Last month, a grade school student from one of Beijing’s most prestigious international schools got some unexpected extra curricular education in reproductive health. Now I’m no expert, but when you drop a sizable amount of money on your child’s education, there are certain things you presume you need not fret about: qualified teachers, above average class rooms, books in the library and a distinct absence of hardcore pornography. Some would even think the last one does not need mentioning.
Unfortunately, that was not the case when little innocent 10-year-old Othello (I’ve changed his name, by the way) boarded his school bus bound for a field trip. Othello and his classmates were stunned into silence when the driver fired up the engine and a pornographic movie began playing on the television smack dab in the middle of a vivid moment in the narrative. When asked about the movie, little Othello said, “It was something very, very inappropriate and I had to cover my eyes and look away.”
Apparently it took a wee bit of time for the teacher to bash some sense into the driver as she yelled at him to switch off the film. In his defense, it was a climactic moment in the plot…but I digress.
That afternoon, the principal sent a letter home with each pupil from the bus explaining the “incident” and how the driver had been fired for his poor choice in films (it wasn’t even French) and if something like this should ever happen again, the bus company would be replaced! I suspect the school made the common mistake of neglecting to inform the driver of the bus (and the bus company) that pornographic films – even French ones – are not permitted on the school bus; something they will be sure to include in the driver training from now on.
Though their young minds have now been exposed to graphic scenes of sex, on the positive side, it was a field trip the students will never forget.
