Outrage after school tells 13-year-old students to plan own funeral including choosing a coffin as homework
Outraged and upset parents have slammed a school after their 13-year-old children were told to plan their own funeral including picking flowers and a coffin as part of their homework. The religious studies homework had been assigned to Year Eight students at St Paul's Catholic School in Leicester, UK, during the coronavirus lockdown. The students were given a form and had to make decisions for their funeral and also give reasons as to why they were picking what.
It is reported that the students had to also pick out their favorite music or hymn and choose flowers for a memorial. According to The Sun, the students were required to choose whether they would be buried or cremated. The assignment read, "Where would you like your body to be buried? Your ashes scattered?" One of the parents Gemma Marston had shared a picture of the bizarre homework on Facebook and written, "Anyone else feel that getting them to plan their own funeral is a bit too much? Or am I being over the top?"
Many parents replied saying they would be 'livid' if their child was given such an assignment. One Facebook user said, "Yes kids needs to start understanding death but at least discuss this with the parents first! And homework? Does that imply a lesson was as taught on this?" Other parents were of the opinion that 13 was too young an age for students to get such assignments especially during the coronavirus pandemic where many people have lost loved ones. One such person said, "Especially at a time like this 50,000 people have died, not to mention the children have been stuck in at home."
Another shared, "Some children would be scared at the thought of dying and it would cause a lot of fear." A Facebook user echoed the sentiments and added, "Way over the top. Kids have enough to deal with without this." A teacher also commented on the post and wrote, "I wouldn't do this. Some children can be very susceptible to ideas about death and funerals. You don't always know if one of your pupils has had a recent loss and this sort of thing can be very triggering for pupils."
The school issued an apology and revealed that the assignment was given "in error." As per data revealed by the John Hopkins University, there have been around 8,791,794 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the globe so far with the pandemic resulting in the death of around 464,465 people. The UK has seen around 304,580 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far with around 42, 674 deaths. According to BBC, the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that all pupils in all year groups in England will go back to school full time beginning September. While speaking at the daily coronavirus briefing, he said that the government was "signed up... to bring every child back, in every year group, in every school." Williamson had told reporters, "We have already been very clear that we want to see all children in all classes returning full-time to school in September. That's what we are working towards."