The homework of an elementary schooler has gone viral on social media for all the wrong reasons.
A father revealed in a TikTok video that his fifth-grade son was given an assignment last week titled The Life of Charlie Kirk.
Many users criticized the education system for allowing such “inappropriate” content to be taught to young children.
Highlights
- A fifth-grade homework assignment asked students to study Charlie Kirk’s life, beliefs, and his organization, Turning Point USA.
- The father of one student shared the assignment in a TikTok video that quickly went viral, sparking widespread backlash.
- Social media users criticized the homework as inappropriate for elementary students, calling it “absurd” and “pushing an agenda” on children.
“I would be pulling my child from that class so fast, then get that teacher fired. They clearly care more about pushing hateful rhetoric on children than actually getting an education,” wrote one user.
In the brief viral clip, the father shared the content of his son’s controversial school assignment
Image credits: neeltheillest / TikTok
Charlie Kirk, a right-wing conservative and political commentator, was fatally attacked during a public debate at the University of Utah on September 10.
He was hit in the neck and passed away from his injuries the same day.
In the 14-second TikTok clip, the parent, who goes by the username @neeltheillest, gave an in-depth look at his child’s assignment about the late political activist.
Image credits: Gage Skidmore / Flickr
It began with the title printed in bold on the first page, featuring a black-and-white sketch of Charlie that covered most of the space.
Upon opening it, the first page on the left-hand side contained a short biography of the 31-year-old, highlighting his conservative Christian beliefs.
“Charlie believed young people had the power to shape the future,” read one of the sentences.
The six-page leaflet, titled The Life of Charlie Kirk, was designed to teach students about his conservative ideologies and beliefs
Image credits: neeltheillest / TikTok
While flipping through the pages, the father asked his son, “What did the teacher say when she gave it to you?”
The child replied, “She was sad.”
The next page featured a true-or-false quiz, with one of the questions reading, “Many people remember Charlie for his faith, his dedication to helping young people, and his belief that one person can make a difference."
Image credits: neeltheillest / TikTok
There was also a summary diagram with several boxes for students to write their answers under the topic The Life and Legacy of Charlie Kirk.
It included sections such as his date of birth and passing, interesting facts about him, and his career trajectory.
Image credits: neeltheillest / TikTok
The second-to-last page contained a reading comprehension exercise that asked the children for their thoughts on topics like “the main purpose of Turning Point USA,” the influence of Charlie’s “Christian faith,” and “some ways people remember” him today.
Charlie was attacked by an armed assailant during a debate at a university as part of his American Comeback Tour
Image credits: Jubilee / YouTube
Turning Point USA, a non-profit organization founded by Kirk in 2012, aims to advocate for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses.
The last page of the leaflet was a writing activity urging kids to write “kind words” for the late right-wing commentator.
The video, captioned “The homework they’re giving 5th-grade kids in elementary school. ‘The Life of Charlie Kirk,’” has garnered over 6.3 million views on the platform.
Image credits: Charlie Kirk / YouTube
The comment section is filled with nearly 43,000 users expressing their displeasure with the assignment, calling the topic “weird” and “gross” for fifth graders.
One user wrote, “And now we're forcing his bigoted teachings on children? If my kid came home with this homework I would throw it in the trash and tell the teacher to call me.”
Another commented, “This is inappropriate on so many levels, age of the students, the religious aspect, a nobody being elevated to godlike status.”
Students were asked to express their views on the “purpose of Turning Point USA” and the influence of Christianity on Kirk’s life
Image credits: Gage Skidmore / Flickr
“How is THIS not pushing an agenda… I would sue, Charlie Kirk has nothing to do with schools…”
Kirk was attacked by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who has since been arrested and charged with the crime, with his trial still ongoing.
Charlie’s memorial service took place on September 21 at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, with over 90,000 people in attendance.
Image credits: Gage Skidmore / Flickr
Notable public figures such as U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk, Republican House Representative Anna Paulina Luna, Black American conservative Dr. Ben Carson, and others were present at the service.
Image credits: Jubilee / YouTube
Addressing the audience, Trump hailed Kirk as a “martyr,” saying, “None of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”
The teacher “was sad” when she handed out the assignment to the fifth graders, according to the child in the video
Image credits: mrserikakirk / Instagram
Charlie’s advocacy group expanded its reach beyond colleges to K–12 schools shortly after his passing.
According to Turning Point USA, the organization has more than 1,000 chapters in high schools across the country and 48 representatives on staff.
In late September, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it was partnering with the organization to launch a coalition aimed at producing educational programming for schools and universities in advance of America’s 250th birthday next year.
Image credits: Turning Point USA / YouTube
The chief education officer of Turning Point Education shared in a press interview that Charlie’s “God-centered” beliefs would be incorporated into curriculums across the country.
“[The organization] is more resolved than ever to advance God-centered, virtuous education for students flourishing across our nation.”
“America treating [Charlie] like he’s Jesus,” expressed one netizen, while another chimed in, “This is so disturbing.”
One user criticized the school homework, writing, “I would not allow my child to complete that. It’s absolutely absurd”
