Teacher Asked High School Students To Write A Suicide Note While Studying Shakespeare, Parents Protest


A London teacher apologized after forcing more than 60 high school students to write a suicide note as a school project after studying Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Mirror reported.

In one of the most popular Shakespeare’s plays, Lady Macbeth kills herself after feeling so much guilt over the murder of King Duncan.

According to the report, the children were not comfortable with the school project. In all, more than 60 students wrote a suicide note for the project. The teacher has since apologized, claiming she didn’t realize that it was in bad taste.

One mother spoke out about the class project and how it affected her daughter. She explained that her daughter had had a friend that had taken their own life, so writing the suicide note was difficult for her. She continued saying that she doesn’t understand how the teacher thought it would be a good idea to force high school students to write a suicide note.

Another parent said that the teacher might need to go back to training because the school project was not age-appropriate.

The school project ended after a group of student and parents protested in front of the student school in South East London. At least 13 students participated in the protest.

According to Daily Mail, one of the mothers said she found out that the school assignment had been given to more than one class. She felt it was “improper” because her daughter admitted that a few of her classmates struggle with depression.

“I can’t imagine why a place of education would do something so insensitive, especially as childhood and teenage depression and anxiety is at an all-time high at the moment.”

Another parent added that it’s perfectly acceptable for the students to learn about Shakespeare plays, but writing a suicide note went too far.

In a time that teenage depression and anxiety is at an all-time high, this school project could be considered insensitive.

The school teacher, Carolyn Roberts, has apologized for the assignment and assured the parents that the project would not be handed out again.

The school took swift action after a few parents complained about the assignment and issued a sincere apology for the insensitive project. The school added that the teacher didn’t consider how the project might upset those pupils that had been personally affected by suicide.

Do you think the school assignment was insensitive? Share your opinion in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by Smolaw/Shutterstock]

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