Talking about death with pupils

Throughout childhood, the death of a parent or someone else close is one of children’s most common and persistent fears. Death is all around – in the news, in popular culture, and of course in many young people’s own families. Three-quarters of secondary school pupils have been bereaved of someone important. Yet we seldom find the time or inclination to have a proper discussion about death: the one certainty in life.

Dying Matters Awareness Week (May 9 to 15) has the theme The Big Conversation. While the topic may be big, talking about it can be a series of smaller conversations.

Throughout the curriculum, there are many opportunities for addressing the subject of death: in biology, history, literature, PSHE, citizenship, art, media studies, RE, psychology. Mortality has occupied writers, artists, philosophers and scientists since the dawn of these forms of expression and study. Often, young people will be grappling with these issues already, and the question is not one of introducing the topic, but responding positively and openly to young people’s attempts to discuss it.