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.

This. Did it ever happen before? I don’t remember it and I do in November.

Initially i thought, its a celebration so silence isnt needed. But on reflection, i can't actually really see how you can celebrate without acknowledging the loss too amongst it briefly.

I get the sense of relief and joy people must have felt and it's good to celebrate peace! But surely you'd still reflect on your son, brother, father that didn't make it with a moment of gratitude..

I'm hoping that there will be some recognition for VJ day, not on the same scale but some recognition. My father was in the Far East and he used to tell us that in a speech Mountbatten told them that they shouldn't think of themselves as the forgotten army, most people back home don't even know you bloody exist, words to that effect. The day Mountbatten was murdered was the first time I ever saw tears in my father's eyes or heard him really swear, Those fucking bastards have murdered my boss.

We had a 2 minute silence at our school.
But unfortunately the written GCSEs started today, so some schools may have chosen not to. Bad form from the Department of Education. Imagine, GCSEs starting on VE Day

No one has really explained why we have had a silence today but no other year before now?

2 min silence is for remembrance day. Today is VE Day so a celebration.

Many of them will still be British citizens and they’re all living in Britain! If I lived in another country I’d want to be involved in that country’s key events.

Is it a key event though?

I can find press releases saying there was one on 75 anniversary and for the 50th. So it's not unprecedented.

I can't especially remember marking VE day much at all apart from those bigger anniversaries.

Trust me, no one bothered with the 50th. Maybe blokes with combovers in Milton Keynes. But no one apart from them

75th we were all locked up and would have done anything.

@Fearfulsaintsah ok, maybe it’s just I can’t remember them.
I remember there was a fly past for 50th, but if my school did a silence then I don’t recall

I was a school kid during the 20th and 30th anniversaries of VE Day and we definitely didn’t do any two minute silences. I’ve been teaching since 1990 so have seen the 50th, 60th and 70th VE Day anniversaries, none of which were marked with two minute silences in the schools I was working in, or anywhere else as far as I recall. The school I was in today had some VE Day activities but didn’t do a two minute silence.

I didn't know it was a thing either

Both my kids came home and said they'd done a two minute silence today. One primary, one secondary in a pretty diverse area in Manchester. I on the other hand completely forgot about.

I commented to DH earlier about the fact I didn't remember any of the key VE day anniversaries prior to the 75th lock down one. I'm mid 40s too, so would have thought I'd have remembered some of them.

Schools have been doing events around these key dates for longer even if not official.
As I tell my students, I am getting on a bit and I was at primary for the 50th anniversary of the declaration of WW2. We did an extended project on the second world war.
I also remember 1995 having a small 1940s trend and getting a fabulous dress from River Island that would have been perfect for a VE day celebration.
Many schools did and do a lot around WW2 and always have. OP was wrong to say schools didnt, Some didnt. There’s always been outliers. The headteacher at my second placement school for training refused to do the silence in memory of the Queen Mother and had a rant about royal privilege in assembly instead (now that was out of order).

What happens when your child asked the teacher if they could observe the silence that was important to them?

I assume this was in addition to the moment of reflection you had with them before or after school.

Here we go.
Interesting that you mention Palestine, and not Ukraine, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Sudan. Only Palestine. Is there a reason for that? And what has it to do with VE Day?

We all know why she’s restricting it to only that one… don’t call her out on it though, she wouldn’t like being called racist

You might want to learn some history of you think it was just Europe fighting.