Dodgy creative writing exercise - views?

[Fmarf]

Would like views in this.
A year ago (yes, this is an ongoing saga) the head gathered the whole school together and told them that the school playing fields were breing sold off for housing. According to my two, she put on a show of being upset. She asked the children to write a letter to ask that this not happen. Children came home from school that day and told their parents. Parents were concerned to varying degrees and there was some discussion in facebook. Some parents suggests this was not happening and it was just a writing exercise.
The next day we get a letter from school saying they had run a writing exercise and there was no intention to disturb (or something similar) and that this was a common technique In schools and that they may do it again. No apology.
So I complained on the basis that lying to children is wrong, it gives the wrong message (that lying is ok if you think you have a valid reason) and that it was also damaging to the relationship between teacher and child. I pointed out that this was poor role modelling.
The chair of governors said they would address it.
Instead of following their complaints policy (taking this to a panel of governors that had no knowledge of the issue where I would get the chance to put my points and the head to answer them) my comainy was given as part of the head's review of the year at a full governors meeting. They supported the head and said that the only change should be that they reveal the 'deception' within the same school day.
I was not happy with this and said so (after having had to chase the reaponse from them) and I was offered a meeting with the head to 'explain her rationale'.
I want my complaint to be dealt with properly and in accordance with their policy. I went to the department of education and they wrote to the schill reminding them to follow their own policy and said I could have a panel of governors from other schools to review the complaint properly.
Is it just me or is this a compete hash up on the school's part?
Is lying to children deeply wrong and should not be supported?
In all this time the head has not approached me at all (and we are into the 14th month since the original complaint). Would you expect a professional to try to tackle this head on or at least communicate with us?
So fed up with all this

So no Santa or Tooth fairy in your life loiter"

I think there is a lot of confusion here between lying and 'theatre in education' and suspension of reality.

My school recently had an 'Inspire' day where all sorts of weird and wonderful things happening, including a crashed alien spaceship. There was a huge positive buzz about the school and amazing creative thinking going on. A damn sight better than the last few weeks that have been back to back SATs papers and test conditions.

The children in my class all have ASD and can't cope with 'suspension of reality' so we participate in thinks like this in a different way- all fine.

I can only imagine what is said about you in the staffroom OP!

Seriously, you need to let this go. It wasn't a big deal a year ago and if you keep banging on about it you are going to come across as a slightly unhinged person.

You really need to consider your children who have to go to this school every day.

But Charles presumably they were all aware it was a special day and therefore that under that mantle any amount of fantasy is possible.

Children who are not given this preparation or context are often confused and somewhat concerned by the unexpected, and more often than not negative, events that suddenly occur.

Nope, the children were not forewarned.

But they are much more sophisticated and resilient than you seem to think- and schools are well aware of which ones are not and will support them, as I do with my children with SEN.

Gosh some people are so dull! How on earth did you find the time and energy to be upset about this AND then complain! roaring with laughter This must be a wind up.

They weren't lying they were acting, dramatising, whatever... Let It Go.
I think Santa etc are worse as it is the child's own parent lying to them. Sweet suffering Jesus, wtf???

Advance warning perhaps not - but I quote:

'My school recently had an 'Inspire' day where all sorts of weird and wonderful things happening, including a crashed alien spaceship. There was a huge positive buzz about the school and amazing creative thinking going on.'

That's evidently a whole day of weird stuff, which by about break time will be very obvious to most NT children. They will have got the gist of it.

To have one isolated event - particularly a rather negative or shocking one, in an otherwise ordinary day - is totally different.

There's nothing particularly traumatising about hearing the playing field is going to be sold off - and then told it isn't; is there?
Try living in London, playing fields are disappearing under bulge classrooms all over the bloody shop round here. The kids survive.

So, for the hour or so the kids believed it you are ok with the 'lying' in that context?

The kids were told the school playing field was being sold for housing- which has happened at many, many schools- not that there was an epidemic of a virus that was going to kill their families or anything!

The context wasn't frightening! People seem to think their poor little souls are going to be permanently damaged by spending 24hrs thinking there will be less room to play football.

Can't see how thinking the playing fields were at risk can possibly have done 'damage'!!
Think this is a fabulous way to engage children in what can be really very dull subjects.
Anyone fancy writing a persuasive, formal letter just because? Anyone?
Can NOT understand why anyone would make such an issue of this.
Move on. I'm fairly sure the children have.

Just think how many books could have been marked, children listened to reading, great lessons planned, trips organised etc but instead the school were having to deal with this. Makes me despair.

I agree that the selling of the field to raise funds lie was a pretty tame lie to tell. More in the style of a chance for a debate on the state of society than a tragecy, surely? This is something which actually happens to schools.

When i was at school we were told that the (ancient) school gym hall ceiling was falling in (literally - falling down that day), and that there was no money to fix it. We each had to write to the council, that was the exercise. We were told it was all a fib the next day.

I was completely undamaged and very underwhelmed by the whole experience. I found it really hard to write the letter as i was secretly quite pleased the ceiling was collapsing as i hated PE.

This was aeons ago btw. It's not a new 'thing'.

Never has a thread been more in need of a 'get a grip, ffs' post.

Yes, the kids will have all but have forgotten about the whole thing, OP it's really time to let this one go.

No, Charles, I didn't say I was Ok with lying if they only believed it for an hour. It's better, that's all, than their believing it for a day or more.

The playing field thing is unlikely to be traumatic I agree. But then it's so underwhelming as a topic as to be pointless.

That's not the only issue though as I said, and many others have said. If you lie to children about something like that, first off you have to actually le - in a believable way - which is actually fairly difficult to do unless you really go for it, and I don't think that's very good for the soul.

Secondly, they will then be told you lied. Lying is something that shouldn't be encouraged in children, because a lot of them tend to try it out anyway, and to be shown by your actions that it is acceptable sends a very confusing message to them.

It is the sort of thing that would never engender respect for teachers in my eyes - because I knew lying was wrong, I would think less of them for 'having' to resort to it in order to teach us stuff. Pointless.

And then you have the whole thing about crying wolf, too. One day you're lying about the playing fields or - say for an example - wielding a fake gun while a member of staff gets shoved in a car and driven away in full view. (yes true story)

The next day there's an actual fire in the building, and the children don't believe you.

Bit short sighted? How are they going to know what's genuine - and surely the first thing you would do in a real incident of that severity (the gun thing) is a full lockdown, closing windows and sounding the alarm intermittently and calling the police.

I don't think that happened. What exactly are they being taught?

You pity schools- some of you are such hard work!

But seriously why bother faking a playing field sell off?

Why not just ask the kids to imagine it?

It's hardly going to get their emotions racing if you make out it's real anyway. May as well just be straight with them.

And with regard to more serious/unsettling incidents, you either want them to believe it or you don't. If you do, then you risk upset. If you don't, then it may as well be promoted as a drama rather than being a flash mob type of approach.

DM link sorry

Our school does this kind of writing exercise as a whole school once a month. In December a teacher pretended to take a phone call in which they were 'told' David Cameron had cancelled Christmas due to the economic situation. We had a letter home the same day explaining and asking us to discuss with our child how to persuade him to reinstate it. The kids then had to write a persuasive letter the following day. My 2 were far from being traumatised (including 1 reception age).

I can see that you disagree with the principle but they hae agreed to adjust their policy, I'm not sure what else you want to happen. Maybe the school don't know what else you want to happen, have you been clear that you would like the head teacher dismissed, all governors got rid of and the practice of 'lying' banned across the country?

"The next day there's an actual fire in the building, and the children don't believe you" - so are fire drills unacceptable lying to children too?

eh?

I see what you mean. That's a totally different situation. Fire drills are often explained to children in a serious manner, as in, we will have to pretend it is an actual fire even if it is not - or the same in hindsight - but that is valid and most kids will understand why it was done that way.

Also there is the alarm which ties it together. If the alarm sounds, we must act as though it is not a drill.

With the creative writing stunts all these issues are muddled. It's not clear, and it isn't treated in the same way, and it isn't necessary.

But I prefer fire drills that are managed with advance warning yes.

NO - no notice or warning that it is a drill or it defeats the object. There needs to be that sense of urgency to check whether there are any issues that need addressing.

I actually think it was a bit naughty to leave it hanging over the kids overnight but that's the bit which has been changed now in response to your complaint so I think that's a success for you.