School defends 'suicide note' task

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Pupils at Radyr Comprehensive, in Cardiff, were set the task as authorities try to find answers to the 17 apparent suicides in the nearby community of Bridgend.

The pupils given the exercise were studying the book Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - in which one of the characters takes their own life - as part of their English course.

The South Wales Echo reported that the school had faced a backlash from parents over the task.

The newspaper quoted one pupil's mother, who did not want to be named, as saying: "I think it is absolutely dreadful that they were asked to write these notes especially at such a sensitive time."

The school's head teacher Steve Fowler said he had not received any complaints and any offence caused was "completely unintentional".

Mr Fowler said the pupils, aged 13 and 14, had reached a section of the book where one of the main characters learns of the death of his sister and finds an envelope from her addressed to him.

He said the task was a spontaneous 10-minute piece of writing in class in which pupils were asked not to turn over the page to find out what the letter said but rather to speculate on what its contents might be.

"There are clearly grave sensibilities in South Wales at the moment about young people taking their own lives," Mr Fowler said.

"However, the teacher setting the text did not associate the task with news stories but rather considered it part of the textual study of a serious book dealing with serious issues in a serious way."