Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Teachers comment about 'concentration camp' (secondary school)

275 replies

JacobsAngel · 19/01/2018 23:34

A teacher at my child's school, known for their passive aggressive attitude (and boring lessons-relevant) made a comment to the class and said " you're not in a concentration camp" aibu to think this is inappropriate?

Apparently the class were unenthusiastic and unresponsive (and probably bored) to the way the lesson was being delivered so the teacher tried to, well not quite sure what they were trying to get the class to do by saying what they did as all they got back were confused looks and whispers.

My child wasn't the only one to say, after the class had dispersed, they felt it an inappropriate comment.

Ironically the class have been studying the Holocaust in a different subject class so are well aware of what a concentration camp was, hence the startled looks from some of the children and hushed comments.

Should something be said to the school or view it as a faux pas by a teacher who really should engage their brain before they open their mouth?

OP posts:
Heartoffire · 22/01/2018 13:51

I want to know these teenagers who have ‘startled looks and hushed comments’

Sounds very Enid Blygton to me.

Falmer · 22/01/2018 13:56

Thanks for advertising my thread Sosten Smile

WitchesHatRim · 22/01/2018 14:20

I want to know these teenagers who have ‘startled looks and hushed comments’

Me too

Sostenueto · 22/01/2018 16:28

That's OK Falmer it was meant to be funny sorry! Or rather irony which apparently I'm no good at.Grin

Falmer · 22/01/2018 16:43

Just want to say thankyou to the posters who have pm'd me.

MaisyPops · 22/01/2018 17:59

This thread is yet another example of teachers closing ranks, unable to accept this teacher's comment as offensive, brushing it under the carpet, making light of it as in the staff room will have a good laugh and dc could have discussed it with teacher him/herself, etc. Why shouldn't dc tell op? Well done to dc, i say
If the OP wishes to chat to the teacher then thry obviously can do.

However, the entire tone of the posts sounds like a child who knows if thru have a whine at home, home will kick off and complain.
It's interesting that the OP isn't bothered that whatever was said was said off the back of lazy students not working.
It's also interesting that she opens by slating the teacher and deciding the lessons are boring.
Everything about their post smacks of ^my child isn't working that hard so i'll blame thr teacher for being boring and start keeping a bank of complaints ready for whwn my DC doesn't do well in that subject'.

Massive difference between:

  1. I think a comment was misjudged. Is it worth talking to the teacher?
And
  1. Eugh teacher's lessons are soo boring and this is relevant because clearly studenys were paying no attending but it's the teacher's fault. And they mad an awful comment and i'm fuming.

Post 1 would be reasonable.
Post 2 is the type of parent who thinks no child ever gives a partial story & who is ready to complain over anything based on 'but my DC said...'

Sostenueto · 22/01/2018 18:22

I'm not a teacher and think the whole op post inane.

DivisionBelle · 22/01/2018 19:19

Falmer: thank you. But, well, in terms of Freedom, would you say that our freedom is constrained in tne sane way as that of Jewish people under the Nazis? Or ...was that a ‘flippant ‘ comment? I was talking about the serious, genocidal, massacring, holocaust level of lack of freedom for people worked, starved and gassed to death in concentration camps. In response, you say to me you are not so sure we live in a free country....

Which seems very inconsistent.

Anyway, I am not sure it is actually flippant for the teacher to have Daud this. Some of those kids will have had great grandparents who lost their lives fighting Nazi Germany in order for them to enjoy a country in which we (still, just) have a free welfare state and free education. Some may have great grandparents who perished and others who escaped in order to get them to this country. And they bloody Well ought to appreciate that and stop wasting time and opportunity in lessons.

If the teacher had said ‘you look AS IF you are in a concentration canp’ then that would have been a flippant come t which belittled the death and misery . But the teacher didn’t say that.

I still don’t understand it as offensive.

DivisionBelle · 22/01/2018 19:19

(I’m not a teacher)

coconuttella · 22/01/2018 20:26

Falmer

Firstly I am not a teacher.

Your view appears to be that concentration camps allude to the Holocaust. The Holocaust was an utterly appalling event (which it was). Therefore any reference to a concentration camp which doesn’t gravely consider its horrors is offensive to the memory of those who perished or suffered...

However, by seeking to censor what is acceptable speech in this way you are effectively placing the kind of extensive restrictions on the freedom of speech that are the hallmarks of totalitarian regimes, such as the Nazis.... the irony!

If you make this unacceptable then surely you must apply the same rules to all less than serious references to any event that involved great suffering at some point in the past..... This was the inspiration for my “Wind the Bobbin Up” thread which opened with me arguing that it’s offensive and shouldn’t be sung. Predictably and rightly my argument was universally ridiculed (a rare feat for MN!

To do otherwise would effectively be to play “top trumps” with suffering.... (concentration camps... really, really, really bad so let’s make reference to that unacceptable. Lancashire cotton mills only really, really bad so that’s ok). That’s surely distasteful.

coconuttella · 22/01/2018 20:38

PS. And it followed that virtually every nursery rhyme and fairy story referenced significant suffering.... By their nature, nursery rhymes and fairt stories trivialise these events as they are woven into the song or story (eg ring a ring a roses = the plague) thus arguably being offensive to the memory of those who in the past suffered in that way.

Unless you play atrocity top trumps, which is surely distasteful, you pretty much have to ban them all, and you end up with everyone speaking in the hushed tones with knowing glances (like the pupils referenced by the OP) as we tiptoe around trying not to offend this or that memory by some casual comment.

Campaign for that kind of society if you must, but myself and millions of others will fight to prevent you!

Falmer · 22/01/2018 21:09

Blah, blah, blah. Considering some of you are teachers, you're a bit thick aren't you? You still don't get it! For this particular issue it doesn't matter what the kids were doing even if they were flying through the air or that there was another thread about rhymes! That's not what this thread is about. The kids have more sense and moral values than you lot. If you had one brain cell between you would see we should be praising these kids. I'm pleased and thankful for that they recognised the comment was wrong and went quiet. You should all be ashamed of yourselves and thankful for these decent kids, bet their parents are proud.

Deadlylampshade · 22/01/2018 21:14

Have a Biscuit Falmer

MaisyPops · 22/01/2018 21:19

Blah, blah, blah. Considering some of you are teachers, you're a bit thick aren't you?
I love it when posters resort to insulting people. Grin

As I have said multiple times on this thread, if the OP wishes to discuss the comment with the teacher then she is more than welcome to do it. (But as others have said they make comments about 'it's only an essay. It won't kill you' / 'the way you're acting over homework you'd think i was torturing you'. Reminding students who are being lazy or whining tha they are not in a concentration camp / there are children risking their lives on boats for the opportunities they've got / children taking a stand and risking death to have an education is perfectly fair in my opinion. Maybe it would makr them realise that whining because the lessons aren't as entertaining as they' like just shows themselves up)

However, she is not reasonable to start her post suggesting the teacher is crap and her lessons are boring as i'm not sure what thay has to do with their issue. Their entire tone is more about 'my DC have said their teacher is boring and then when the teacher was pulling them up on probably a shocking attitude suddenly all the studenys were exceptionally offended and now i want to kick off'.

Lets not br silly about this, the OP (& their child) quite clearly have an issue with the teacher and are more interested in sticking the boot in than having a sensible discussion about a comment.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 22/01/2018 21:23

Yes, the irony of Falmer describing other posters as “a bit thick” is a bit much.

coconuttella · 22/01/2018 21:37

Falmer

Before you hector those wh disagree with you by saying Considering some of you are teachers, you're a bit thick aren't you? You still don't get it! perhaps you could actually respond to the points in the posts that disagree with you...

Otherwise you just come across as some kind of daft ostrich who sticks their head in the sand and refuses to engage with the issues and bleating some mantra about “Holocaust - offensive, teachers - stupid, pupils - right” without actually stinging together an argument.

Falmer · 22/01/2018 21:47

Never mentioned holocaust, see what I mean? Bit thick.

coconuttella · 22/01/2018 23:07

?? So what exactly are you offended by.... Reference to Boer War concentration camps? Of course your offence stems from the fact that you’re treating the reference to concentration camps akin to a reference to the Holocaust. Yes, if you insist on being literal, I accept you never appear to mentioned that word but it’s disingenous for you to argue you weren’t referring to it.

Cauliflowersqueeze · 22/01/2018 23:11

It’s one of those momentary knitted eyebrow moments but really not enough to Canvas Opinion on Potentially Inappropriateness.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 22/01/2018 23:32

Blah, blah, blah. Considering some of you are teachers, you're a bit thick aren't you?

Resorting to insults now. Nice.

Ironic really.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 22/01/2018 23:34

Just want to say thankyou to the posters who have pm'd me.

Righto. Hmm

Falmer · 22/01/2018 23:45

Still haven't got it? Never mind, sleep on it.

Mummyoflittledragon · 23/01/2018 05:54

Falmer
It sounds as though you a very angry person. Was there no way you could put your point across without insulting anyone?

MaisyPops · 23/01/2018 06:14

mummy
It's because they have no point other than teacher = nasty

They've still not bothered to respond to my explanation about how there is a difference between:

  1. I think this was a poorly judged comment. Should I call the teacher for a chat?
And
  1. This teacher can't teach and their lessons are boring probably because my DC has been bitching and we both agree their effort and attitude is dependent on if they like the teacher and are entertained. And now I am furious about some comment which may/may not be offensive but really I'm just itchinh to stick the boot in because then when my child underperforms in that subject we can claik it is because of tje teacher being rubbish, not the fact that my child and the group have not been bothered to work. I'm so angry. Join me in whipping up my own anger. Come on Mumsnet, i know there's a core group of anti school, have a pop at teachers who must come along to tell.me i'm right
coconuttella · 23/01/2018 06:49

I have a feeling that if the pupils were misbehaving in the corridor or canteen and the janitor or dinner lady made the comment, replies would be different? Think about that teachers.

It really wouldn’t.... the comment wasn’t offensive, end of! And to re-iterate, I’m not a teacher.

Swipe left for the next trending thread