Teaching Sensitive Topics in the Secondary Classics Classroom. Issue 34 (15th November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hunt, Steven
• Is Part Of: Journal of classics teaching. Volume 17:Issue 34(2016)
• Page Start: 31
• Page End: 43
• Publication Date: 2016-11-15
• Subjects: 480.07
• DOI: 10.1017/S2058631016000222
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2058-6310

Abstract

Abstract : This article examines how a number of teachers of Classics at secondary school level say they deal with sensitive topics, such as violence, religious belief, death and sex and sexuality. In the secondary school original texts are read partly for improving the students' understanding of the language and partly for the study of other aspects of the ancient society, such as the subject matter and the process of a legal case, for example. Therefore, sensitive topics often arise incidentally during the reading of a text rather than because they are the particular feature of the reading. Should teachers brush past such an topic for fear of causing offence or getting into trouble with school authorities or parents, or should they use the topic to develop their students' understanding of the topic at hand – and if the latter, how far should they go?