Dad blasts school for 'ridiculous' science project with five strict requirements

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Eight-year-olds can be pretty smart, but there are limits to what they an achieve (Image: Getty Images)
Eight-year-olds can be pretty smart, but there are limits to what they an achieve (Image: Getty Images)

A parent has blasted her child's teacher over a set of instructions the kids were given for an assignment to create a new toy. The instructions, which were for a class of eight to nine-year-olds were posted on a social media site and immediately laughed at by other commenters over their requirements, which most folk said were not only outrageously complex for anyone that age to be able to follow, but were also near-impossible to carry out.

Posting to Reddit, the dad said: "This is a week-long assignment that must be handed in before Christmas break." The instruction sheet read: "In celebration of Christmas, you engineer a new toy that's never been made. Your design can be any size, shape and made out of any material. Be imaginative."

The instructions on the sheet continue: "However, your design must follow these guidelines. Must be a 3D project, no posters, drawings etc. Must be a new toy that has never been made. Must be no taller than 24 inches. Must demonstrate one of the following science themes: sink or float, magnetic, light/shadow. You must create an advert for your new toy that incorporates technology (pictures, ads, recorded commercials, etc), must be neat, colourful and creative."

And fellow users were amazed anyone could ask for such a complex project from children so young, with one saying: "Oh come on really? The eight-year-old is going to come up with all that themselves on the week before Christmas plus whatever homework they have before break PLUS create what is essentially an ad campaign? I'm sure if these kids tied a bunch of b******* together it'd be marked as an F anyway. The kids' busy parents will be the ones doing this s*** at 10 pm the night before it's due. Don't kid yourself."

And others said they thought that despite the "crazy" instructions, it would still be the parent who would end up having to do most of the work because it was so complex, adding: "For real this would be an assignment where the parents do all the work. This is crazy for that young of a student. I remember I had an assignment once in fourth grade and my mom an actual scientist had me using these circular disks that we tested different things for bacteria and it would grow on it and then had to do a whole scientific method report. I remember even being that young how on earth would teachers think I actually came up with it??! But hey I did get third place."

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While others decided that the situation only deserved to made fun of: "Alright, hear me out. I'd get a unicorn plushie, cut off its head. Add magnets to the inside of the head and body and paint it red. Throw it in some water. It sinks. It's colourful, it's creative, it's science!"

Paul Donald

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