Schools: Places Where No Learning Ever Goes On…

A group of primary schoolchildren were left traumatised after their teacher told them they were to be taken away from their families during a bizarre Holocaust classroom 'game'.

Gosh, I’m getting a strange feeling of déjà vu here…

The terrifying ordeal was meant to give the students at the Lanarkshire school an insight into the horrors faced by Jewish children during the Second World War, when they were plucked from home and sent to Nazi death camps.

But the ill-conceived exercise, which was sprung without warning on the children at St Hilary's Primary School in East Kilbride last Thursday morning, went badly wrong with many pupils, aged just 11, reduced to tears.

Perhaps the fact that this took place in Scotland meant that important lessons from the previous stunts didn’t get communicated?

That must be the answer, right?

One angry parent, who has lodged an official complaint about the project, told how the 'barbaric' role play left children crying their eyes out in class.

In a letter sent to council bosses, the unnamed mother said: 'Mrs McGlynn told the children they would probably have to be sent away from their families and that their parents had been informed about this and knew all about it.

'When one child asked if that meant they might have to go to an orphanage, they were told that might be a possibility.'

I think Mrs McGlynn missed her calling; surely somewhere, there’s an am-dram group missing a director…

The mother added: 'When I asked why on earth they thought it was appropriate to deliver a role play situation to the children in this way, Mrs Stewart informed me that they didn't inform the children beforehand.

'This was because they wanted the children to experience an "accurate emotional response" to this scenario in order for it to be reflected in their story writing. '

Yup, definitely am-dram material.

A South Lanarkshire council spokeswoman, who confirmed that a role play activity took place, said: 'The council can confirm that a parent handed in a letter to Education Resources on Monday, March 8, 2010, and this will be responded to shortly.'

With a suspension?

Probably not. No doubt the parents will be told they are fussing over nothing.

After all, if they make too much fuss, perhaps their children will be taken away for real…