Teachers comment about 'concentration camp' (secondary school)

[JacobsAngel]

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?

[NovemberWitch]

Can we insert a HIGNFY ‘allegedly’ there please? Because usually the only account is that of the DC which is taken as Gospel and unquestioningly accurate by the parent.

[Justmuddlingalong]

startled looks and hushed comments Is the school Hogwarts?

[JacobsAngel]

Lyrapotter ( sorry new to posting so cant do tagging etc lol) I said the person who mentioned the children being spoilt etc was wrong about them being spoilt (definitely no charmed lives either) I wasn't saying I was going to complain either, canvasing views really.

DuckAndPancakes definatley 'un-concentration' lol

[LockedOutOfMN]

Non issue.

However, the Daily Mail is always available if you and your DC have sufficiently effective sad face skills.

[JacobsAngel]

Justmuddlingalong funnily enough in a way yes lol

[thecatfromjapan]

It's inappropriate but ... it's hard trying to be super-engaging for hours on end whilst communicating non-stop, so quite easy to say something inappropriate. It's amazing it doesn't happen more often, to be honest. I spend my life worrying I'm going to swear inadvertently.

Cut her a break, please.

I've spent today and yesterday reading the poems of Celan and reading about them. It's so grim. I can see why you might find the comparison appalling. But she's only a fallible person, doing her best.

If you genuinely think she's not grasped what the concentration camps were, give her a copy of some Celan poems as a resource for teaching the Holocaust. However, if she's teaching the subject, I suspect she knows.

I also would say that it is the nature of young people to be bored, sometimes, and to not understand the meaning of the Holocaust (that's why we tech them). So I'm not going to slate them as a bunch of over-privileged, spoilt, wasters. They're not. They're just young. And I don't think I'd wish them the sort of seriousness and understanding that 'enriched'* the life and poetry of Celan. I think we're all lucky if we enjoy the peace that means they have to learn the meaning of the Holocaust.

*Celan wrote that language travelled through history and experiences, however terrible, and though it might not give you the words to describe those things, it was 'enriched' by them. It has a painful meaning.

[Bluffinwithmymuffin]

Today 23:45 JacobsAngel .....just interested what others think.

Today 23:46 coconutella
..... complete and absurd over-reaction

i think you’ve got your answer. Sorry OP

[JacobsAngel]

LockedOutOfMN I'm not that kind of person and my child really isn't that kind of child either

[Bluffinwithmymuffin]

Dorisdangle- whiny mum bingo

Love it

[JacobsAngel]

Bluffinwithmymuffin yes had a few comments so far

[DorisDangleberry]

However, the Daily Mail is always available if you and your DC have sufficiently effective sad face skills.

Would make a great story. Young Hermione was triggered when her teacher vaguely mentioned the Holocaust. Hermione feels she has great affinity with Jews as she once ate a bagel. And her first boyfriend was circumcised. Not that she saw his knob.. This is the Daily Mail after all.

[Mitel]

Definitely complain and push until they lose their career. Absolutely. How will the kids ever recover from that!!!! Hope you can sleep tonight!

[donquixotedelamancha]

A teacher at my child's school, known for their passive aggressive attitude (and boring lessons-relevant)

know how some teachers can be

I'm going to disagree with the majority. You sound so positive and wise, I'm sure the school will value your input on this event that you didn't witness. It's very important that no teacher ever say anything that can be interpreted negatively in any way. Perhaps you could offer to do a bit of training with the teacher as well?

[JacobsAngel]

thecatfromjapan the lesson was science so no idea what the teacher's views on the Holocaust are, throwing the comment in there like that probably means they don't really have a view on it and were all entitled to our views, what one person finds inappropriate or offensive is personal, way of the world lol

[JacobsAngel]

Mitel, I will sleep just fine thanks lol

[Luhannahx]

🙄

[donquixotedelamancha]

way of the world lol
I will sleep just fine thanks lol
funnily enough in a way yes lol
definatley 'un-concentration' lol

Am I the only one picturing the OP laughing maniacally to herself?

[stopbeingadramallama]

You should definitely contact the school. Tell them that young Hermione has been triggered by the reference to a concentration camp and you will be looking for compensation, plus extra time at her GCSEs. See if you can get a full house on whiny mum bingo

^jokes 😂

[Onceuponatimethen]

Honestly as someone with Jewish family I find what was said pretty offensive myself.

I wouldn’t like my dc who lost swathes of extended family in my grandparents’ generation to hear this sad casually in a science lesson.

I wouldn’t complain but it would make me think the teacher had made a pretty tasteless comment

[Marasme]

boring lessons

teachers are not entertainers. Pupils should try to be engaged. I say this as a uni lecturer who teaches what most see as a hardcore science subject to 18 year olds who expect a fecking light show and fireworks.

I also make the odd weird comment now and then.

My physics teacher used to throw chalk at us. Noone went to complain

[JanetStWalker]

[JacobsAngel]

clearly I don't actually need anyone else to tell me what I find inappropriate, its amusing just how many people on here snap and snarl at posts without actually comprehending what a person is trying to say or ask, people falling over themselves to get their passive aggressive indignant smart-ass comments in. Shame forums like these just don't work anymore, Ciao x

[WorraLiberty]

Before you go 'Ciao x' for the night OP

Just out of interest, how old are the kids?

[DorisDangleberry]

Honestly as someone with Jewish family I find what was said pretty offensive myself.

I'm Jewish myself and I don't find it in the slightest offensive. What I do find offensive is a bunch of overwrought mimsy mums getting upset about a frankly throwaway comment. Being offended by this demeans the real and aggressive anti-semitism that is part of daily life for Jews today

[Haffiana]

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

Hahaha! Send them over to MN! They can swap startled and hushed AIBUs...