Parent accuses Budmouth Academy of 'brainwashing' over reading list featuring The Hate U Give

A Dorset secondary school has removed a high-profile novel from its Year 10 reading list after a parent described the move as brainwashing. James Farquharson, 53, said 14-year-old students had been asked to read The Hate U Give aloud and that the book 'blames' white students for their skin color. Budmouth Academy in Weymouth confirmed the title had been dropped from the Year 10 list.

Farquharson told the Daily Mail he did not oppose reading in principle but argued the book promotes partisan political views and divides students by race. He described it as full of bad language, noting the F-word appears 89 times, and said it normalizes sex and drugs. He also criticized the text as centering on identity politics and what he called 'neo-Marxism' that would 'incubate' the idea that there are 'goodies' and 'baddies' among white pupils.

The book was part of Budmouth’s Drop Everything and Reach, or DEAR, initiative, which aims to encourage short daily reading. Farquharson said he has written to the headteacher seeking an urgent review of the titles on the school’s reading list.

Addressing Pigeon English, which his Year 8 daughter is reading, he said it contains themes and language that one would hope 12-year-old kids wouldn’t be taught in school. He described a passage about female masturbation as a safeguarding red flag and said the book’s content raised concerns among parents.

The Hate U Give is a critically acclaimed coming-of-age novel by American author Angie Thomas. It addresses racism and stereotypes surrounding Black youths and the protection of white communities. Farquharson said other parents at the school have raised concerns and complaints about the reading material.

Not all parents share the same view. A parent who supported the curriculum wrote on social media that the book has been part of the school’s curriculum for years and, if taught correctly, can provoke deeper thought about issues in pop culture.

A Budmouth Academy spokesperson told the Daily Mail that, following a review of the Year 10 reading list, The Hate U Give was removed. The school acknowledged the novel raises important themes and is promoted as appropriate for readers aged 14+, but said there are alternative texts that raise similar themes which are better suited to Year 10. A second book, Pigeon English, is under review but is likely to remain on the GCSE English Literature curriculum, as it is a prescribed text by the exam boards.

The debate over age-appropriate reading lists and how schools address sensitive topics continues to unfold, with Budmouth saying it will keep reviewing its options to balance engagement with safeguarding and curriculum goals.