AIBU about school showing this movie

[TGISummer]

DD is in Y8. Yesterday she came home upset saying that her class had watched a horror movie...she can be a bit of a drama llama so asked her what the film was:

The Purge.

BBFC/UK - Rated 15 (strong language, bloody violence).

She's just turned 13. Came home and told my younger DD and DS various graphic details. I asked her why she didn't say anything...she did, the rest of the class said it was fine and she should shut up.

I phoned head of year and (politely) asked why would you do that??!! She seemed surprised and said will get Teacher to call and explain. Felt a bit fobbed off but thought ok, will see what he says. No phone call from Teacher.

DD came home today, they watched another film:

Paranormal activity. Another rating of 15.

Seriously??!!!

I know it's just end of term movie watching but what would you do?

I opened the thread suspecting you were being a bit precious but actually completely agree - those films are totally inappropriate for that setting and age group.

Oh. Stupid phone said there was only one page... no idea if my comment still relevant to the thread. Oops, sorry!

I haven't rtft but just wanted to add that this is appalling-a similar incident happened in a secondary school local to me a few years ago and the teacher who showed the film was actually sacked following an investigation after complaints from parents.

I wouldn't be happy. I still remember the last week of year 9 and the teacher putting on the amytiville horror, I'm a bit soft admittedly but I had nightmares for weeks.

DD (year 4) is watching the lion, the witch and the wardrobe next week at school as they have been studying the book this term. The film is a PG and we have had to sign a consent form to allow her to watch.

Was there a teacher in the room? I'm a teacher and am shocked that they would let that happen. Definetely grounds for complaint. Hope your dd is ok.

@SunShades I'd love to know what educational value you think these horror films could possible be providing? How exactly would your "Headteacher" husband suggest they support the curriculum?

I teach and do sometimes show films in the last few days.

It is sometimes useful to be able to get on with other things, but that is honestly secondary to the fact that the pupils have an absolute expectation that they'll be 'watching films' during the last week. It feels like they are asking from about May onwards!

You are a very unpopular teacher if you are teaching right up to the last day, and teaching is very difficult too because the kids have switched off and are in holiday mode.

Having said all of that, I try to make any movie relevant to my subject, or we do something like a quiz instead.

Both of those movies are wildly inappropriate. I am amazed that any teacher would show those. I wondered if it might have been a pupil showing everyone on their phone, or if they were just shown an age-appropriate excerpt as a stimulus for something creative. If not, definitely a complaint.

I would be fucking livid, OP. What sort of idiot puts on horror films for 12/13 year olds? Both of those are very scary. Please pursue your complaint as this teacher's woeful lack of judgment may cause problems in other areas. Hope your girl is ok

really inappropriate
(I do get vaguely annoyed that my year 6 isn't allowed to watch a screened PG it has to be U though)

I used to do supply and often got given films to show in the last week:
These included:
Matilda
Shrek
The spy who shagged me
Bruce Almighty
Catch me if you can
Hotel Rwanda
Pirates of the carribean
March of the penguins
The Mummy
Jumanji
The nutty professor

Even a couple of the above have dodgy bits.
Never a horror film.
Always PG in year 8.

The only thing I could think of is maybe a lazy teacher has told kids themselves to bring in a dvd/class vote. But it is bloody silly to have left themselves exposed like that and the peer pressure for pupils to watch/not grass is unfair.

Everyone knows you can't go wrong with a cartoon/family film/the Rock, surely?

That’s poor! I’m a teacher and on the very last day will occasionally push the boat out and allow my (secondary age) pupils to watch Shrek or Finding Nemo, or the odd (carefully chosen to avoid any sexual innuendos) episode of the Big Bang Theory as I teach Science. I’d definitely complain about horror films.

We just watched Romeo and Juliet and Animal Farm for educational purposes.

We watched Home Alone once around Christmas at 11/12 which was nice and when we finished GCSEs we watched a few films but they were not scary - more drama or comedy. We even watched the Lion King at 14 - we loved that

Really inappropriate from the school.

As a teacher I would never show a class a film that was age-inappropriate.
Very irresponsible on the part of the teacher concerned!

13 year olds wouldn’t be allowed to walk into a cinema and watch these films so why should they be able to walk into a school and be exposed to them?

I’m shocked and I’m in no way a ‘snowflake parent’ There are certain films Ds has watched that have been 12/12A and some probably close to 15 - Bourne Identity, Bond films etc but he can watch them at home with us there and not feel pressurised to watch as in the case of the OP’s DD.

Ds is almost 12.

Even if the 'Purge' was a PG certificate , the content is totally unsuitable to be broadcast at a school !

However, it does amaze me who and how certifies film classifications . I have seen '18' certificate films that I have thought were not violent and would have ok as 15s . Yet have seen 12As that have been particularly distasteful. The 'Purge' and its spinoffs are amongst the worst meaningless violence I have watched.

If you want a group of A Level students doing Psychology /Politics to analyse behaviour , Clockwork Orange is far more informative or insightful.

Broadcast in a school...

Thanks everyone.

So I've started writing the letter and asked DD to write down exactly what happened...

They finished the work in their English lesson early so Teacher said you can watch a movie anything you like.

One of the girls logged into her own account on Netflicks.

They choose The Purge. Class of 30 - two of the kids are still 12...there were many other movies including those with an 18 rating available.

They watched half of the movie, went to lunch and then to their Form room where they logged in again (different teacher) and watched the rest of the movie.

Form tutor comes in and is surprised at what they are watching, comments "don't tell your parents" but doesn't stop the movie.

Next day, Form tutor away. Student Teacher lets them log into Netflicks again and choose Paranormal Activity.

So I guess we dodged a bullet as there is some REALLY awful stuff they could have watched with no one in charge to stop them.

Honestly wondering if I've got my kids at the wrong school. Who the hell would allow kids to do this?

Bloody hell! Didn't think it could get worse - "don't tell your parents" wtf! Sounds like whole school (staff wise) need their safeguarding training updated ASAP!

I would hate to watch either of those films and I am middle aged.
My daughters science teacher chose to show her gcse class a film of an actual autopsy. My DD and the teacher were the only 2 left in the room at the end. the rest of the class were standing in the corridor. The head teacher was not best pleased when he found out. I didn't find out until quite a bit later.

I sincerely hope your trivial complaint doesn't distract the school from dealing with a child being abused or neglected.

I sincerely hope her (not in the least bit trivial) complaint highlights that the school could not be capable of dealing with a child being abused or neglected if their safeguarding policies are so poor they allowed children in their care to watch such an inappropriate film.

OP- I'd be absolutely livid. Please don't be fobbed off because it's the end of term. I'd be writing to the chair of governors.

Not sure why you think students logging into their own netflix profiles is an issue???

But watching the purge certainly is. And paranormal activity.

Some of my yr 9s were asking to watch the purge last week. Erm, no. Not a chance!

And when i was pregnant i went to watch paranormal Activity. Some students saw me going in and the following week a year 10
Girl basically told me i was irresponsible going to see it when pregnant as it could have upset the baby . Seems my yr 10 were more sensible than this teacher.

OMG I can’t believe they were showing the purge at school and especially to kids that age.
I have seen all the Purge films as I love horror films and they are not suitable for children of that age.
What was the teacher thinking ?

And there is a new Purge film out at the moment in the cinema and I asked my OH to come with me to see it.Well he said I’m on my own watching it as it’s too gory for him.So what does that tell you about the films.