WHATEVER THEIR RELIGION.
This scene outside Batley Grammar School was an affront to democracy and reflected very badly on its religiously maniacal complainants. Parents, of whatever race, colour, or creed, should not gather en masse outside a school to demand the dismissal of a teacher; nor should they, individually, shove junk food through school railings to their school going children when a school has banned junk food.
Where education is concerned, I see religion and junk food in much the same light: neither is particularly desirable. That being said, for a short time I was a pupil at a church school where, despite the cant, I was quite happy. As a WW2 kid I knew nothing of junk food.
A teacher in religious instruction once conjectured to my classmates and I that the 'loaves and fishes miracle' performed by Jesus could perhaps be translated as: 'He persuaded all those who had brought food with them to share it with those who hadn't.' When I took that home to my parents their reaction was a mild: 'Really?' So throughout my life I have held the cheerful belief that (a few head cases apart) we in this country do not get too worked up over religion.
The behaviour pictured above was outrageous and in some of the countries that those involved came from would have been dealt with severely. Here it should at least have earned them a stern rebuke, a flat refusal to take any disciplinary action whatsoever against the teacher, firm advice that they could, if they were dissatisfied with the tuition at the school, take their child elsewhere and, finally, a gentle reminder that, while cautiously welcomed, if they don't like the way things are here...
To be fair, I feel much the same about all those Brits who move abroad for the sunshine, set up Little England enclaves because they are too thick or lazy to learn the language of their new country, and firmly believe that the 'natives' will understand them perfectly well if they speak loudly in English.
Nationalism is a blight: and religion and politics cause the bulk of the world's troubles.
I am well aware that demanding sensible eating habits of overweight junk food lovers is, like any attempt to reason with religious maniacs, a pointless exercise.
But for chrissake don't pander to them.
READING
Currently reading M.W. Craven's Born in a Burial Gown and David Mitchell's Back Story.
Mr. Craven introduces us to another detective with a somewhat surprising name, Avison Fluke, and I am already well with it.
Mr. Mitchell is turning out to be much the same in print as he is on television. I like him
More later.
TELEVISION.
We watched Eddie Izzard and Judi Dench in the film Six Minutes To Midnight. Took me right back to the days of Went The Day Well? and Green For Danger. Didn't even mind that, in the lead up to the climax, the girls and their Nazi teacher apparently walked from Bexhill to Beachy Head. Poetic licence.Well done, Eddie and Co. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
We also saw the final episode of Unforgotten. Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Peter Egan and a fine company of players. We do get some great TV drama in Britain. Congratulations to all concerned.
I cannot remember the last time I felt quite so sad at the end of a series.
The behaviour pictured above was outrageous and in some of the countries that those involved came from would have been dealt with severely. Here it should at least have earned them a stern rebuke, a flat refusal to take any disciplinary action whatsoever against the teacher, firm advice that they could, if they were dissatisfied with the tuition at the school, take their child elsewhere and, finally, a gentle reminder that, while cautiously welcomed, if they don't like the way things are here...
To be fair, I feel much the same about all those Brits who move abroad for the sunshine, set up Little England enclaves because they are too thick or lazy to learn the language of their new country, and firmly believe that the 'natives' will understand them perfectly well if they speak loudly in English.
Nationalism is a blight: and religion and politics cause the bulk of the world's troubles.
I am well aware that demanding sensible eating habits of overweight junk food lovers is, like any attempt to reason with religious maniacs, a pointless exercise.
But for chrissake don't pander to them.
READING
Currently reading M.W. Craven's Born in a Burial Gown and David Mitchell's Back Story.
Mr. Craven introduces us to another detective with a somewhat surprising name, Avison Fluke, and I am already well with it.
Mr. Mitchell is turning out to be much the same in print as he is on television. I like him
More later.
TELEVISION.
We watched Eddie Izzard and Judi Dench in the film Six Minutes To Midnight. Took me right back to the days of Went The Day Well? and Green For Danger. Didn't even mind that, in the lead up to the climax, the girls and their Nazi teacher apparently walked from Bexhill to Beachy Head. Poetic licence.Well done, Eddie and Co. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
We also saw the final episode of Unforgotten. Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Peter Egan and a fine company of players. We do get some great TV drama in Britain. Congratulations to all concerned.
I cannot remember the last time I felt quite so sad at the end of a series.
AND A LAST WORD ON EDUCATION.
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