That schools didn't observe the 2 minute silence for VE day today?

[madeofmore]

I've no idea if this is a usual thing or not for schools, but for the 80th anniversary of VE day I thought DS's secondary would take part in the reflections and remembrance of 80 years since the second world war. I don't have a military background or any agenda to want this, more that I am surprised there wasn't any taking part, nothing mentioned in assembly or anything else this week. There was an assembly and special lunch today in Ds2's primary, not sure if they also observed the 2 minute silence at 11.

I don’t know! I’m just giving my opinion. I’m not sure I care enough about it to argue…

I think it’s shameful. Those brave men and women fought for our civilisation, our way of life. Have we forgotten what terrible views the Nazis held? Our brave servicemen and women (well the entire country) literally stood up against evil and tyranny! We need to honour what was sacrificed. We should never forget it. As history so often repeats itself.

I went and lit a candle at my village war memorial. And I was ashamed how pitifully inadequate it felt. I can’t even imagine what ww2 soldiers went through.

As a British Indian, I don’t think I would even be alive today had the Allies not won (not to make it about myself).

How long should we do it? Well how much do you appreciate freedom?

They fought in the interests of their country, same as everyone else. It really isn't about good and evil. Hope you enjoyed your candle.

How reductive.

It's been pointed out already, several times.
November 11th, poppies the festival of REMEBRANCE. Silence for 2 mins, respect for the fallen.
VE Day. End of war, celebration. No need for silence, because Nov 11th.
It's sad the school didn't celebrate, but no silence required.

Everyone who fights says it's about good and evil - ourside good, otherside evil. You'd never get blokes joining in otherwise.

As it happens the Nazis did perpetrate genocide which is obviously an evil act, but that isn't what we in the UK went to war on : we only found out about it after the event. We went to war because our interest was threatened by German expansion. And we ourselves were implicated in genocide, when our ally the good ol' US of A, the world's policeman (TM), vaporised Japanese citizens including children on their way to school, and won the war for us, while keeping us permanently in hock to them.

Yay, bunting.

An awful lot of Indian and African troops fought in the British Army in WWII...

Best forgotten?! World War 2?!

2 million troops from the old Empire took part on the Allies side in the war. It was a world war. I think it is worth remembering. For what it's worth our school did some commemorative activities.

Probably upsets lefties in the education profession to observe this. Thats why they didn’t do it.

Can someone explain why schools have to do everything?
Could OP not have organised something herself for her son.
You can have a two-minutes silence whenever you want.

Well nobody would see that would they.

My children’s school celebrated VE Day.

My David Lloyd gym observed it! I was in an aqua class and we all stopped for 2 minutes. I'm surprised the school didn't support it.

My children’s school held a special celebration day, but I really would’ve expected and wanted them to hold a silence too - it is the least we can all do.

Don’t talk utter rubbish. My dad was a leftie teacher. He was also in the RAF in WW2 and a lifelong member of the RBL. Did readings at Remembrance Services until he was too frail to go out. The left aren’t lacking in respect and patriotism.

OP, is your ds at secondary school? Depending on what gcse options they offer, there was assessments going on today.

How unpatriotic of them.

My primary had a VE Day celebration - non-uniform (red, white and blue), extra playtime with afternoon tea, bunting everywhere, VE Day lessons, a competition with winners announced tomorrow, etc.
But… we didn’t do a silence. I personally wasn’t aware there was even going to be a national silence.
Our approach was more of a celebration, like the one currently being televised on the BBC… A great big thank you to those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, but not solemn like Remembrance Day.

I didn’t know there was going to be a two minutes silence until I heard it mentioned on the 8am news bulletin.
Some of the comments on this thread have genuinely shocked me. When I think what my grandparents lived though. They weren’t the politicians who made the decisions - just ordinary people whose lives were turned upside down. A few years ago I went to visit the village dh’s granny grew up in. As we walked past the war memorial she stopped. She went through every name and told us about the young lads she’d played with as a child, who she had gone to school with. She remembered every single one, what they looked like, the house they lived in, how clever they were, what sport they played etc It was a very sad moment and I’ll never forget it. We must never forget WWII. Put aside the rights and wrong of it and just focus that war inevitably means the loss of innocent life. It’s no wonder people celebrated the end of it.

We did, at the end of morning playtime. This things are important, and it's important that the children understand why we perform this act of remembrance...

We have pupils who have come to the school as refugees from the wars in Syria and Ukraine. They get it...

Exactly. Why would you observe a 2 minute silence for the end of the war in Europe? it's meant to be a celebration.

I'm a leftie teacher in a very leftie school and we dressed up, had assemblies leading up to it, taught themed lessons, had a 1940s lunch with music and bunting, students came in in their cadet/service uniforms, we observed the silence and we had a cake sale.

Our school did, as did my son's secondary school. 2 minutes silence, special video to play while we were observing it.

Nonsense. Loads of schools with many ‘lefties’ did the silence and celebrated the anniversary.