Obscene word in assigned 7th-grade book

MELBOURNE, March 5 (UPI) -- Parents of Australian seventh-graders at a Melbourne school have objected to an assignment that involves a novel containing an obscenity.

Opposition politicians and parents groups said the novel, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," by English writer Mark Haddon, is inappropriate for seventh-graders at Melbourne Girls' College because it contains a four-letter profane reference to the female anatomy, The Age reported Wednesday.

"Most men wouldn't say that word in front of women and most women don't use the word at all -- and there is a reason for that: It's not socially acceptable," said parent Peter Taylor, who added that his daughter will not be reading the book.

Shadow Education Minister Martin Dixon said the language makes the murder-mystery inappropriate for the age group.

"Students shouldn't come across that language in school texts, even more so when you are talking about year sevens," Dixon said.