Paris attacks leave parents, schools with tough questions

Associated Press

BOSTON

The deadly attacks in France left schools and parents around the world grappling with what to say to children, and how to say it.

When classes resumed this week, many teachers struggled to decide whether to discuss what happened in Paris. Parents wondered whether to talk about the violence or how to explain it. From country to country, the topic was tackled in different, and similar, ways.

Many schools had moments of silence to honor the hundreds of people who were killed or injured while out simply enjoying a Friday evening. Some had open discussions about terrorism and the Paris attacks. Teachers of younger students often tried to shield them from the topic.

At Miami’s George Washington Carver Middle School, teacher Sindy Garcia started her eighth-grade social-studies class with a moment of silence and then showed a video designed to teach students about the attacks. During a discussion afterward, some in the class asked what ISIS stands for and why the group wanted to attack France. The Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for the attacks.

“I tried to give them just enough facts that they’re informed but not enough to overwhelm them,” said Garcia, the school’s department head for social studies. “They’ll know the number of deaths and they’ll know the number of injured, but I won’t show more than that.”

At the Lycie Frangais de New York, students were called into assemblies by grade to discuss the news and their reactions.

“We took a really careful approach,” said Elisabeth King, a spokeswoman for the French-language school in Manhattan. “It’s really about listening and alleviating fear.”

In Toronto, the school district’s director of education issued guidelines Monday to help teachers and parents address the subject with their students and children. Tips included addressing students’ concerns about the events and asking open-ended questions about their feelings.

In the U.S., individual schools decided how to respond to the news. The superintendent of schools in Hartford, Conn., distributed guidance from the National Association of School Psychologists to principals on how to help children cope with terrorism.

Terrorism fears in the U.S. prompted some schools to cancel or postpone trips to Washington, D.C.

In Italy, the minister of education asked schools and universities to devote a minute of silence and at least an hour of reflection to the attacks.