Primary school miss flashes porn vid at kiddies

A primary school teacher has had her knuckles rapped after accidentally exposing her 10-year-old pupils to a pornographic video. According to the Sun, the unnamed schoolmarm took her own VCR into St Helen's Church of England School in Abbotsham, Devon, intending to show the young 'uns an "educational programme". The tape she' …

[Anonymous John]

Unbelievable!

I didn't think anyone still used VCRs.

[Raumkraut]

Education, education, education

This is a school we're talking about. It takes 10 years before they're even aware of a technology, and another 10 before their regular suppliers start providing it (at prices from 10 years earlier).

[Grease Monkey]

Crap

My son's primary school don't have or use VCRs. Schools don't these days, even a DVD player is old hat. Anything they watch in class is run on one of the classroom PCs.

[Anonymous Coward]

urm

It's Devon we're talking about it here - of course they still use VCRs.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm shocked too...

that people still use VCRs :-o

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd be shocked and disgusted too

VHS? Euw.

[JP Strauss]

Some more irony, maybe

What I find slightly amusing is that Betamax got canned in favour of the lower quality VHS because the porn industry endorsed Betamax.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wrong....

..the porn industry backed VHS!

And online streaming, online payments, micropayments.

Where Porn goes, the rest follow..

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, both wrong.

JVC (inventor of VHS) (Victor Company Of Japan) threw licenses around like confetti, everyone could build one.

Sony, inventors of the superior betamax, wouldnt allow anyone else to make betamax gear.

Thats why VHS suceeded and beta failed (although its still used today!).

[Anonymous Coward]

@ Some more irony . .

I think you meant to say that the porn industry endorsed VHS. AFAIK the porn industry was forced into that position (Ooer, missus (TM)) by Sony refusing to license their 'product' on Betamax.

[Alastair Dodd 1]

wrong way round

Betamax (Sony) refused to supply porn industry so that gave the kick that made VHS the standard, despite being more rubbish.

Hence Porn inductry contributing heavily to DVD spec.

[Uncle Slacky]

Other way 'round

I understood the popularity of VHS was down to the easy availability of pr0n in that format, whereas Sony was a bit po-faced about what Betamax could be used for.

[Annihilator]

@JP Strauss - even more ironic

Is that you've got the urban myth the wrong way around, and that it was Sony that banned porn from Betamax. Regardless, it's a bollox theory as grumble-flicks were available on both formats. Not to mention that porn doesn't have the market influence that people like to think it does.

[mccp]

The myth is the other way around...

Supposedly Sony wouldn't allow Porn on Betamax, so VHS took off, not the "porn industry endorsed Betamax".

And there doesn't seem to be any proof anyhow, more likely VHS took of because of the fact that Betamax tapes were 60 minutes long, VHS tapes were 180 minutes long and quality isn't an issue for most people - ref. the number of people who watch over-processed SD TV on poorly adjusted HD LCD sets.

[Wize]

Well...

"...and quality isn't an issue for most people - ref. the number of people who watch over-processed SD TV on poorly adjusted HD LCD sets."

They say it makes you go blind...

[Grease Monkey]

Not just porn

It wasn't just porn. Sony expected all publishers to pay a licence fee, there was no similar fee on VHS so everybody went for VHS. The reasoning was pretty simple people would have only one player, if VHS tapes were cheaper to produce than betamax then people would buy VHS.

This is always the case with proprietory tech. Think about PC vs. MAC

[thecakeis(not)alie]

Think about PC vs. Mac.

So right, and so wrong. Mac during the 90s? You're dead bang on rights! Mac during the aughties? *bzzzzrt*

Jobs figured out one brilliant thing: if you are going to go proprietary, then you have to make it a "lifestyle brand." Apple are the Gucci of computers. Apple in the electronics industry, like Gucci in the fashion industry have nothing going for them other than

a) they have become a brand name that people can use to be snobish to others and

b) they produce a consistent quality of product.

Neither are the best product in their industry, nor are they the worst. They are largely consistent - which matters a great deal to some - but far more importantly they are a "name." They are that brand of jeans you war so you can make fun of other people who don't wear that same brand of jeans. They are the Lexus you drive so you can mock the guy with the Camry. Once Apple cottoned onto that idea, “proprietary” went from being a negative thing to “bloody brilliant.”

The only way to sell proprietary to consumers is to appeal to their vanity. It worked like a charm, and Apple was reborn. Thus whilst your analogy of Apple being the Beta to generic IT’s VHS holds true for the 90s…it really doesn’t work for the past decade or so. For that reason I cannot accept that "this is always the case with proprietary tech."

I propose then a modification to your statement:

"This is always the case with /improperly marketed/ proprietary tech."

[Rasczak]

Real reason ?

In the social history type classes I had to take as part of my electronics course in college, I was taught that the reason VHS overcame Betamax, at least in the UK, was due to the hardware rental market.

The theory was explained to me as, in the late 70s and early 80s, when home VCRs were coming onto the market, a significant proportion of UK households were already renting TVs rather than buying them. The rental market went with VHS, I was either not told or don't remember why this was, whether Sony didn't want to go rental or Matushita gave the better deal I am not sure. Anyway, those renting TVs who also wanted a VCR would rent it as well, the fact that they cost near a grand to buy at the time also meant some who had bought a TV would also just rent a VCR. Those who did buy a VCR would then get the same type as those who rented so that they could exchange tapes, as the initially larger rental market was VHS, so the purchase market followed.

Now this could all be a load of BS, there was marketing stuff in the class as well so not impossible, however the theory is at least as probable as the pr0n theory.

[Anonymous Coward]

No, the real reason was that VHS incorporated the orginal DRM

and Betamax didn't. So the Hollywood studios would sell their wares on VHS, but not Beta. I still recall using to a rented beta machine to copy VHS to Beta and then back to VHS.

Also rented porn on Beta when it was the only thing available.

[Francis Boyle]

Actually it was a matter of size

VHS tapes were longer than Beta's so nothing at all to do with porn!

[Anonymous Coward]

Ahem

"The "stunned class ... stared open-mouthed at the screen as they watched porn stars engage in an explicit act", the Mail fictionalised".

There, fixed it for you.

[Annihilator]

Imitation

Funny, really, as I'm sure at least half of the participants in the film were open-mouthed for part of the performance..

[Dave 15]

Clearly the teacher was a Daily Mail reporter

Able to type down the reaction of her charges while they were at least quiet for a while :)

I suppose this sort of thing keeps the majority of the public happy and behaved. Would love to know more about what video.....

[corestore]

Still wrong...

"The "stunned class ... stared open-mouthed at the screen as they watched porn stars engage in an explicit act", the Mail fapped".

That's nailed it...

[mhoulden]

Really?

People are still using videos? One has to wonder if they were using a big old Ferguson TV with folding doors as well.

As far as the content goes, I think the kids were probably less affected than the tabloids' mock outrage makes out. Either they didn't understand what was happening or they did and didn't understand what all the fuss was about. Any 10 year who got offended needs a stern talking to. It's just as well the Sun doesn't feature pictures of topless women where anyone could find them. Oh.

[George Nacht]

Fully agree

I would also add one more sentence "Parents, whose 10 year old kids were offended needs a stern talking to. And possibly someone from Social Services taking a look at them once in a while." Because these can´t be good parents and they clearly neglect their parental duty to educate their offspring.

[Craig 2]

Pathetic

Lets face it, most kids will have witnessed some brief `live action` at some point in their young lives.

[Mostor Astrakan]

Well...

What about a kiss, boy? We don't go galloping for the clitoris!

[Michael H.F. Wilkinson]

Indeed

there are many options before we STAMPEDE towards the clitoris

[Number6]

And where's that?

Or has sex ed improved in recent years so that boys/men know where to look?

[TeeCee]

Re: And where's that?

Well in my garden it's climbing up the fence next to the shed......

[thecakeis(not)alie]

Re: and where's that?

Sex ed? Nah. We all know the education system's worthless! The location of the clitoris is discovered during on-the-job training!

[alain williams]

Was it intentional ?

By the looks of it not. It was quickly switched off, the teacher apologised for the mistake - end of story.

Have any of the kids never walked into their parents' bedroom late at night without knocking ?

I am getting increasingly annoyed at those who hold others to much higher standards than they can achieve themselves, then when something goes wrong - loudly castigate them. We all make mistakes. The correct response is to apoligise and take action to avoid a repetition. Life is too short.

[JP Strauss]

The title is required, and must contain letters and/or digits.

Why would the teacher need to use her own VCR? Doesn't the school have the necessary equipment?

[Anonymous Coward]

According to the Daily Fail

"The teacher hurriedly shut down the machine - which she brought in after the school’s own device had broken down - but the horrified youngsters had already seen the adult content."

So the moral of the story is don't try to be useful - sit on your ass, do nothing and don't tell anyone when anything goes wrong.

[Anonymous Coward]

Dear Parents

Shit. Happens.

That is all. Unfortunate that her generous behaviour in using her own kit to help the kids led to this.

(I wasn't much older than this when my catholic school showed us pictures of aborted foetusss (foetiii??) but I'm thats much more wholesome.

[Dan 10]

No such luck in my school

We got claptrap about 'Stranger Danger' and other nonsense - why couldn't we have this?!

I bet the teacher gets some attention from her male colleagues now...

[Winkypop]

"The "stunned class ... stared open-mouthed at the screen..."

Then, went home and fired up uTorrent to see the happy ending....

[alien anthropologist]

<insert title here>

> "Then, went home and fired up uTorrent to see the happy ending...."

Happy endings are good.

[Anonymous Coward]

In the words of the Reverends wife from the Simpsons ...

Won't somebody think of the children!

[Jim Carter]

Re: Won't someone think of the children?

Kinky bastards...

[thecakeis(not)alie]

Think of the children

I thought that summoned the banhammer.

[John Smith 19]

thecaskeis(not)alie

And under UK law is *very* close to an arrestable offense.

[Michael H.F. Wilkinson]

And anyway

I would rather my kids watched a sexual act than all of the violence that is pumped at children regularly.

[thecakeis(not)alie]

Re: and anyway

I'll extend that. I would rather my (hypotherical, potential future) children watched a sexual act than be constantly bombarded by "CONSUME, BUY, SPEND MONEY, CONSUME, BUY, YOU WANT THIS NEW THING, CONSUME, CONSUME, CONSUME" at all hours from all places.

[serviceWithASmile]

re:re:and anyway

this ^^

also, one would note that possessing both the knowledge and equipment to successfully procreate is infinitely more valuable to anyone than wanting teh shiny.

IIRC the crap they subjected us to in primary 7 was basically softcore porn with some gross bits about body odour.

that said, if this kind of stuff didn't happen (and wasn't subsequently reported in the daily fail) we wouldn't have quite so much to feel superior about.

[Anonymous Coward]

Open mouthed children

'Miss! Why were you watching that - there's a much better scene with dp and bukkake on Youporn' is more probable these days, I suspect.

[Christoph]

Shock horror

Teachers are human beings just like everyone else? No wonder the parents were outraged! Have any of them demanded to see the video in question so they can know what they are outraged about?

[Anonymous Coward]

yes, VHS is still in use by many people...

... some of the older films didn't get a digital remake, so the VHS copy is the _only_ copy. Sadly, many children films are on VHS only (plus many "Home videos" are still on VHS).

yes all those can (should) be converted to DVDs before the tape dies, but unless someone is willing to help each parent do that, then they will continue to use the same VHS tapes they used with their firstborn.

(oh, let us not forget that parent and teachers can't convert commercial VHS tapes to DVDs legally.. AFAIK)

[Anonymous Hero]

Big deal....I'm more disgusted at....

...the fact that the teacher had to bring her own AV kit to school presumably because the school either won't spend the money or this is fallout from Camerons new age of austerity.

Meanwhile some layabout royals probably spent a teacher's annual salary on security just because they fancied a night out at the theatre.

[Uncle Slacky]

Teacher's pic

Is she wearing a burkha?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Is she wearing a burkha?"

Is she isn't she should be now tabloids are after her.

[smudge]

That *is* an impressive pic of her...

...and well done to the Sun and the Mail for not commenting on her wearing the burka.

[Dennis]

Re: That "is" an impressive pic of her...

I thought it was very enlightened and inclusive (or do I mean weird) that a Church of England school would employ someone who wears a burka.

[Anonymous Coward]

What?

The kids were probably shocked how tame it was compared to 2girls1cup.

[SonnyJimm]

Wide Eyed and in Shock

....Not because of the images but because of the VCR

[HFoster]

First I was like...

At first I thought, "why are these parents up in arms?" Then I realised it's some benighted, genteel, (probably) Tory stronghold in Devon.

[Anonymous Coward]

"porn stars engage in an explicit act"

Yeah, they do that

[Elmer Phud]

you an' me baby ain't nothin' but mammals . .

Bloody hope so.

[Wize]

Depends on what act and from what angle

If all they saw was a bum moving up and down or extreme close up on body parts that may take a few seconds to recognise what they are mid film, they might not have seen (or at least not think they have seen) anything bad.

But then, she might not have been into tame stuff.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Whatever next

In my C of E primary school there was a horrible picture of somebody being nailed to a cross. They also told us stories about people being put to death in horrible ways. Thank goodness we've moved on from that.

"Will somebody take care of the children!" - Herod the Great, circa 4 BC

[Ken 16]

I wonder if the porn was older than the kids

not sure you can still get it on VHS (but then I haven't been looking).

Hope the schoolteacher gets what she deserves (a transfer to a secondary boarding school)!

[Anonymous Coward]

Accident? I don't think so

This is exactly why we need stricter eCRB checking, to keep perverts like this woman away from impressionable children. I find it hard to believe this was an accident, it is more likely that she deliberataly played the tape as a first step to grooming her charges. Let this be a lesson to all those critics of governemnt databases.

[Elmer Phud]

Do I hear the sound of Billy-Goats Gruff?

as per title (but must try harder - not enough outrage)

[PsychicMonkey]

hmm

the downvoter may have had a sense of humour bypass.....

[Dave 15]

Yeah... Daily Mail reader

Of course the entire country is staffed by predatory paedophiles just waiting to be caught... and naturally another layer or two of 'checking' and 'echecking' will lock us all up... I truely hope you were tongue in cheek, I really do.

[Anonymous John]

Re Accident? I don't think so

I assume the thumbs-down is from someone who doesn't do irony.

[Francis Boyle]

Either that

or someone who knows what Poe's law* is. I hate the joke icon but some times it's needed

*strictly Poe's corollary: if the parody is indistinguishable from the real thing then the real thing is indistinguishable from the parody.

[The Fuzzy Wotnot]

Kid's are tough

It was an accident, yes some explaining needs to be done, but what's life without a few mistakes? If it happened to my kids, yes I would be angry, I would expect to be able to speak with the teacher to understand what happened. I would then spend time explaining as much as was needed to the kids.

Christ on a bike, kids are very tough, they survive, they get over things, they don't have the hang-ups adults have. Everyone sits down and talks about it, gets over it and moves on. The most important thing is for the kids to learn that people make mistakes and others need to be able to show a little forgiveness and everyone just gets on with their lives.

No, I bet those Daily Fail reading parents all desperate to get their little sound-bite into the "meeja" will be raising a campaign to have the school authority sued for little Johnny's deep distress, the teacher will be out her ear-hole and that's another fine member of a difficult profession thrown on the scrap heap!

[Anonymous Coward]

Angry?

You would be angry? I would piss myself laughing.

[asiaseen]

Christ on a bike?

That would be worth seeing, he's usually nailed up on two bits of wood.

[Astarte]

The Archers

I think it was the BBC Archers radio program where, in one episode, a baby-sitter made the same mistake with a group of young children in her house. She went to make tea and saw the mistake when she returned. The kids described it as 'People playing games with no clothes on'.

[Atonnis]

Oh for crying out loud...

This is one of the most over-reactionary piles of bollocks I've ever heard of.

[Oliver 4]

The real issue..

..surely is that the school is so ill equipped teachers have to bring their own equipment in to the classroom. This wouldn't have happened if the school was properly funded. I feel sorry for the poor girl this happened to - she was going above and beyond to enhance her classes education. ok so, not quite the enhancement that the parents were bargaining for...

[Alfred 2]

.. the teacher will be disciplined ...

... sounds like more linky porn on the way then ....

[disgruntled yank]

Ah, well

A friend, a librarian in a school in the Washington, DC, suburbs, once had her charges (say 10 year olds) look up www.whitehouse.org. The TLD should've been "gov"--"org" was more educational than she had expected.

Though you may find it hard to believe, the incident did not reach the school board, the media, or bring out a horde of furious parents.

[jonfr]

Only 4 years until the parents have to explain sex to them kids

There are only something of four years until that outraged mom has to explain sex to here kid. Regardless if she likes it or not.

Otherwise it is clear that it is getting rather annoying all the people how make up the outrage when something like this happens. The people should be revealed. Reality has finally come to the kids on how the world works and it saved a lot of explanation by the parents and the sex ed, teachers.

Unless the parents want to live in a bubble...a big bubble world.

[Dennis]

Title please

I think we deserve to be told the title of the film, then we can judge just how inappropriate the material was.

Or was it a home movie production?

[Raced]

Waldo P Barnstormer

It could have been a certain scene from Carry On Camping as far as they're concerned and there would still be outrage.

All I got to see as a nipper in junior school were videos of a cartoon Superman crushing packets of cigarettes in his hands. Didnt work though as I have just got back to my desk from a crafty cig.

p.s. Reg doesn't yet have an icon for "Where's the Barbara Windsor angle!"

[skeptical i]

"... mating behavior of human bed bunnies in their native habitat ..."

I s'pose this vid was on the same shelf as old "Wild Kingdom" or "Animal Planet" reruns and got popped in the machine by [easy to make] mistake.

[LAGMonkey]

Ive been musing....

I dont think that the kiddies would have seen anything at all apart from breasts and arse...

VHS tape with porn stars = BBFC licenced material.

These restrictions can be found over at http://www.bbfc.co.uk/classification/guidelines/r18 but the obvious one to see is that there can not be any penitration.

Bums moving in and out, tits and thats about all that could be seen. OTHERWISE she might have illegal content!

Somthing to think about.

[Anonymous Coward]

Err...

Did you even read you own link?

[Anonymous Coward]

pics or it didn't happen

Ooo, er, Miss; could I borrow that tape?

[LaeMing]

horrified youngsters

As a former primary teacher, I am very doubtful that kids of that age would be "horrified" or any where close. They are not mentally developed enough in the area of indoctrination to social norms to have such a sense of moral outrage over something like this (unless they were overly concerned at the girls/boys germs issue). I imagine they were quite surprised and rather curious, not to mention giggly.

Kids of that age can get horrified over things like violence, social injustice and other such 'real' issues, but a bit of skin, no way.

[Black Betty]

Inneresting in'it. Kids got adults pegged to a "T".

Amused by what we find "upsetting" and upset at what we find "amusing".

When you think about it, rutting animals of any kind, can be imensely giggle worthy and human beings are no exception, particularly in some of the more "interesting" stock porn positions. Particularly from a child's POV where the most obvious thing is often the male's desperation. A big waggling willy flailing about is also considered high comedic art.

Though I beg to differ on simple violence. Kids like nothing more than a bit (read whacking great helping) of gratuitous (and preferably highly explosive) violence.

Where kids find issue is in the depths we adults will descend to, to justify the unjustifiable. How much harm (as opposed to just blowing shit up) we are willing to do for minimal gain.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ummmmmm rooly?

Uhhhhhh when are we going to get over this issue of HIDING sex.... I mean I think that emotionally healthy relationships that incorporate SEX, should be up front about the whole of LIFE issues.... I mean we were playing mummies and daddies in the shrubbery behind the school in year 5..... and we were fully aware of the teachers sneaking off for a fuck by the time we were doing the school camps in grade 6.....

There are millions of people who walk in on their parents having a root, or their older brother / sister going for it with themselves or their special friend......

And even I - from time to time going through my own hard drive find a sex vid from time to time and it was exciting at first..... like WOW... now it's a case of "Ohhhhh that chick doing a strip tease on her webcam and wanking with her vibrator...." 10 to 20 seconds to check out the vid.... and then "Ohhh she is very nice and she does that very well but - better things to do" and either delete or look for that really interesting spread sheet on my financial statements....

Where the nazi christians brainwashed the whole population with "Your body is bad, nasty and dirty and you should save it for the one you love for ALL ETERNITY...." and "What will people think of you? - You ought to be ashamed - it's a SIN"..

I mean if I think if you asked for a show of hands of 10 years olds who had ever walked in on their parents having a fuck on the kitchen table or whatever....

"Ohhhh a porno flick!!!!!! Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo they are all going to DIE in hell after that"....

Funny about how the idiot education system is all about "things" never emotionally healthy SELF.

[BioTube]

Hopefully not brother AND sister

That would be a little more difficult to explain.

[Anonymous Coward]

She is lucky

If it had happened with a male teacher he would still be down in the cells having the shit kicked out of him.

Been there (nearly) had that happen

[Iain Purdie]

Good old Daily Mail

How did the Mail know that the kids were sat there open-mouthed? Were any of their reporters there witnessing this? After all, it's not like the mail to make sh!t up that just suits it, is it?

[bugalugs]

Miss might have

just said a friend had borrowed the machine to use at some local club " function ". She hadn't checked it on its return and after setting up in class had noticed from the display that a tape was inserted. Accidentally pressing play instead of eject, a picture briefly appeared. etc. In her situation I'd certainly be extemporizing my arse off.

unextemporized

[Anonymous Coward]

it will probably be the best sex education these kids get

it will probably be the best sex education these kids get