Unbelievable School Decisions: Your Teacher Isn’t Really Dead

Many fondly remember playing the game “Clue” as children. But what would happen if kids didn’t know it was a game, and thought a murder had actually taken place? School officials in England found out when they staged a murder mystery and didn’t let students in on the hoax.

Administration at Blackminster Middle School in Evesham thought a day spent trying to unravel a mystery would be a terrific way for students, ages 10 to 13,  to learn how to investigate, collect facts and analyze evidence. A fire drill was planned, and while the students waited to return to their classrooms, a man appeared, brandishing what appeared to be a gun. He took aim at one of the most popular teachers at the school and fired.

Of course, the whole scene was staged, and the gun was a fake, but no one thought to tell the students. They were convinced that they had just witnessed a murder when a clapperboard was used to simulate the sound of gunfire. Terrified beyond belief, the children were then driven to hysterical crying as other teachers rushed to the “victim” in an attempt to resuscitate him. After 10 minutes had passed and several children had vomited out of fear, the charade was exposed.

The Telegraph of the U.K. quoted Vikki Woosey, whose son is in Year 6 at the school.

“They were standing in the playground, and then a man appeared in the distance holding a gun,” Woosey said. “Then their teacher dropped to the ground and the teaching assistants ran over. They start doing CPR on the teacher, and then the man ran into the school and supposedly trashed the science lab. It left some of the pupils terrified.”

The Telegraph spoke with Blackminster Head teacher Terry Holland, who told the paper, “The role play was part of a science lesson where a selection of students and teachers acted out this scenario.”

In a letter to parents, the school said, “We have reflected on the matter and now feel that the time delay was too long and pupils should have been reassured instantly to allay their concern.”

There was no word as to whether grief counselors were brought in to help the students cope with the untimely “death.”

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See other articles in the Unbelievable School Decisions series:

Unbelievable School Decisions: Child Stranded in Tree
Unbelievable School Decisions: Student Cage Match
Unbelievable School Decisions: Kids Made to Don Prison Jumpsuits
Unbelievable School Decisions: Baby Bunnies Buried Alive
Unbelievable School Decisions: "Pucker Up" Pep Rally
Unbelievable School Decisions: Cheating Teachers

Article by Jason Tomaszewski, EducationWorld Associate Editor
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