school making me do something I don't want to do | Ask Sam
In school the other day they made us design a poster about king Charles. We were supposed to say about the good things he did for this country. Now I really don't like that we have a royal family and I said to my teacher that I didn't feel comfortable doing that. She said you can't deny he has done a lot of work for charity and gave me examples. She said even if I disagreed, the task is still the same. I went along with it because I didn't know how to reply to that, but I still don't feel happy that I had to do it. Another teacher once said schools have to be politically neutral, but I don't think this is a neutral thing to do. If it was neutral wouldn't she have let me decide what type of poster I made?
Sam
Hi there,
It’s okay to have your own views and it’s valid to feel uncomfortable when you’re asked to do something that goes against them.
School should always be a space to explore different ideas and ask questions, especially when learning about public figures, history, or politics. Hearing about different perspectives can help us all to understand each other better and think about things in new ways.
It’s always okay to ask your teacher about ways to explore your perspective as well as others. For example, even if you do the project you’ve been asked, you could still have a class discussion about King Charles or the royal family.
If you feel like your beliefs are being ignored by your teacher it can be helpful to share this with another trusted adult in school, like a teacher or your head of year. They can help give you a space to say your concerns and hear both sides of what’s happening.
It’s important to remember that your thoughts and views matter and you deserve to feel heard.
Take care,
Sam
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