Terrified pupils told: You won’t see parents again

School ‘lesson’ on refugees backfires

‘Everyone was crying’

IT was meant to teach children as young as four what it might be like to be a refugee.

But the exercise left many in tears, fearing there had been a terror attack.

Primary school pupils were told during an assembly that they might not see their parents again after an incident and that they were being evacuated in ‘transporters’.

Without a clear explanation, the youngsters were left ‘disturbed and distressed’ and some thought there had been a bomb blast, it was claimed.

The school has apologised, saying the assembly had been intended to give pupils a scenario to make them think about the plight of refugees fleeing disasters and civil war.

It was part of a week of learning about the charity Christian Aid, which helps provide disaster relief to countries around the world hit by tragedies and poverty.

The children, aged between four and 11, at the Newington Church of England Primary School in Sittingbourne, Kent, were only told it was a story after last Friday’s assembly.

Michael Theodorou, whose stepson goes to the school, said by then many of the 155 pupils were ‘very distressed’.

Speaking to the Sittingbourne News, he said: ‘The kids were all told that something big had happened in London and that transporters were coming to pick them up.

‘They then said they didn’t know if their parents would know where they were being taken and might not be able to see them and they would be separated from their friends and family. At the end they noticed most of the children in the school were disturbed and distressed.’

He added: ‘Most of the parents have complained to the school.’

Julie Hardy, who has a son in Year 4, said many children were traumatised, adding: ‘A Year 1 teacher got up and told them they were being evacuated and had no time to see parents before but hopefully they’d find them.

‘Everyone was crying and all the girls were upset that they weren’t going to see their mums.’ One parent, who asked not to be named, said the assembly was a ‘complete disaster’ and had ‘ seriously affected’ some children.

She added: ‘Whoever thought it was a good idea to terrify young children that they might not see their parents again needs their head examined.

‘The kids thought that something really bad had happened – they watch Newsround, so many of them know about terror attacks and bombs.’

The school apologised this week and sent a letter to parents saying the assembly had ‘not been discussed beforehand with senior staff’.

The letter added: ‘ In hindsight, although this message should have been delivered in a more appropriate manner it was provided with the best of intentions, and discussions and training will take place with staff to ensure that it will not happen again.

‘The children have been reassured that this was a fictional activity and have been apologised to.

‘We apologise for any upset your child may have experienced and wish to reiterate our aim to provide a safe and happy environment for your children to learn and flourish.’