A dad has spoken of his fury after his daughter said she was told to re-enact the Hillsborough disaster in a drama lesson.
A 12-year-old pupil at St John Fisher Catholic High School in Wigan came home on Wednesday, February 2, and told her dad she had been learning about Liverpool.
When her dad asked what she was taught, she told him they had been re-enacting the Hillsborough crush, which claimed the lives of 97 unlawfully killed Liverpool supporters, in drama class, with pupils being told to shout "don't crush me" and some, she said, pretending to be dead.
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Today the school said pupils were taught about Hillsborough and other disasters, and that the subject was "treated with the utmost respect", but did not provide a comment addressing the claims about re-enacting the disaster.
The ECHO understands the school does not accept the claim that pupils were asked to re-enact elements of the disaster.
The dad, who asked to remain anonymous, told the ECHO he was "furious" when his daughter told him.
He said: "When she first said they were learning about Hillsborough, I asked her about what part, expecting it to be about everything that happened afterwards.
"When she told me they were being told to recreate the crush shouting 'don't crush me, stop crushing me' and some of them being told to 'die', I was shocked. I thought it was disgraceful.
"I thought they would do something about court and have half of them on one side and the other half arguing, and doing the fight for justice."
The dad said he was aware the Hillsborough Disaster was going to be added to the curriculum in Liverpool schools, and its anniversary would be marked with a dedicated ‘Hillsborough Day’, but added "there's a right way to do it."
Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, who was at Hillsborough, is currently spearheading The Real Truth Legacy Project.
The campaign to educate future generations about the injustice and comprehensive establishment cover-up of Hillsborough and to ensure they know the truth about what really happened at Hillsborough and afterwards.
When informed by the ECHO of the dad's claims, Mr Byrne said: “This very disturbing incident shows exactly why The Real Truth Legacy Project is so important and why carefully planned and accurate and appropriate learning resources for schools across the country are required.
"This is exactly the type of incident that could be avoided by having education about Hillsborough added to the National Curriculum. I extend an open offer to the teacher and headteacher of the school involved to meet with me about our project.
"I am delighted to say that Greater Manchester Metro Mayor Andy Burnham is already fully behind our campaign.”
A spokesperson for St John Fisher Catholic High School said: “The Hillsborough disaster was a tragedy that left an indelible mark on this country, particularly here in the North West.
“Our pupils learn about Hillsborough – and other tragic events , such as the Aberfan mining disaster - as part of a drama project, focussing on how communities came together in response, and have done for a number of years.
“Pupils learn about the social and societal context, exploring texts and poems – including The Ballad of Hillsborough - and we ensure this important subject is treated with the utmost respect.
“We note that Liverpool City Council recently voted in favour of including Hillsborough in the curriculum for schools and we support this approach.”
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