At the chalkface
News
The sound of silence
I must be in early for more exam and a conspiracy against privacy.
moderation. I peddle through the “social concentration camps”, UK teacher visits Iraq to
dawn streets of London in the according to a recent Fabian
precise spring light. Past extreme society study. You try it! there’s
poverty and extreme affluence, none of that middle class space.
past King Hell mansions and those No room for that nourishing
hushed and gated communities introversion. No peace in which
spread the word on sport
from whence my pupils never to do your homework. No silence.
come – and finally into the north then it’s off to the inner city static
playground. the school is empty and the thought-shredding racket
except for crooning caretakers, of some classrooms. there’s
plotting management, nowhere to escape for
by Chris Parr
and early footie fanatics teresa. Except here
perfecting dragbacks and under these lovely, Iraq might not top many people’s
keepie uppies. gentle blossoms and in list of places to spend time, but one
I wander into the 6th these silent shades. intrepid teacher from East Anglia
form gardens. Wisteria so many of my has recently returned from the war-
and apple blossoms pupils suffer so much torn country after being invited to
bloom. there’s silence racket that any silence speak about sport in school.
and shadows and birdsong. scares them. But, my Paul tebay, assistant headteach-
slap bang in the middle of goodness, how they need er at King Edward VII school in
the inner city. A girl sits it. A place where they can King’s Lynn, flew out to the coun-
on a bench and gazes on just shut up and shut out all try’s Kurdistan region to speak with
goldfish in a pond. It’s that static. All that sound ministers and policy advisors about
teresa in my 10th year. and fury. All those shrieking his own school’s sport initiatives.
Who she? Indeed. Like ultimatums. A place where speaking to SecEd on his return,
so many pupils, she’s a bit there’s an absence of sidney mr tebay said he had been hon-
invisible. Another little life lost Lunk and Dave mania and oured to be invited to Iraq, but
in another big school. she sits Decibelle at full throttle. Fat admitted that the country was prob-
in a blade of sunlight seeking a chance! so teresa sits here in ably not ready for a lot of the ideas
bit of silence. Rare silence. Hush. what might be Wordsworth’s that were in practice at his own
this just might be the best her day “wise passiveness”. I wish I could school, which include cross-year Sportingchance:PaulTebayaddressesdelegatesattheKurdistanInternationalSportsConference
will get. Or her life. leave her here all day. the world mentor programmes and a student
so I break it. is, indeed, too much with us. council that helps to develop the speech, since I assumed the schools ministers in Iraq noted similarities protected by armed guards on the
“Hello taisy!” Bang! Crash! thump! Here curriculum. would be in a more advanced state between the Welsh government, roof.
“Hello, sir!” she smiles. it comes now! Charging through He said: “Although I didn’t get than they are. It is not a criticism, which reports to London, and the “It was a great privilege to have
she’s always in school early the gates. Here come the National to see the Iraqi schools, a lot of but much of the education system government in Kurdistan, which been involved in this conference,
always stays late. Alone. Always Curriculum! tweedle Dee and the stories I heard while out there really is at baseline level.” reports to Baghdad. mr tebay was and I hope that the many ideas that
alone. Fools are concerned about tweedle Dum! gave a sense of how difficult it was mr tebay was speaking at the invited by the Youth sport trust, were raised will provide inspiration
this. ms Limpet the Freudian is “see you, taisy.” for them. first ever Kurdistan International which operates uK-wide. and encouragement to those seek-
most exercised. teresa is “anti- “Yes, sir.” “Driving through the country sports Conference, and was part of mr tebay said he would like to ing to develop the region’s sporting
social and alienated”. “Don’t be late for registration!” there was evidence of the dam- a delegation that included Olympic return to the region to see more of culture,” added.
No, she’s not. Don’t be late to register for the age done by the war. In particular, bronze medallist Kate Allenby, the schools themselves. One of the main messages to
teresa lives with eight busy, rubbish world. I heard how one school building Paralympian sophie Hancock, and “the security in the country was come out of the conference was the
brothers and sisters in King had to accommodate three different representatives from the Youth still very tight, so I didn’t get to see importance of embedding sport in
Hell mansions where there’s • Ian Whitwham is a former schools’ students in shifts, because sport trust, Welsh Football trust, the schools themselves. We were the region’s education system and the
a contempt for contemplation secondary school teacher. other buildings had been destroyed. and the sports Council Wales. driven from the hotel to the con- broader educational value that sport
“I maybe misjudged some of my the visit came about after ference centre, which was heavily can bring to Iraq’s young people.
I’ll be teaching in the USA next year!
What will you be doing?
For you
The opportunity to swap jobs with a US teacher,
experience another educational system and live in a
different culture.
For your school
The opportunity to host a US teacher, share new
teaching ideas and broaden pupils’ horizons.
Call
028 9024 8220 ext 226
e-mail
fulbright@britishcouncil.org
Visit our website
www.britishcouncil.org/learning-fulbright
British Council Northern Ireland
Norwich Union House, 7 Fountain Street, Belfast BT1 5EG
20 SecEd • May 14 2009
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