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Primary education

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Is this age appropriate for year 1?

27 replies

Mavey9 · 20/10/2015 21:00

My child is in year 1 and is 5. They have recently been learning about Black History as party of Black History month. The teacher has chosen Nelson Mandela as the focus of this topic and has been teaching the children about Apartheid and what that entailed, and about Nelson Mandela's many years in prison separated from his family. I know this is an important topic but I feel this isn't age appropriate subject matter and is not the right age to teach concepts such as this. My child has grown up with no concept whatsoever of racial tension or discrimination and is understandably confused about this and worried too, especially about the prison bit. It's such a nuanced subject with a lot of adult concepts that it seems wrong to teach this to 5 year olds, or is it me that is being over sensitive? As an aside, they have also been previously learning about princess Diana and that she died in a car crash. It all seems a bit much for first half term in year 1 to me. Just keen to know what others think really. Thanks for reading.

OP posts:
reni2 · 21/10/2015 15:05

Ours did it in year 1, too. It was done really well, young children might not have understood racism yet, but they have a very keen understanding of justice and fairness. They were all freedom fighters for the rest of the term.

Not sure about Diana in a car crash, doesn't strike me as quite important enough historically to teach as one of the very first things in history in school.

auntyclot · 21/10/2015 18:20

I think it's fine. Dh went to South Africa last year and my DC got books about Nelson Mandela out of the library. They were 7 and 5.

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