Nay Hinain
Diala Esreb
Les Choristes
This movie is a critically acclaimed french film which was directed by Christophe Barratier. It was co-written by Barratier and Philippe Lopes-Curval, it is an adaptation of the 1945 film A Cage of Nightingales.
When the boys of the French country-side were misbehaving, they were sent to a boarding school called Fond de l'Etang. This school believed in the punishment policy in which the children would suffer for the consequences that they made. It came to the point where the teachers weren’t waiting for the lesson, but better yet for the next mistake that the children would make. Since the approach of beating the children for the problems they caused didn’t seem to have a working effect, the principle, M. Rachin, decided to get another teacher to join the faculty. The Teacher tried new methods when dealing with the children, because he didn’t believe in abusing children for disciplin. He starts a chorus, and has the children sing in it. It turns into a success and the children become very pasionate about the chorus.
We both enjoyed the movie because of the message it sends and we have grown attached to the characters because we witness them get out of their comfort zone, which demonstrates character development.
Do you believe that teacher to student abuse is effective?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think that when teachers use drastic measures such as abuse with their students that takes away the feeling of accomplishment when they succeed and replaces it with the need to satisfy the teacher and not themselves. By beating children, you are not only taking away their will, but also leaving them on edge afraid of what might happen to them next.
DeleteWhile all that might be true, and I'm not condoning the beating of children because ethically, it is wrong. But the fear can be a good motivator to become good students and finish their work accordingly, no?
DeleteThat is true, but nonetheless as we see in the film doing all that didn't really stop the children from misbehaving. In fact, it gave them the motivation to make the teachers suffer for the pain they have given them by the beating.
DeleteThis is an exaggerated situation due to the fact that the boys are all known to misbehave. But maybe the reason the boys are misbehaving is because of the abuse… Do you think there is a connection?
DeletePossibly. When one is put under pressure and forced to do something unwillingly and gets beaten for it, I think the one way to react is to give in to your instincts and allow for an attack.
DeleteI think the same, maybe if the teachers weren't so abusive, the students wouldn't have so much pent up anger to need to release.
DeleteYou're certainly right with that! I have a question though. Do you think it is ethically right to separate the boys that cause trouble to the boys who don't?
DeleteTo be honest, yes. Because I know how annoyed I get when there is a troublemaker in the class. I feel if the troubled boys would do nothing but disrupt the class, and they should be placed in a different school, however that might just motivate them to act worse because they're surrounded by people who like to cause trouble. What about you? What are your views?
DeleteWell, I see what you mean with the annoyance that one might get by being in the presence of one that disrupts their classmates from learning. Although, I don't think it is right to have a school just for them because then they are being judged for being different and I don't see that as something worth doing to children who are only getting used to being in our world. By having a school just for them it is as if they have done something as wrong as murderers who are sent to jail for taking a life away. If the school feels the need to put the child in place then they should consider things like detention, maybe, or seeing the school councilor because in my opinion, leaving them out of society is wrong.
DeleteYou're completely right.
DeleteThank you so much for having this discussion with me! I hope we can do it again sometime.
It was a pleasure to share my opinion and hear yours as well. We will surely do this again!
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