AIBU to be annoyed the teacher was telling the children how she didn't believe in the moon landings ?

[SpaceAhoy]

My 10yo DS came home from school today and told me that his teacher didn't believe in the moon landings.

I asked how this conversation started but he wasn't sure as he was reading his book as instructed.

He said the teacher did a class wide poll and everyone agreed with her accept him and one other pupil.

AIBU to be annoyed at the teacher for bringing her personal beliefs into the classroom?

It's pretty worrying that 25% of people don't believe the moon landings took place.

But mysteriously they believe MRI scanners work ? Or computers ? Or smartphones ?

Sorry, but people with fuck all scientific knowledge and experience telling scientists and engineers what is or isn't possible does kinda attract - and deserve - a questioning epithet about their critical faculties. Although we also need to remember that 50% of the population is below average intelligence, so I'd hope that 25% is squarely in that half.

YANBU tell the school!

Considering that half the county thought that Brexit was a good idea I'm not really surprised that lots of people believe this bollocks. But it's really not ok to share these kind of views with impressionable children. Imagine if the teacher was an antivaxer!

28/30 lids agreed with her. My DS and one other child disagreed.

My DS was so surprised, that he went and asked her at afternoon break, whether she really meant, what she had said in class. She said she did believe it.

My DH is fummimg and wants me to make a formal complaint. Instead I am going to ask to have an informal word with the head and ask him to intervene and sort this out. I will request that maybe there could be a formal lesson on belief versus facts and how you are entitled to your own beliefs but not your own facts.

YANBU. Teachers can keep their personal convictions for their private lives same as anyone else in a public-facing job.

Ermmm… I don't think you mean 'fumming'. See the Urban Dictionary.

Fumming is a bit of a mumsnet joke.

People are entitled to their own opinions, they are not entitled to their own facts.

@TeenTimesTwo

Oh dear god. Bad enough seeing teachers on a poll thinking the moon landings were a hoax, but one in the actual wild telling a class this?

It’s not just a teacher harmlessly sharing their opinion, it’s a person in a position of authority whose class is trained to learn what they say telling them nonsense.

My teacher thread about the moon landings is here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_staffroom/3413340-Teachers-do-you-believe-the-moon-landings-were-a-hoax

noble to be fair we have no idea if that’s what the teacher did.

No context. No idea if it was a discussion tool.

She may be one of your 15% , she may not.

We don’t even know how the conversation came about.

True Smile but if the classroom poll happened as reported, then something happened to cause a class of primary school children to think that a factual historical event didn’t happen. Teacher fail either way!

Didn't we just do this? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_staffroom/3413340-Teachers-do-you-believe-the-moon-landings-were-a-hoax

Unless that’s what they already thought, which is terrifying in a different way.

I think it's probably the teacher influencing the kids. At a young age people will line up to agree with the teacher, because the teacher is meant to be intelligent so its best to agree.

I'd make a complaint.

I have asked to meet up with the Head to discuss this, she is looking onto it.

I suspect I will be told that there is nothing to worry about and hopefully they will have a quiet word to the lady in question.

I hate being that parent. But I had to check into this.

It's odd that no world power with the capability of verifying the landings has ever suggested they didn't happen . Although we must remember that Russia and America haven't always been antagonists. so maybe Russia didn't say anything during the 60s so as not to embarrass the US during their more friendly period ?

I can't see it does any harm. It opens up discussion and can encourage a child to find things out for themself.
There are lots of people who agree with the teacher. They may be batshit crazy but kids need to know there are people who believe that.

Documented historical world wide event.
Happened within the lifetime of many people.
Was filmed / recorded.
Would needed masses of people to be lying about if they are false.
The Russians could have said were false (they would know where signals were coming from).
Provided samples of rock from the moon for modern scientists to examine.
Left a reflector that you can bounce a laser off.

^ All this should not be a matter of belief from a teacher, it should be taught as a fact^.

Not unreasonable to ask 10yos do you think it is possible for men to land on the moon? As they might not know it has actually happened. But only if it is then followed up with teaching about the moon landings.

The old adage is that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.

I wonder what other Documented historical world wide events this person also thinks are hoaxes ?

I had a phone call from the lady in question. The Head had asked her to explain the misunderstanding.

She was a bit defensive and very much "this is MY opinion" which of course she is entitled to have.

Her defence is, a child asked a question about the moon landing and that the following discussion was not part of the formal classroom lesson time and just her opinion.

She had talked to my DS today at school. He apparently said that he was concerned that she had influenced the other children into agree with her opinion, against the factual evidence and that concerned him. (he is a smart child)

She suggested to me that they could show the class a documentary to discuss the validity of the moon landings !
I said a factual lesson on the moon landings would be a great idea but there was no room for opinions in the classroom, when the moon landing are a clear scientific fact and should be taught as such.

I am proud of DS responses to her, though I can't tell him that, as I don't want to encourage him to speak out to staff (even if he was right this time)

I despair of the intelligence level of the lady in question, thinking telling young children that scientific facts only matter, if you believe in them !

I will be working with DS2 in the coming years to ensure, he learns to think critically and doesn't fall for these types of "opinion" lessons in the future.

The sooner we are out of this school the better ! Three years and counting.

I despair of the intelligence level of the lady in question, thinking telling young children that scientific facts only matter, if you believe in them !

But she's not an isolated example of "clever stupid", sadly.

On an episode of "Monkey Cage", Professor Alice Roberts mentioned how she was when first year undergraduates asked her why she wasn't teaching creationism as well as evolution.

I can't believe you thought it was worth wasting the school's time on this. Hope you remember to call up next month when they start discussing Christmas and the nativity😁😂

Sms In schools religion is taught as 'Christians believe' not as fact (unless of course a CofE or catholic school).

Moon landings are fact and not matters of opinion!
A teacher should know the difference.

Today DS1 came home and told me they had been taught that people can change sex !

All about puberty blockers and all that for.

I am so mad.

What are they going to teach him next...flat earth theory and that the holocaust didn't happen !