Bloody geography teacher

[jennakong]

Son of 12 has a teacher who seems very chatty- one of those teachers who tells the class his life story kind of thing. My son said that today this guy started talking about nuclear war, in response to something one of the children said. He proceeded to describe the consequences of an all -out nuclear conflict (this is a year 8 class). My son is not particularly a worrier, though my younger child would be, and I certainly was myself as a child. I know the story is all over the news but I being unreasonable in thinking that adults should be shielding kids from this kind of thing? I was a teenager in the 80s and remember how awful the fear was during the Cold War. I don't think my life was enhanced by 'Threads' or When the Wind Blows - I think they scared me witless and kept me awake at night. Should geography teachers just concentrate on terminal moraines and ox bow lakes do you think?

Yabu
Anyone born 50+ years ago will remember a lot about the Cold War for starters. We were brought up on a diet of the news because there was no other tv so we knew all about what was going on. I can still remember seeing the nuclear missiles. Then there were the troubles in Northern Ireland and Margaret thatcher narrowly missed being killed in Brighton by the IRA. I occasionally was told snippets of what happened during the war from men, who’d served. I was maybe 10 and remember someone telling me of his experience as a POW in Japan. All before I was even at secondary.

I think I read it in yr 6 and of we had Chenobyl so we knew all about nuclear disaster.

As a geography teacher, should we only teach terminal moraines and ox bow lakes? Absolutely not. That would actually be a pretty poor syllabus and not even cover the KS3 national curriculum.

The job of any teacher, actually any adult, is to teach children about the world. This is very topical at the moment, and probably better the children get answers from an adult who can then answer follow up questions, than on the internet and social media sites.

I have no idea what is on the Y8 Geography syllabus but, if this was just chat, then it might well have stemmed from a child's enquiry. My Y6 class all came in talking about this yesterday - some children were very knowledgeable and sharing what they knew, others were clearly feeling a bit worried. I felt I had no choice but to address it, in the kindest most child-friendly way I could.

And, of course, the likely effects of climate change - which are very definitely in the Geography teacher's remit - are also very scary and arguably more inevitable.

YABVU. He's more than old enough.

YABU

It’s good to be able to actually talk about these things.

Shutting kids off is only going to make their anxiety worse, especially when they get their news of SM or their mates.

Don't be silly, of course secondary school kids don't need to be sheltered in the way tiny kids do. He needs to understand some of the uglier parts of history.

About radiation sickness, cancers, birth defects etc.

My son studied the second world war last year, and read a novel about the war in the Pacific in English. I don't think Nagasaki and Hiroshima are comparable, appalling as they were, not to a global holocaust,/end of civilisation as we know it. It's not information you can do anything with as an individual, is it - at least with the climate emergency we all have the power to at least mitigate the damage.

I recall the overwhelming relief when the Cold War ended. Seems unbelievable that we are now back in the same place.

So your son wasn’t actually bothered ?

Unfortunately they do need to know of the consequences of a nuclear war. Year 8 is not to young.

To be honest, the kids probably found it more interesting than discussing sedimentary rock

It sounds like you are putting your neuroses on your son. My mum wouldn’t let me watch horror films at 13 years because she was/ is scared of them. I watched them at my friends and didn’t phase me at all.

Was my mother right? Who knows and in all honesty who cares?

If your son is fine why give it a second thought. Oh yes your neuroses.

As a 'bloody geography teacher', I actually find that when you answer the children's questions factually and honestly, it opens up very interesting and engaged discussions that they wouldn't get at home. And that they are much more aware of global issues and want to discuss them in a sensible, non scare-mongering way, than some parents give them credit for.

As an example, when we look at Globalisation, we compare how long it took the Black Death to spread across Europe vs Covid. Then we look at different population characteristics that made certain countries more/less vulnerable eg Italy with its ageing population, and why Central Africa had relatively few deaths, despite being a LIC which leads on to discussions about development/migration, etc.

I for one like the fact that kids treat Geography as a 'current' subject and that they feel like they can discuss world issues, in an informed environment, with data and case studies without hysteria from the media/other sources 🤷‍♀️

That's not what I'm saying at all.
Of course I believe kids should learn about historical atrocities, consequences of religious intolerance etc, I believe they should even visit slaughterhouses to learn where their food comes from.
Watch a video of an abortion – possibly.
Do you think children should do that?
I can see the objections, but also the case for it.

I just don't see the point in scaring kids of 11 and 12 witless about something that has not actually occurred yet and is beyond anyone's control.
Hell, even I don't want to think about nuclear war.
It used to be called 'the shadow of the Bomb', and that's what it felt like.
Anyone younger than 45 will not have a clue what that perpetual fear felt like. If I was/am 'neurotic', then so were a hell of a lot of other people.

Young people's mental health is pretty shit after the past two years, and I can't see a shedload of worry about nuclear annihilation helping much.

I thought the "neurotic" claim was a little unfair to you, OP. That said, a measured classroom discussion in response to a pupil's legitimate question is a reasonable response from the teacher. Provided that the mention of the very real results of radiation (sickness, birth defects, cancers) didn't go into excessive detail I'm sure that KS3 children could handle it.

I would also hope that the teacher put the threat into context - dire as things appear now, the threat of all-out nuclear war and mutually assured destruction (MAD for a reason, of course) is far less real than during the height of the Cold War.

i grew up in the 70s and 80s. We all knew what might happen, Threads, The Day After and When The Wind Blows were on TV. None of my friends thought we'd see 40.

So yes, it's scary and it is upsetting as a parent when you realise you can't shield your DCs from this. but Y8 is old enough to know the truth

"Anyone younger than 45 will not have a clue what that perpetual fear felt like. If I was/am 'neurotic', then so were a hell of a lot of other people."

I'm over 60 and never lived in perpetual fear. Nor did anyone else I know.

I was a teen in the 80’s, we didn’t live in perpetual fear, that’s nonsense

I'm over 60 and never lived in perpetual fear. Nor did anyone else I know.

I lived close to the Inner German Border. And we worried about nuclear war and russian tanks rolling over the plains quite a lot. Not to the exclusion of all else but it was there, constantly.

I agree with you op. I could quite happily live a life in ignorant bliss. I too, was terrified growing up and the films you mentioned still haunt me. I hope your ds is ok.

Who else was shown 'When the Wind Blows' at school? Traumatising!

But her son isn’t bothered !!!!!

I'm over 60 and never lived in perpetual fear. Nor did anyone else I know

Exactly this.

Even having watched every nuclear public information drear fest and dramatic catastrophising (Threads, I'm looking at you😜) Too busy dancing to the best music ever

I decided long ago I wouldn't be interested in surviving a nuclear strike anyway. If I ever see a mushroom cloud, I'm running towards it...

In yr8 they are older than 11 OP.

I grew up in the 80s - I was occasionally worried but it didn't affect me so much that it was detrimental to me. It's normal to feel worried over something that is threatening and therefore my feelings were in context.

If however you feel your DS is so worried that it's detrimental, please flag it up with pastoral.