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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think I should not drop this?

18 replies

minameismum · 26/09/2019 17:27

NC for this because it could out me easily. Last week my 13yo came home and casually mentioned that they had been shown a scene from Game Of Thrones during a lesson.

I found out after a bit of digging that it was for History and it was the eye gouge scene from The Mountain and the viper. Apparently they were shown it because they had been learning about trial by combat.

The teacher during the lesson told the children that she didn't want to watch it as it was too gory for her and so she stepped out. I presume the kids were given the option at this point but honestly, what 13yo is going to a)have an idea of what was coming in that scene or b) want to lose face in front of their classmates?!

I asked in a local group whether I had perhaps missed a permission slip but it was clear that their had been no contact made with parents about it being shown. It also came to light that at the part of the scene where a character swears, the kids were told "oops, best not to tell your parents about that" by the same teacher.

I am not being a prude here am I? I want to make a complaint but the school have a bit of a history of brushing things under the carpet so am not sure how best to go about it or whether I am better off walking away from it all and just resigning myself to the fact that dd now has a programme on her radar that I would rather her not have but there is shag all I can do about it and that her school is a bit crap.

I don't think I would feel as sore if DD had perhaps watched it with her mates, its that it happened while her care had been entrusted to other adults if that makes sense? It's not that I expect permission slips for every other decision the teachers make but this seems to me to be a bit much.

OP posts:
BackOnceAgainWithABurnerEmail · 26/09/2019 17:31

If that’s true it’s not on and I would complain.

BeanBag7 · 26/09/2019 17:33

How bizarre, that's really not acceptable and I would definitely contact the head of department to discuss.
Not really the point but isn't there a trial by combat bit earlier in the series anyway where Bronn fights for Tyrion, with much less blood and gore or swearing.

Novembersbean · 26/09/2019 17:36

I'm not really one for complaining about things taught at school but tbh I think that is awful. I'm a big Game of Thrones fan and that was for me the goriest, most disturbing moment of the whole show, assuming they were shown the scene to the end. I was in my 20s when I saw it and if I'd seen it age 13 it would have really freaked me out. There are lots if less gory examples of trial by combat in film, there's even another one in Game of Thrones in series 1, they could have shown that.

DinoroarDinosaur · 26/09/2019 17:44

I'm pretty laid back and don't get worked up about much but this is utterly unacceptable and you should definitely make a fuss about it. What on earth was she thinking showing them that scene. Utterly astonishing.

Ihavenoideawhereitis · 26/09/2019 17:46

I am amazed anyone would show that scene to a class of 13 year olds. It is such a disturbing graphic scene, the most sickening one in the entire show in my view. The character who is killed is also talking about the rape and murder of his sister and her children to try to get the mountain to admit his crimes so even the dialogue may have been a step too far . I would absolutely be talking to the school about them being shown that. There are far more appropriate things that could have been used.

Nanny0gg · 26/09/2019 17:48

Wrong on every level- including the Don't Tell Your Parents bit.

Is she an nqt?

JasperRising · 26/09/2019 17:53

What teacher will show 13 year olds a scene so gory they won't watch it themselves?! That scene is horrible! And as pp have mentioned there is an earlier trial by combat in season 1 (though I haven't watched that for years to know how gory it is). And I am sure there are other examples of trial by combat in less gory films...

istolethisusernametoo · 26/09/2019 17:53

YANBU. I would not let this drop. It is completely inappropriate. That scene is brutal! If she couldn't stand to be in the same room to watch it then why on earth did she think it was appropriate for a room of 13 year olds?! Raise it with the school and speak to the other parents. They might not be aware of what their children were shown.

Mamasaurus82 · 26/09/2019 17:54

Gosh! I know it must be tricky to engage a bunch of 13 year old and get them into history, but there must be better ways than that! I'd go and have a word with the head of department/ year.

Michaelbaubles · 26/09/2019 17:55

Really not ok - the DVD of GoT is an 18 and while legally certificates don’t apply in educational settings it’s extremely bad practice and against the BBFC’s own advice to show 18 certificate things to underage students without notifying parents. I teach film to 16-18 year olds and get parental permission to show 18 films to them even though they’re on the exam syllabus!

Windydaysuponus · 26/09/2019 17:56

Bloody hell!!I was horrified when a friend of dd's (a boy) said he watches it when he sees his dm. Rarely it seems but still.
He is 12!!

Ringdonna · 26/09/2019 17:58

Er it is not real....

Purplepeonies · 26/09/2019 17:59

Seems weird that the teacher didn't want to watch it, yet expected the pupils to. Could it perhaps be part of the department's lessons? (Not excusing it at all, but perhaps another teacher made the resource?) Regardless, not appropriate!

AllFourOfThem · 26/09/2019 18:00

honestly, what 13yo is going to a)have an idea of what was coming in that scene or b) want to lose face in front of their classmates?!

I think you and the pp are quite naive in thinking that a significant number of 13 year olds haven’t already seen GoT. However, that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for the school to show it. After all, most at that age will have seen something pornographic but you wouldn’t expect that to be seen in school either.

PriscillaTheHun · 26/09/2019 18:02

YANBU. That scene is definitely not suitable for 13 year olds!

katalavenete · 26/09/2019 18:02

How did the same teacher simultaneously manage to not be the room so as to avoid watching the clip but also manage to tell the children not to tell their parents when a character swore during the clip?

NearlyGranny · 26/09/2019 18:08

Questions you could ask:

What is the age rating for the episode from which the clip as taken?

What was the learning intention/objective for the lesson? (Check out the KS3 History curriculum on the .GOV website beforehand to see of there's a match)

What were the student outcomes? (Ask to see evidence in your child's folder or exercise book. Check it matches the stated LO. Check whether it has been marked yet and how. A comment is fine.)

How will the learning be built on and assessed?

How is it History?

YANBU

BeanBag7 · 26/09/2019 19:29

@Ringdonna
"Er it is not real...."

Do you mean the TV show, or the OP's story?
If you mean the show, of course it's not real but that doesn't make it any less disturbing and gory.

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