Snow White remake prompts discussion in Crossgar classroom

Tricia Mailey has a condition called achondroplasia, which is the most common type of dwarfism

It is not often that a teacher is partly the subject of their own lesson.

But that was the case on Friday for Tricia Mailey who teaches at Cedar Integrated Primary School in Crossgar, County Down.

Tricia has a condition called achondroplasia, which is the most common type of dwarfism.

Around one in 25,000 people - like Tricia - are born with it, including two of her own three children.

"Basically what it is, it's just I'm smaller - I have shorter arms and shorter legs than the average size person," she told BBC News NI.

Peter Dinklage has been critical of Disney's plans for a new film of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Tricia and her family featured in a documentary by Tyrone Productions called Keeping Up With The Maileys, broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland in 2021.

But it is a star of the big screen who has brought the condition into the headlines this week.

Actor Peter Dinklage - star of Game of Thrones and the Oscar-tipped film Cyrano - also has achondroplasia.

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He has been critical of Disney's plans for a new film of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Dinklage said the remake of the 1937 animated film, based on story from the Brothers Grimm, was "backward".

'Everyday lives'

Tricia Mailey - like any good teacher - spotted an idea for a classroom discussion with her pupils about that.

She remembers watching the film as a child.

"Mum always let me watch the film, I can still remember sitting holding the video," she said.

"Not once did I ever see that as myself.

"There are a lot of stereotypes there - they didn't have names, they didn't have jobs, it was quite a comical thing."

Tricia Mailey, who teaches Primary Five, hopes the discussion will help change perceptions

She is not against a new film but hopes it will show people with dwarfism differently - with diverse lives and careers and not as stereotypes.

"If Disney are going to remake this film, let's make it positive, let's have them having jobs, like Peter Dinklage did in the film Elf, like me as a teacher," she said.

"Let them have everyday lives like everyone else has.

"I'm hoping it does go well, let's get rid of the stereotypes that are in the old film and make it anew now."

But she was keen to see what her pupils thought.

'Honest answers'

"I just wanted to see if they made a connection from the old Disney film to me, which is what I didn't when I was a child," she said.

"Then to talk to them about it and say 'what do you think?'

"Why do you think people may not like it? Or why do you think people do like it?

"I always think kids give honest answers and I think it's always good to get their take on it."

Her pupils became film critics and came up with plenty of ideas about what the remade film could include and avoid.

Giving the dwarfs proper names and not making fun of them were some of the suggestions.

"Well done boys and girls, you gave some amazing ideas today, Disney might employ you!" Tricia told her class at the end of the lesson.

She is also hoping for a bit more understanding of her condition, though, from some outside the classroom.

"People laugh, people point, people take photos," she said.

"Why not just come up to me and have a chat and say 'ok, my child wants to know a wee bit more about you' and yeah, no bother."