Teacher diagnosed with cancer builds his own coffin as final class project

Eri van den Biggelaar, a primary school teacher in the Netherlands, has set a challenge for her class to create their own coffin, and the students are currently working on making one for their teacher.

Lesson in life and death: pupils build dying teacher's coffin - World
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/lesson-in-life-and-death-pupils-build-dying-teachers-coffin/2007/02/13/1171128974213.html

Eri van den Biggelaar (40) was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year, so she asked her arts and crafts teacher at her school if she could make a coffin for her. She was told, 'Why don't you get the kids to make it?' So she decided to ask her students.

The students accepted their teacher's request and cut and glued boards together to make a coffin, which now sits in the center of the classroom.

Biggelaar is no longer able to teach her students in person, but instead looks at sketches of coffins and receives the latest information. 'Life and death go hand in hand,' she said. None of her students are scared or traumatized by the assignment, and their parents agree.

However, therapists in neighbouring Belgium have criticised the method, saying that children are unable to fully understand bereavement.