To think that teaching/encouraging the concept of HELL to a 10 YO is a bit young?

[Pavlovthecat]

AIBU

to think that encouraging a 10 YO to write about hell is inappropriate?

It is a CofE school, and it is very well written.

But I was [shocked] that this was advertised on their website to promote the school.

Message withdrawn

I went to two CofE primary schools, then a CofE middle school, then a CofE secondary, (and studied RE at A level) then on to a RC University College, and was never asked to do anything like this.

It seems extreme.

I would be shocked too.

Surely from the minute you decide your child will believe in God or Jesus then you are introducing them to the concepts of a heaven and Hell? What is the right age, 21?

I am looking at local schools for DD in an area we are considering a move to. I just had a quick look at the children's page, and saw this, as the first thing they displayed! I just would hate for my DD to be learning this kind of thing at such a young age (personally not sure I would want this kind of imagination encouraged at all, but definitely not at 10 ).

Humphry - so its not standard practice from a CofE school?

Beanie - well I don't know. I think thats why I am asking if IABU, as I dont know if I am. I just had not considered that a 10 yo would do such an evocative piece of work on such a negative subject.

There is a difference between introducing the concepts, and asking a child to write something like the poem in the link.

"There's red, runny, hot dribbling blood".

"Red blood and terror".

YANBU. it's nasty.

There is never a right age, but I'll settle for 21 yes.

Is it possible the child wrote this of their own voilition?
Task: Write about an imaginary place - most of the class write about other planets, beautiful gardens etc. one exceedingly talented boy writes about Hell cos he has recently read something about it?
School see the quality of the work and show it on their website?

I doubt v much this has been TAUGHT iyswim.

"Humphry - so its not standard practice from a CofE school?"

Pavlov, I'm not sure.

I never did anything like that.
Nor did my sisters or friends.

DS1 was at a CofE school for 5 years, and never did either.

well considering that many children have been confirmed between the ages of 8-13 I personally don't see a major problem with it.....

Slouchy - it is possible that the child wrote it from their own imagination yes, but they got these ideas from somewhere surely.

It just seems very full on to me.

Concerning as it appears to be the only primary school in the village...

And many kids are christened before they can even talk. I assume these kids get to write poetry about Heaven too?

Beanie - I guess he was not eloquent about Heaven to advertise it on the website.

perhaps they got the "ideas" from their parents??

It does seem an odd way to 'advertise' the school but considering that christianity includes the concept of Heaven and Hell I don't think it's unreasonable TBH.

Are any of those here who think it ok Church of England christians? Apart from Humphrey?

I would like to hear some thoughts from others who send their children to CofE schools, how do you feel about this. Does it happen, are you/would you be ok, even expect this?

Actually, I'm more surprised that they've put his full name & age on a website page that is obviously open to the public.
I run our school's website & we normally only put children's names on pages that you have to log in to see.

This poem doesn't suggest they've been taught about hell. It suggests a bright child.My chn go to a religious school (R/C) and have no idea what hell is or a devil etc. It came up on Dr Who the other week when the Dr referred to 'the devel' living underground in a previous lesson. My ds10 asked what he meant - hadn't a clue. The child could have got the idea of the devil and hell from a TV programme.

Previous programme.

Rust - very good point .

Yes I'm CoE - don't think they "teach" or "encourage" the concept of hell particularly at the primary school, but they certainly wouldn't not show a piece of imaginative poetry that a child has written just because it was about hell.

Like Rusty I'm surprised about the full name and age.......

I agree with Slouchy, it was probably the child's choice.

Reading it, it sounds to me like a bright child who has read a Stephen King book.

FAQ - perhaps your right.

However from my point of view, DH is a 'lapsed' christian, as in, he has christian values, was raised in the church of england church, actively participated as a child/teenager, went to CofE school, I was loosely raised as a Church of England, my mum was religious to an extent but I was not. Dh is not against sending DD to a CofE school, thinks it would be good for, and his arguments about getting a good education, and some understanding of christian values is not entirely lost on me, I thought what could they teach that would be that bad, christian values, true ones are essential good.

However, when I looked at a CofE website, and saw the first item they promoted by one of their children is a very descriptive poem about Hell. It did not make me think, this is not taught here, obviously from an outside source. its first impression was, is this what they teach in primary school? And I was shocked.

So while they might not teach it, they are certainly using it to promote a particular ethos of the school. IMO.

Stephen Lawrence books ahve a devil in them. Very popular with that age range.

Looks like a very descriptive piece of creative writing to me. I think once you start to censor certain subjects, you're on dodgy ground. Some people would probably say the same about poems about wizards, or ghosts or whatever. As a point of interest, if the poem was full of positive fluffy images of heaven, would you have the same opinion? It's the idea of banning a piece of writing like this smacks of extremism to me - not the writing itself