parents outraged that school pet lamb is to be slaughtered

[wannaBe]

here

Think the head has the right idea tbh, although not quite sure how my ds would react...

ah right dailymail, i shall concur

Sorry SEA, was I being too insistant again?

[note to self, not everyone needs to be persauded to your point of view, learn to drop it]

hahaha. Sensible children.

don't be silly, just saying i see what you mean now

I think a working farm is a good idea and children should know where meat comes from.

The mistake was giving the sheep a name and allowing the children to become too emotionally attached to the animal.

Allowing the children to decide what happened to the animal is fair. It seems the children are more sensible than some of the parents.

Phew

(I do get too insistant about things and it is a habit I need to break - having recognised that it happens I am now trying to work out where the line is that I keep crossing IYSWIM!)

oh not it's good to be passionate

I am certainly that!

Look it is going to be one wanky parent who probably already has form for fussing about nothing. I feel sorry for that particular woman's DC as what springs to mind this (warning, sweary!)

my DS's saw a chicken caught, kiled, plucked, gutted and cooked when they were 5 and 2. Doesn't seem to have scarred them at all (although DS2 doesn't remember it - DS1 does).

I was more alarmed by discovering that they witnessed the whole process

I should imagine she allowed them to vote as it was the school council. At DS1's junior school the school council pretty much decides what goes and what doesn't. They were the ones that voted to change the uniform to a more "standard" one (there were approx 50 different "variations" on the uniform that were all acceptable). It was put out to parents for the final decision - but it was the children that decided.

The school council have pupils from each class in it - and they are the "class reps". They are the "voice" of the rest of the school.

oh FGS is bloody food, and they're in a farming community.

I wonder if it was mostly boys who voted for the slaughter.

most school councils are usually made up of girls and boys. At least they are in the schools round here - 1 boy and 1 girl from each class.

In which case it can't have been all boys.

What an odd thing to say, FabBakerGirl. Because little girls would never do that, would they?

It's a good idea to make children realise where their food comes from. But they should perhaps have made a distinction between an animal kept as a pet and one reared for food.

Sheep are a bit big for children to slaughter, but no reason they shouldn't do chicken.

It was only a thought, UD.

It's interesting to note that the headteacher the parents are criticising has been in the post since January this year............and in that time has lifted the school out of special measures and even achieved some 2's in the latest "follow-up" visit.

Me thinks some of the "couldn't give a shit but have the loudest mouth" parents (of which I think most schools have a few) don't like the way the new head has come in and made changes .

Agree a sheep would be a little large for a child to slaughter

Boys would probably want to kill it with a light sabre or by turning into some Ben10 alien, and girls talk it to death or ignore it until it just pined away, perhaps.

Can't see a problem with showing children where meat comes from - mine asked from about 3 if there was a connection between the lamb on their plates and the fluffy lambs at the farm so have always know and not been put off - but getting them to vote on it seems odd. The fact that there was a chance the animal might not have been killed is more likely to upset kids I'd have thought, whereas with animals bred for slaughter there's no possiblity of a life as a pet.

Cant believe it just listening to Jeremy Vine and Paul O'grady said he'd buy the sheep....what??? what lesson does that teach us I am mad this is sending all the wrong messages whether you agree or not.

A "Celeb" doing another wonderful thing for the world - give me strength!

Great praise for the head teacher - fed up with this PC education.

What everyone is missing the point is that this lamb will turn into a smelly big sheep its not like a cat/dog situation. Lambs are bred to eat or breed.

Children are not stupid and can evaluate a situation more than we give them credit.

Perhaps all schools could be self sufficient raising their own meat its not that difficult and I'm sure through the centurys other children havent been mentally traumatised by the reality of meat.

I approve of the idea.
Quality of life matters as much if not more than the fact of death. By loving and caring for this creature the school ensured it had a good life, even though it was destined to be short. This is the best and only possible truly proper way to raise livestock for slaughter.

If a lamb like this isn't raised for slaughter, then how should a lamb be raised for slaughter?? How would it be better for the lamb to be raised for slaughter in a more conventional way?

Being in a rural area we had a school farm (average state comp) where we raised chickens and pigs then sold them after they had been slaughtered.
Was never a big deal, no one ever commented.
When children are informed they can then make their own lifestyle choices.

Anyone who was naughty got sent on mucking out duty. That was a good deterrent!