A day and a half!

Last day of term for us today. I had tasked my year 12’s with watching assigned channel 4 documentaries relating to sociology. They had all term to watch 3 episodes and then present and summarise to the other students in the group. They did an amazing job and it was quite apparent that it had opened their eyes to the world! J here had been tasked with watching ‘Skint’ which was filmed in my home town of Scunthorpe (and just 15 or so miles from where I teach now). He was quite moved by the anger and hopelessness he witnessed in the documentary and realised how privileged a life he himself led.
The ‘best’ was yet to come though!!! One of the other students was tasked with watching ‘ Hate thy neighbours’ a doco about extreme social political views. E did an amazing summary but one of the episodes she chose was about a group in the US that sends children who are at risk of ending up in jail to an actual jail to get them to realise the error of their ways. As part of her presentation the student had also found an article in the Daily mail that had explored the physical and emotional abuse that happened in these places and the Mail had inserted viewable clips of secretly filmed abuse. Well all I can say is that it was so appalling that another student in the class ended up sobbing, I was almost in tears and J was finding it hard not to cry too. All of us were beyond stunned that such cruelty could take place towards children in the civilised world and was justified by the law in the US.
A very powerful presentation! Did nip and tell the head in case there’s any comeback from parents!

Tonight we are in Penrith - on our way up to Thurso tomorrow for a week. Glad I’ve got the new car to travel in