London School Asks Pupils to Write A Suicide Notes for Homework (literary exercise)

The Telegraph ^ | 23 JUNE 2017 • 5:28PM | Harry Yorke

[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.

[Celerity]

“So the story is all much ado about nothing?”

No, nothing that’s taught in schools is “about nothing”. But in today’s world if something happens in a small town in rural Iowa, everyone knows about it before they go to bed.

that’s just life with the internet. Much of the things that we hear about, we are hypersensitive to because a few decades ago we weren’t aware of it.

For instance, I learned a pretty modern lesson on Islam when I was in elementary school. We learned about the prayer, the rug and all the stupid stuff. It wasn’t taught with any bias, but we also learned about Shintoism, Judaism, Buddhism as well as Christianity.

We weren’t forced to revere them, but learning how they operate was in the curriculum. We weren’t forced to perform any ritual of any sort because back then such a request was pure madness.

As it is today. It’s just that madness is now allowed.

[American in Israel]

That is funny...