of course Anne Frank makes you think.

Anne Frank Trust and its valuable work.

"The point is that hear in the UK, we were not directly affected by the genocides elsewhere. These happened in differing circumstances and with different affects. We have NOT had a situation in which the holocaust as it did has happened again and that is the whole point of discussing it"

And THAT is bordering on imperialist racism - the very attitude which leads to genicide in the first bloody place!!

Refugees from the all over the world including

Rwanda
The Balkans
Former communist countries (eg Ukraine, Chechnya)
Bangladesh
Cambodia

Have been coming to the U.K. for many years for sanctuary.

And our actions on the international arena are not without blame either. So we ARE directly affected and HAVE a direct effect which is WHY it is so important this is taught PROPERLY!

The language in 'the boy...' is so simplistic that actually, a kid of about Bruno's age (who the author explicitly says is too young for the book ffs) can read it without really being made to think.

What it made me think was, wtf, emotionally manipulative book which seemed to be trying to make me empathise with the sodding commandant, it wasn't really about the Jews at all.

So NO we shouldn't ONLY discuss the world as it 'directly' affects us because the world doesn't bloody work that way! And educating our children as to that fact is far more likely to reduce chances of such atrocities in the future than merely teaching them (as we - uk - are so often guilty of doing!) that the Brits are fab and only the rest of the world would ever do such atrocious things!

Eg Americans and Brits used concentration camps way before the nazis were even heard of!

I hated the book haven't seen the film.

The whole premise is ridiculous and frankly offensive in its portrayal of the holocaust IMO. The idea that a young boy with a Nazi official father would be mispronouncing Fuhrer! It's inaccuracy is terrible, not an educational book, and I don't think it should be shown/read in school because of that.

Anne Frank's diary is a great place to start for real information.

Of course Anne Frank makes you think

Agree Miranda. The diary itself raises may questions and is deeply moving. (However, I think that the film is sentimentalised and glosses over the truth of the Frank family and the sheer terror they felt and the courage of the people who tried to save them.

The whole premise is ridiculous and frankly offensive in its portrayal of the holocaust IMO

THIS ^^^