There are some things you expect when you send your child away on a 4 day field trip. You expect that they'll be fed and watered regularly, that they won't be allowed to get into too much trouble, and most likely that they'll come back with a wicked sleep deficit and a bag full of dirty clothes.
One thing you probably don't expect is that they'll be dragged out one evening to take part in a "slavery re-enactment skit" which involved them being called racist, derogatory names, verbally threatened, and generally menaced by the instructors.
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I think you could let them watch "Roots" and it would be just as enlightening.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely wasn't necessary to do what they did, that's for sure.
DeleteAnd this is why I will never watch the documentary "Scared Straight" for as long as I live.
ReplyDeleteI agree...as a parent I wouldn't of been pleased with this approach. I don't like the idea of using racial slurs, or verbally abusive language for any reason even if they deem that it is to teach.
ReplyDeleteAND I would of been angry that I wasn't informed prior so I could decide if my child should participate. I don't think 12 or 13 year olds need to decide if that is an appropriate lesson for them. At that age they hardly know how to pick good food choices, so how are they equipped to figure out if they are mature enough to delve into such a sensitive topic.
It's just such a bad way of dealing with it. Traumatising a bunch of kids to "teach them something".
DeleteSo why couldn't they do it the old fashion way? In a classroom and giving the kids a lesson on the history of slavery and explain exactly what happened and why certain names are derogatory etc etc... The kids would then be a calm environment where they could ask as many questions as they want. Not stuck in a bush somewhere being shouted at.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what possessed this camping instructor to do this with a 30 minute notice, no parental guidance on the 3rd night? Maybe she/he knew they could get away with it. In other words, what's done is now done with no consequences!
I can't imagine traumatising them is a good way to go about it.
DeleteThat's inexcuseable. And we entrust our kids to people with this sort of poor judgement?
ReplyDeleteThey definitely have a lot of explaining to do.
DeleteThere should have been some kind of warning before camp that this would take place...not all parents would be good with it.
ReplyDeleteI certainly wouldn't have been.
DeleteI would have been super pissed if I were a parent of a child who attended here...wouldn't someone have had the awareness to realize that this was a wee bit over the top?
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine how they thought it wouldn't get back to the parents.
DeleteI would be furious if that had happened to one of my children.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
And you'd have every right to be.
DeleteTime to get sued and shut down.
ReplyDeleteIt's only a matter of time ;D
DeleteThe most disturbing part of this would be the lack of parental permission. Shaking my head . . .
ReplyDeleteI can't understand how they thought it would be okay.
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