A primary school has banned pupils from singing songs from the hit children’s musical film KPop Demon Hunters, as they could make Christians feel “deeply uncomfortable”.
Lilliput Church of England School in Poole, Dorset, sent a letter to parents last week requesting that they tell their children not to sing the songs at school because of its “Christian ethos”.
Lloyd Allington, acting head of Lilliput Church of England Infant School, wrote: “While we fully respect your right to make choices about the content your child engages with at home, we also want to be mindful of the diversity of beliefs within our school community.
“For some Christians, references to demons can feel deeply uncomfortable because they associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness.
“From their perspective, even fictional or playful use of this language can conflict with their faith, which emphasises rejecting evil rather than engaging with it – even in entertainment.
“This is a valuable opportunity to explore the diversity of beliefs within our community and consider how we can support those of faith who find these themes challenging – particularly as we are a faith school, chosen by many parents for our commitment to fostering and upholding a Christian ethos.”
One parent told the BBC: “I thought it was ridiculous. My daughter is very into K-pop and her and all of her little friends love it.
“It’s just a harmless, a nice little thing for them to do to get their confidence up.”
The father, who described himself as an atheist, added that it felt like “a bit of an imposition and probably a bit unfair and silly”.
In the updated letter following feedback from parents, Mr Allington added: “Thank you to those parents who have shared your thoughts around the positive themes you see in KPop Demon Hunters and its music.
“We completely agree that values like teamwork, courage, and kindness are important for children, and it’s clear from your feedback that many of you feel songs like Golden have helped your children learn about these themes.
“However, we want to reassure you that we are not asking parents to tell their children that there is anything wrong with enjoying the film or its songs if it aligns with your own views and beliefs, and this will not be the messaging we share in school either.
“Our role will simply be to help children understand that some of their peers may hold different views and to explore how we can respect and support those peers in upholding their faith.”
The KPop Demon Hunters film, rated PG in the UK, has become the most popular title in Netflix’s history. It was watched 236 million times in the first three months after its release in June this year.
The story centres on Huntr/x, a fictional K‑pop girl group whose three members wield both music and combat skills to defend humanity against demonic forces. Standing in their way is a rival act, the Saja Boys – five demons whose songs pulse with themes of temptation and seduction.
