At the chalkface
News
Gender issues
A chum gave birth the other day. were men. That should sort those
“What was it?” girlies out! Dear me. Even us
Teacher wins world art prize
“Special Needs!” she whispers. blokes can see that this is rubbish.
A solemn pause. “Oh!” Another I ponder my own pupils. Lily.
pause. “A boy!” She laughs. Decibelle. Luke. Dervish. Why are
by Emma Lee-Potter
Dear me. What cheap levity! Lily and Luke more academically
What a callous observation! It successful? They’re middle class.
does, however, reflect a prevailing This isn’t just a gender thing. A Surrey art teacher has scooped
wisdom. Academic research even. however well working class girls the world’s most prestigious portrait
The higher Education Institute do academically, they still end up prize.
Policy Research. Boys, they with the five cs of employment Peter monkman, director of art
find, do have some – cleaning, caring, at charterhouse, a co-ed independ-
special needs. They’re cashiering, catering and ent school, beat nearly 2,000 artists
a bit thick – and getting clerical. Or things like from all over the world to win this
thicker. “It’s simply an “hairdressing”. And year’s BP Portrait Award.

m
evolving realisation of what’s wrong with Writer Sebastian Faulks
the nuances of gender’s that? Decibelle will be a announced his triumph at a spe-
effects,” observes terrific hairdresser. Schools cial awards ceremony at London’s
someone. Eh? Gibberish should value and recognise National Portrait Gallery last week.
isn’t it? Probably a bloke. their culture much more. mr monkman, 45, whose win-
Boys, they find, can’t And that of working class ning portrait, Changeling 2, is part
do modern exams. boys. Plumbers, postmen, of a series of portraits of his 12-
They’re falling behind Tube drivers. Dervish could year-old daughter Anna at different
girls – especially in do any of these. Why are stages of her life, won £25,000 and
http://makingamark.blogspot.co
GcSEs. In all subjects. these inferior to graduate a commission worth £4,000.
Mark
Not just the fluffy ones. bankers or fancy PR spinners? But despite his artistic success,
A
After a few thousand years of It’s called snobbery. mr monkman, who was featured
enduring boys laying waste to A consultant once ticked in SecEd in April, remains firmly
their learning, girls have come me off for talking too much committed to his teaching career.
/
Making
ell
out on top. with a class about football. Before moving to charterhouse
T
yrr
We can’t have this! What’s “Sexist!” she said. The ditzy girls in 2004, he was head of art at
to do? change the curriculum! couldn’t follow! Eh? Sabrina Wrenn School in Wellingborough,
change those GcSEs. They’ve played for Arsenal girls. Football Northamptonshire, for 10 years. Katherine
been “feminised”. Eh? They’re was intellectually limiting! Eh! “I am elated to have won the top
too touchy-feely. Too girly. They check out the present Barcelona prize for portrait painters,” he said.
reward sensitivity, a tolerance midfield. Genius. Nuanced. Subtle. “I really like the fact that I am wav-
Copyright
of ambiguity, and a rich interior Intellectually stimulating. Poetry in ing the flag for teachers and I want
life. Boys can’t do that stuff. Too motion. mind you, my boys watch to work as a full-time teacher until
Photo:
rarefied. We prefer to hit things or the local QPR midfield. Dim. I retire. I cut my teeth in the com- Inspiringhisstudents:BPPortraitAwardwinnerPeterMonkmanconstantlyremindshis
gawp at Kung Fu head crusher Obvious. Plodding. Ninety minutes prehensive sector – particularly at studentsthathardworkcangetyouanywhere
or late tackle the opposition. of that stuff can render any gender Wrenn School, where my students
“These skills are of no value braindead. Is this why Dervish and liked being taught by a practising same one day. I got a B grade at A attributes his success at combining a playing in the woods during a fam-
at GcSE.” Lunk are falling behind? Or maybe artist and were very supportive of level art myself and I always tell busy teaching career and his paint- ily holiday in France, he painted the
Or for coursework. We can’t do it’s their turn to suffer now. my work. them that it is through sheer hard ing to “time-management and con- work in two intensive weeks during
that either. Ergo GcSEs must go. “my students at charterhouse graft that I have got to the level I fidence”, and his supportive family. the school holidays.
We must go back to those • Ian Whitwham is a former were really thrilled to hear I’d won. have achieved now.” Although the initial idea for the The BP Portrait Award 2009
grim 1950s O levels when men secondary school teacher. It has inspired them and given them mr monkman, who paints in a winning portrait came from pho- exhibition can be seen at the National
the idea that they can try and do the studio attached to his school house, tographic studies of his daughter Portrait Gallery until September 20.
24 SecEd • June 25 2009
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