I want to complain about school book choices!

[Anon150]

My dd is between year 9 and year 10.
We are not in the UK
She is at an all girls school

So far for English she has read a book about teenage pregnancy which she said was dull, today she tells me the book they are reading next term involves a graphic description of how someone committed suicide.

Youth mental health is a big problem and a huge focus. Where we live it is illegal for the news to give details about the method of suicide.

I am quite cross with the school and want to write and complain that they have exposed the kids to this when really it isn’t allowed, I think for vulnerable youth it’s a really poor decision.

I admit I am traumatised by being made to read a book in school that I still find the contents ‘difficult’ I was talking to my Mother (ex English teacher!) about it today and it literally brought tears to my eyes. However I also think the book choices for dd are poor and dull (English teacher Mother agrees!) I’m conflicted whether I should write and complain or not. I don’t want to be “that” parent but the choices are really poor, they have not been chosen for literary merit. Dd loves school but not English!

I don’t want to give the titles!

What a waste of everyone's time.

@HoppingPavlova and @echt I do hear you and yes it’s both very obviously avoiding the word, accompanied by mentioning mental health support and I agree it’s usually clunky and obvious and there’s a lot of back patting while everyone wonders around their living room at home, wondering why so many healthy young people are dropping dead with no warning and what illness is causing this, until they all walk around saying ‘oh that’s weird do you think it was suicide?’ ‘It must have been suicide’ ‘what a shame so many young people are choosing suicide’ thereby ensuring the word suicide is said many more times than it would have been if they had just said suicide!.

Ha ha there’s lots of other threads you can join, I’m sure there are book club type ones if you want to discuss books as well.

If you don’t want to share the titles, what’s the point of your post?

You started a thread, complaining about the choice of books.Then you don't say what these books are.

Do you not see the problem?

Depends on the school system she's in. If she's in International Baccalaureate, it actively encourages educators to introduce students to a wide range of social topics. Think racism, war and conflict, discrimination, gender, religion etc. I've worked in Catholic schools and taught texts designed to expose racism, trans issues, psychological trauma resulting from torture during war. All designed to encourage them to be active global citizens rather than protected and western focused.

So basically, if you disagree with the schools choices, perhaps you should reconsider the school, rather than trying to change it. You do have a choice about where to send her.

What an absolutely pointless thread.

”I think these books are inappropriate: I’m not going to tell you which ones but I want you to discuss whether I’m being unreasonable or not anyway.”

I’m guessing you don’t actually know the titles of the books, nor have you read them. You just heard ‘teen pregnancy/suicide’ and went all Daily Mail reader.

🙄

Yes, I just can't understand this refusal, when it would certainly clarify matters.

It’s utterly ridiculous that you won’t give the titles of the books.
Hoe can anyone comment when they don’t have all the information?

That's not the point, which I am sure you must be aware of.

OP Do you think my lunch today is healthy?

Oh, by the way, I won't be telling you what it is!

It's worth a try, @Anon150 , to start a conversation about book choices.

The only student revolt that ever got anywhere when I was in high school was when my English class complained to our teacher about one of the books she'd set us. It was a modern one about depressed teenagers getting laid. We all said we'd prefer Pride and Prejudice. The teacher wasn't even slightly miffed - she was surprised, but happy to follow our lead.

Romeo and Juliet is quite a common study at that age isn’t it? Pretty sure that includes descriptions of suicide, but I assume most parents wouldn’t have a particular issue with it being covered in English class. So as others have said, the book title matters.

Romeo and Juliet features suicide? Most Shakespeare plays have murders in them. Kids read horror stories all the time where zombies eat someone's face etc.

You say the books are 'poor'. In what way? So what that your mum used to be an English teacher. Your child says it's boring but that's because she's not interested in the subject.

At that age they should be perfectly comfortable reading fiction and non fiction on various adult themes. I was reading adult literature aged 10.

So no, don't be 'that parent'.

What, you don't like Jude the Obscure?

In that case I can't trust your judgement lol.

I am still surprised books don’t come with warnings like movies or TV series.
I think this all depends on the book. Something like Romeo and Juliet - most people know the plot, it’s not that easy to read and it’s a play so no graphic descriptions. But a novel where it’s discussed in detail I probably wouldn’t feel is appropriate and I’d ask why they chose that book

My mum was also an English teacher. Oddly enough we did not always agree on the quality or literary merit of particular books, because we were different people.

It's ridiculous to ask people's opinion of books without telling them what the books are. It makes you sound like you just want validation for its own sake.

If you don’t even have the enough confidence in your opinion to share the book titles on here, then I don’t think you should complain to the school.

That’s not the question!

I’ve asked about a graphic description of suicide being handed to young kids to read over summer holidays you don’t need to know what colour ink was used, or the exact words or even the language the book was written in to have an opinion.

I have explained why the book isn’t a great choice (hint character development, story construction etc read the post) I mention the view of an English teacher because we can all assume they have more than the general level of knowledge about book choices for school kids.

I’ve explained why I am not giving the titles of the books

I’m not asking for an opinion of the books I’m asking whether they should have been given a graphic description of suicide to read over the holidays.

I havn’t read Romeo and Juliet but have seen many plays, films and ballets based on the story I don’t remember the description of suicide being particularly graphic in any of the ones I have seen. It’s part of the storyline but not graphic.

as someone said I wouldn’t complain if they were reading a variety of books but they aren’t so thanks that’s another point to make.

But what you define as a graphic description, I might not define as a graphic description.
Which means and I actually do need to see the actual words.

I can’t see any issue here. As everyone notes, hard to say without any actual information but as a stand alone issue - I’m sure 14 year olds are aware of suicide and pregnancy so can’t see why it would be a thing to avoid. I’d think any book assigned over the holidays is part of the curriculum and therefore there’s a pedagogical reason for it. I take it you’d be happier if they read it during the school year instead?

You do appreciate that being in a 'nice, aspirational' school and area is absolutely no protection from loneliness, coercion, lack of access to confidentiality around contraception, sexual abuse or emotional neglect leading a teenager to think that if she had a baby, at least she'd have somebody who loves her unconditionally and would always give her hugs and cuddles if she's totally bereft of physical affection in her daily life?

Both Romeo and Juliet commit suicide on stage so I suppose it depends on your definition of graphic 🤨