That my dd’s school show them cert 15 films at 13/14?

[Geraniumpink]

As the title says. Is this usual at other schools? She’s about to watch ‘Dead Man Walking’ as part of her English class. They’ve already seen ‘The Pianist’ last term in History.

As long as you are advised and have the option of withdrawal of your child, I see it as OK.

YABU and precious

God, it’s a wonder how any of us learnt anything without watching all these films.

can a parent actually object though?
why are they setting 15 films as texts for under 15 year old children?

Why were they watching Spider-Man?

God, it’s a wonder how any of us learnt anything without watching all these films.
Gosh it's a wonder we learnt anything, what with teachers now using PowerPoint. We did just fine without it. Calculators too, we did just fine with an abacus.

Randomly watching films or finding tenuous links isn't a good teaching decision, but a well selected use of a clip or watching a performance of the play you're studying is entirely sensible.

I’ve never been too hung up on 15 certs to take away the taboo of it. 18 I say no but tell them why (saying it has sex puts them off)

Saying that I had a stand up row with a cinema bloke who wouldn’t let my 14yo into a 15 cert film - it was historical, relevant and interesting to a GCSE choice and he had no proof she WASNT 15. I wouldn’t usually argue about this but they watch 15’s in school which doesn’t bother me at all

To be fair English GCSE syllabus is Romeo and Juliet. Trust me - Leo Dicaprio will get a lot of teens through that exam paper... it’s not all a waste! (Mine LOVE it)

Sandy50 no, 11 year old girls should not have to watch stuff like that, she didn’t know what rape was for a start.
Jessica Eaton has now successfully campaigned to get the film my dd was shown banned from schools, because it is traumatising, tries to give the message that there is somehow a way to stop yourself being raped , and is a horrendous thing to show to a class when some girls in that class may be victims of sexual abuse.

I think there's a big difference between 11-year-olds and 13/14-year-olds in terms of what they can handle emotionally and what they know.

DD1 watched Schindler's List in school at age 14 as part of the History syllabus - the school notified us and sent us a consent form, we could opt out. I discussed it with DD and she chose not to opt out. The film left her with a lifelong deep interest in history and politics.

Age ratings aren't everything. Both my DDs watched 15 films well before they turned 15, checked by myself and until recently their dad. They've also watched some 18 stuff on Netflix, again subject to my approval. I'm not the 'cool' parent at all, I just like to make decisions on a case by case basis.

Sorry, YABU. It's not actually against the law to show 15-rated films to underage children at all (only for 14 year olds to buy a 15 DVD or see a 15 film at the cinema). Do you honestly think that children only a year or so below the rating stated will suffer any ill effects from seeing the film?

Also, as amazing as Marvel Comics is, I'm very curious as to why a Year 9 group were watching a Spider-Man movie...

SirVix that’s good to hear. Jessica is amazing, a real shero.

pointy Schindler’s List isn’t even an especially accurate adaptation of the book.

I don’t know, I’m sure I’m just an old fuddy duddy but for me it really doesn’t say much about the quality of the teaching if Leonardo di Caprio mangling Shakespeare’s poetry is what’s needed to understand and enjoy Romeo and Juliet. Film adaptations are rarely as good as the original, and even when they are good so much of the book is automatically lost, and at the end of the day the book is what’s meant to be being studied. I mean, sure, tell the kids there’s a film of the book if they want to watch it but why make it part of the actual class?

Spider-Man - because they were doing a unit about crime and punishment. Dd’s group got to watch Dead Man Walking instead. They’ve also studied the handmaid’s tale this year (extracts), although they haven’t watched the film. Everything they’ve done this year in English has been about violence. I just don’t think it’s particularly healthy.

Our primary showed a 12a to ks2 last year- not a happy bunny

That is a tenuous bloody link if ever I saw one. They couldn’t find a single age appropriate text to study that theme? Really?

SirVix "No" I didn't say she should HAVE to watch it, but that you were stating the bleeding obvious saying it was 'upsetting'. Rape is upsetting. And depictions can be triggering for victims. And of course the whole rape culture and victim blaming we see in society shouldn't be perpetuated. But if your Dd didn't even know what rape was, then she hadn't been educated on it, and I don't agree that it's something children should know nothing about, especially those starting secondary school.

Regardless of the campaign you're referring to (where it's stated that if 1 in 3 adults recall sexual abuse as a child, then 33‰ of a school audience would have already suffered... which isn't statistically accurate, as it wouldn't necessarily have happened before the age they were exposed to the issue, and might be less likely to happen as a result of better knowledge of risks!), knowing the dangers is of the utmost importance; not because children have the responsibility to prevent abuse, but to learn about the world, including having empathy for and demonstrating the right treatment of others.

You've used words like 'traumatising' and 'horrendous' and I can assure you these apply more to the actual experience of being raped than hearing about it. I certainly don't think for a second that anyone should be blamed for not being able to stop it happening to them, but it is categorically wrong to assert that there is no point in being aware and taking steps to be safer than an alternative. Have you never told Dd to stay in a group with others if she can, instead of walking alone? Lock the door at night to prevent strangers getting in? Not your fault if it doesn't stop someone else's behaviour, but still sensible.

Absolutely none of that has anything to do with showing CSE films to children.

WeepingWillowWeepingWino Noooo, education, awareness and understanding had nothing to do wkth using resources designed to achieve these things...

She didn’t hear about it, the film showed a woman being attacked.
Of course actual rape is worse than viewing an actress playing the part of someone being raped.
That doesn’t alter the fact that seeing a film in school, of a simulated sexual assault, was really distressing for an 11 year old girl.

Yeah, let's go back a few hours. It is meant to be.

I was watching cert 15 and 18 horrors at sleepovers at that age. Some of the best nights of my life!

sandy maybe have a read of this www.victimfocus.org.uk/campaigns

An 11 year old girl should know what the word rape means though.

Why make [the book- in this case (Romeo and Juliet?) play] part of the actual class? Because plays are meant to be watched not read! That is very much and entirely the point of plays! Students will lose marks when writing about a play if they refer to a “reader” as plays are not written for readers but for viewers! It would be wonderful if every secondary school had the time/money/staffing/availability to take every KS4 class to see a live and useful version of whichever play they are studying but that is not the reality of education in state secondaries in 2019 and a combination of Baz Luhrman and Zeffirelli does a pretty good job.

And the book in question in the OP? Which isn’t a play? Spider-Man???