Posted on 06/26/2017 1:25:04 PM PDT by johnk
A secondary school has been forced to apologize to parents after an English teacher asked students to draft a suicide note for homework as part of a module on Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth.
More than 60 pupils at Thomas Tallis school, Kidbrooke, London were asked to pen an imaginary final note after reading one of the play’s most celebrated scenes, when Lady Macbeth takes her own life.
Having conspired with her husband to murder King Duncan, Lady Macbeth commits suicide by “self and violent hands” after being driven mad by guilt and violent imagery of his murder.
The pupils were asked to put themselves in Lady Macbeth’s position and imagine the suicide note she might write to Macbeth explaining her decision to kill herself
However, the decision has caused outrage among parents, some of whom claimed their children had been personally affected by the issue.
I met with the parent last week and apologized wholeheartedly on behalf of the school Headmistress Caroyln Roberts Criticising Thomas Tallis for its lack of sensitivity, one mother said her daughter had been told to write the note – despite having lost three friends to suicide.
She added that her daughter had become “very distressed” over the issue, and had told the teacher in question that such material made her feel uncomfortable.
“My daughter had had personal experience with people her age committing suicide,” she added. “On what universe was it ever, under any situation, a good idea to ask a group of teenagers to write suicide notes?
“My daughter is very outspoken but there are other kids not as vocal who might be suffering from depression. I support them [Thomas Tallis school] addressing suicide but it should be in a supportive environment.”
Other parents branded the decision “absolutely disgusting” and “insensitive”, with one claiming that the assignment had been ill-conceived given the age of the students involved.
"I can't imagine why a place of education would do something so insensitive, especially as childhood and teenage depression and anxiety is at an all time high at the moment,” they added.
"My daughter's friend committed suicide in the last year of sixth form a year or so ago. My daughter has never got over it and is still receiving counselling."
Commenting on the incident, headmistress Caroyln Roberts said: “A parent contacted us with concerns about a written exercise given to a class during studies of a play by Shakespeare.
"We appreciate that the exercise was upsetting to the family and have discussed the subject matter and approach with teaching staff.
"I met with the parent last week and apologized wholeheartedly on behalf of the school and reassured them about the actions that have been taken.
"The parent accepted the apology in a meeting that was friendly and cordial."
The school said “The exercise was to write a suicide letter from Lady Macbeth to Macbeth explaining her decision to kill herself. The exercise is a well-known method for getting students to understand this dramatic twist in the play. The teacher who set the exercise is very experienced. Indeed, the exercise has been praised at a recent Ofsted inspection for the progress made by pupils studying the play”.
CLARIFICATION
Thomas Tallis School (Kidbrooke) has pointed out that, contrary to an earlier version of this report, the writing of an imaginary suicide note was part of a literary exercise. Pupils were asked to imagine that they were Lady Macbeth and draft a note to Macbeth to explain her decision to kill herself. It was not suggested that they should write a note "to their loved ones”. We are happy to make this clear and apologize to all concerned.
I just couldn’t take winning anymore. Donald was right. Goodbye winning....
This is the sickest, sickest thing I’ve read about in a long time.
This teacher should have been fired, period.
But from what I can tell the school probably did NOTHING to discipline this stupid, insensitive idiot teacher.
O noes, the psychological trauma! Fetch my smelling salts!
So the billions who never read Shakespeare are not well rounded?
I have decided to end it all and admit that I voted for Algore and Hillary, am an Antifa member, a Critical Race Theory instructor, and a founding member of the Maxine Waters Thorazine Society. I have a dozen illegal immigrants and an ISIS terror cell living in my basement. All of you FReepers can go to hell! Zot me, you fascists!
(signed)
Lady MacBeth
ps - I hope this will not affect my current membership in the Republican party.
I haven’t found a use for “To be or not to be” any more than “How now brown cow.” Outside of Algebra class, I’ve never had to use a cosine or logarithm. I did learn to replace a spark plug in high school but can’t think of any other useful education. Other than allowing me time to mature a bit, college was a waste of time and money.
‘I don’t see the problem with this.’
Yeah...there is a problem: they’re trolling for troubled kids to hook up with ‘services’ to double their cost-per-pupil finances. And...drug them...and turn them into robots.
I took a course dedicated to Shakespeare’s plays in college. Professor Nelick stood
up the first day and told us that we were all wasting our time and that he was wasting his time trying to teach us. He said we would not appreciate Shakespeare until we were 40 and older. He was right.
‘I don’t see the problem with this.’
Yeah...there is a problem: they’re trolling for troubled kids to hook up with ‘services’ to double their cost-per-pupil finances. And...drug them...and turn them into robots.
Shakespeare is good for you. Steinbeck, Jack London and Mark Twain are better. More American. Wrote about low life. That’s ok
If the assignment WAS to get into Lady Macbeth and write the note, then its an excellent exercise, and actually essential to understanding how to prepare for a dramatic role.
Shakespeare is best PERFORMED, and when performed, its still the gold standard.
This is a snowflake disruption.
Big deal, Jack London wrote about a dog.
Steinbeck is too creepy.
I read Mark Twain in 3rd grade. Good adventure stories back then but they’re banned in many schools these days.
I think that ceased to be strictly true with Kenneth Branaugh.
Branaugh (for all of his personal failings) produced accessible Shakespear.
Try showing his version of Henry V to twenty year olds.
Next weeks assignment: A coming out manifesto.
I was given this same assignment in High School. We had to write the note and read it before the classroom.
So the story is all much ado about nothing?
Because he is a lot smarter than you and actually knew how people interacted.
Not a bad idea for the existentialist mind. Read the Myth of Sysiphys and see if you can deal with life suffering and over come it to be joyfull.
Not a bad idea for the existentialist mind. Read the Myth of Sysiphys and see if you can deal with life suffering and over come it to be joyfull.
Very possibly
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