NEWS FOCUS
www.sec-ed.com
SecEd: On Your Side
Stand up against
the vile BNP
Last week, SecEd’s front
page reported on a new
Pete
campaign to ban members
Henshaw
of the British National Party Editor,
(BNP) from sitting on the
SecEd
governing bodies of state-
funded schools (Teachers back union campaign to ban
BNP, SecEd 223, september 17).
this story was one of the few times in my career as a
journalist and editor that I have deliberately not published
comment from the opposing side of the story. the comment
we received from the BNP was ill-thought out, undisguised
vitriol – it was strewn with baseless insults and added
nothing to the intelligent debate that SecEd attempted to Olympic effort: Triple jump star,
bring to this issue. However, this is not really the reason I
Jonathan Edwards, Olympics
excluded the comments from the story.
minister, Tessa Jowell, and Reiss
Baker
Evans (centre), whose design
there are many issues in the world of education where
ew
has been chosen as the 2012
I feel it wrong to position this newspaper on one side of
education logo, with students
Andr
the fence or the other. Many of the issues we report on from Nightingale Primary School
p
hoto:
lend themselves to subjectivity and opinion is split in the
profession, and as a newspaper of the profession, I feel
our job is to report both sides – to facilitate healthy and
respectful discussion.
when we do position SecEd on an issue, it is almost
always related to problems facing the whole profession, and
Getting set for 2012
we, as you know, stand firm and stand up for teachers – our
reporting on asbestos, over-regulation, and false accusations
From walking to school campaigns organisational, communication and
against teachers being prime examples. to houses named after famous
With the 2012 Olympic Games only leadership skills and really grown
However, when it comes to this issue, I have no qualms
athletes, schools across the Uk
about where we stand. we are firmly behind the NasUwt
are throwing themselves into an
three years away, schools have
in confidence as a result.”
another founding member of
campaign to ban BNP members from governing bodies in
exciting range of activities inspired
by London 2012.
been signing up to the official 2012
the Get set network is Oldham
sixth Form College in Lancashire,
schools (and the union’s existing campaign to ban them
with the Olympic Games just
education programme. Emma Lee-
which boasts several Olympic
from teaching). three years away, many schools hopefuls among its 2,230 students.
this editorial was actually inspired after we received
and colleges are signing up to take
Potter reports
the college staged a physical
calls from a number of BNP supporters hours after SecEd
part in Get set, the official London activity week in June, when students
2012 education programme. walked a combined distance of 232
hit the streets last thursday. these callers presented us with
as well as the opportunity Committee of the Olympic and whitcliffe Mount has put on miles on a specially-marked area
nothing but hypocritical, unintelligible and racist vitriol.
to showcase work related to the Paralympic Games, said: “when a variety of initiatives inspired – the equivalent of walking from
some of their comments included heralding the “good Olympic and Paralympic Games, London won the right to host the by the Olympics, including a Oldham to the Olympic Park in
old days” when multiculturalism was not a recognised
successfully joining Get set Olympic and Paralympic Games, cross-curricular fortnight where east London.
concept, labelling the “teaching of homosexuality in
enables schools to use a striking we made a clear promise to use the every lesson had an Olympic or Other highlights included a
new London 2012 education logo power of the 2012 Games to inspire Paralympic theme. junior athletics day for 250 pupils
schools” as wrong, and complaints about schools being
designed by Reiss evans, an 18- young people. keem taylor, school sports co- from local primary schools and the
“required to promote equality”.
year-old graphic design student at “By awarding the new ordinator, said: “every subject put chance for students to try activities
One caller said the NasUwt campaign was “illiberal”
Canterbury College in kent. education logo to schools and its own slant on lessons. In maths like climbing, martial arts and
– can you believe the hypocrisy? – and complained about
Reiss, who beat more than colleges which successfully join they studied how quickly the 100 street dance.
the BNP being labelled as “vile” in our report.
150 young artists in a national the Get set network, London 2012 metres has been run and how the “It has been a huge success,”
competition, saw his logo – inspired is able to recognise and reward time has improved over the years, said David Jackson, further
the BNP is vile. what it stands for is vile. the ideals
by a row of coloured pencils – places of learning where inspiring while in art they designed Olympic education sports co-ordinator at the
and beliefs of its members are vile. and I’ll happily field unveiled at a special ceremony last work around the Olympic values of medals and clothing.” college.
more calls of complaint about our use of the term this week.
wednesday, september 16. friendship, excellence and respect the college also asked an “we are reaping the rewards
I do recognise the difficulty with the NasUwt’s
He explained: “the pencils are and the Paralympic values of Olympic leadership team of 25 of encouraging students to get
campaign; the enquiring into teachers’ and governors’
symbolic of the creativity in the inspiration, courage, determination year 9, 10 and 11 students to lead more physically active and become
Uk’s schools and the range of and equality is taking place.” a series of On the Road to London involved in enrichment and extra-
“political” views and the banning of people for these
colours used represents the global One of the first 17 schools to 2012 events for local feeder curricular activities.” SecEd
reasons is a tricky area for employers to become embroiled nature of the 2012 Games.” get involved in the Get set network schools. along with classroom-
with.
the event, held at Nightingale was whitcliffe Mount Business based activities and quizzes, the • Emma Lee-Potter is a freelance
However, the fundamental premise behind the campaign
Primary school in woolwich, and enterprise College in west group gave year 6 youngsters the education journalist.
south east London, was attended by Yorkshire. chance to try 10 different Olympic
is the fact that people who believe in the vile and divisive
Olympic triple jump gold medallist, the 1,200-student school has sports, including rowing, cycling,
Further information
ideology of the BNP have no place teaching our children,
Jonathan edwards, and Olympics a keen interest in London 2012 as table tennis, and athletics. the Get set website features
or steering the direction of our schools. Full stop. minister tessa Jowell. a former student, hammer thrower “Most of the initiatives and ideas Olympic and Paralympic history,
we live in the 21st century. we live in a global
Mr edwards, who is also a board sarah Holt, has been earmarked as have been student-led,” said Ms news and details on joining. Visit
community. National borders are no longer important. we
member of the London Organising a potential 2012 star. taylor. “the students have gained http://getset.london2012.com
are in this world together. the cultural and religious mix
to be found in our society is something I am immensely
IN rESpONSE…
proud of and inspired by. this is a mix that is represented in
our schools, and which has helped to make our schools the
most vibrant and exciting in the world.
Up to 300,000 pupils at risk Ed Balls, minister for children, “sadly, ed Balls’s re- ‘catch-up’ tuition for children
of falling behind in English schools and families: announcement about one-to-one and young people who have
this is the ethos of the future that needs to be instilled in
and maths will get one-to- “thousands of tutors have already tuition is as hollow as so many fallen behind their peers will be
our children. Indeed, this ethos of respect and understanding one tuition this school year, come forward with a huge of his other promises. when this attractive to parents and teachers
is often driven by the children themselves.
at the start of a £468 million commitment to improve children’s scheme was trialled, we were told alike.
the BNP is a party that has no place in modern politics,
government programme to progress – but I think we’ve got 30,000 children would receive all parents will have access
no place in our schools, and no place in our future as
drive up standards. the potential to create an army support, but in the end little over to the help and support that has
More than 25,000 one-to- of highly qualified tutors to help 3,000 actually did. previously been the preserve of
a global community. It is out of touch, saturated with
one tutors have registered since pupils get most out of primary the main problem has been those with money seeking to buy
prejudice, and inherently racist. the scheme was launched 10 school and hit the ground running the government’s inability to advantage for their children.
we must make our voices clear. we must stand united.
weeks ago, but ministers want at secondary. attract enough teachers to take an important advantage of
we must reject prejudice, intolerance, and racism – in
this pool of teachers to rise to there is already clear evidence part because of the high levels of this scheme is that teachers will
100,000 by 2011. that where one-to-one tuition is bureaucracy and poor levels of get the additional support they
whatever form it presents itself. apathy is the best friend of
The tutors get paid an being used, many children are behaviour. Until they deal with need in ensuring that each pupil
prejudice, and SecEd is not about to sit on the fence when
hourly rate of between £25 to making marked improvements in both issues they will never be able is achieving the highest possible
the future of our nation is at stake. SecEd £29, and schools can take on english and maths and improving to deliver the pledge for one-to-one standard. there are many teachers
full-time tutors so that tuition their attitude, confidence and tuition.” who have recently retired, who
• Pete Henshaw is the editor of seced. Email editor@sec-
can take place during normal motivation in class.” work on supply, or who are in
classroom hours, as well as Chris Keates, general secretary the pool of inactive teachers who
ed.co.uk and visit www.sec-ed.co.uk. You can follow seced
in the evenings and at the Nick Gibb, Conservative shadow of the NASUWT: will welcome the opportunity to
on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SecEd_Education
weekend. schools minister: “the proposal for one-to-one provide one-to-one tuition.”
6 SecEd • September 24 2009
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