At the chalkface Rainbow nation


AARGH! NOT more guff about the World Cup. Afraid so. Please bear with me. It’s educational. Pedagogical even. Football can teach you anything. Morality? Camus said it taught him all he knew. Politics? Bill Shankly said it was the purest socialism. Aesthetics? Arsene Wenger says that it’s “the poetry of time and space”. Philosophy? Socrates


played for Brazil. And literacy? Phil Beadle can teach commas and colons and much else with it. It can reach those parts much of the curriculum does not. I’m walking under the


Westway.Traffic thun- ders above. Poetry’s in motion below. Football. AllGod’s children are here in shirts of many colours. Some are my pupils.There’s intensity, focus, grace, speed, magic and much fantasy. Look!There goes Zinedine


Zidane!He turns and shimmies and flicks it to Fabregas, who stops and thinks and strokes it to Shaka, who jinks and swerves and lays it toRoxette, who dummies it to Anna, who’sTorres, who whacks it past a flailing Dervish, who does aRobertGreen and then blasphemes at his defence. Goal! Cue comic histrionics. Kick off. Centre spot. A long ball from Ditmar to Crumlin who gives his marker twisted blood and slides it past the cursing keeper Lunk. Goal! Pure theatre!Ronaldhino Crumlino and Sid “El Loco” Lunk. El Sid! Cue more garish


theatrics as Crumlin goes off to kiss Decibelle, who swoons and chucks water at her sweetheart. Perfect. A real rainbow nation.


Who needs the World Cup – with its corporate excess, its greedy sponsors, the wretched townships and all that shrill orchestrated jingoism? Well, most of us, it would seem. It makes us feel better. LadbrokeGrove is always buzzing, but these days it’s a carnival. In the CaféO’Porto wizened men talk of Cristiano. In La Sophia Algerian men puff hookahs and, smiling, discuss that 0-0 draw. And in the Estrella


Galicia, smug waiters purr at their midfield made in


heaven – “Xavi, Iniesta. Alonso” goes their mantra. Flags flutter in many colours. The gold of Brazil blooms and StGeorge waves from all over KingHell St Mansions


and this time it feels alright.The game ends.The pitch empties.


“Go on, sir!Take a free kick!” says El Sid. I can’t resist.The knees may


have gone, but I’ve still got a good ninth touch. I’ll essay the drifter. Whack!The ball careens uselessly towards Decibelle who ducks. “Rubbish, sir!” “It’s this new ball! It wobbles.” “Bend it like Wigwam, eh, sir?” Ho hum. I watch them go – to


watch the World Cup. It can’t be much better than this.


• Ian Whitwham is a former teacher. A book of his best ever columns is out now. For details, email editor@sec-ed.co.uk


News Bhubesi Pride set for African adventure The Bhubesi Pride:


Richard Bennett, 28 (project co-ordinator): Teacher at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, and rugby enthusiast.


Matthew Fieldhouse (known as Mouse), 24 (rugby programme co-ordinator): Well qualified sports coach from Northumberland who plays for Tynedale RFC.


Kick-off: Members of the Bhubesi Pride, including rugby coach Nadia Lipsey (above front) Nadia Lipsey, a coach from


by Chris Parr


A teacher from Gloucestershire has assembled an elite team of rugby coaches to accompany him on a six- month expedition through Africa, where they will visit schools across the continent providing training sessions to local children. Richard Bennett, a teacher at


Dean Close School in Cheltenham, will depart with his team in January, and in addition to the rugby, he is aiming to help schools in Africa to develop links with schools in the UK. The team, named Bhubesi Pride


after the Zulu word for lion, was selected after 19 highly qualified candidates – all of whom had out- classed more than 100 applicants in an initial four-month selection process – were invited to attend an assessment day at Mr Bennett’s school. “I was absolutely overwhelmed


with the calibre of candidates who attended Bhubesi Pride’s assess- ment,” Mr Bennet told SecEd. “I’m extremely confident that


I’ve selected a group of individu- als who, not only will be able to compliment each others skills and personalities, but will also bring a vast range of relevant experience, dedication and enthusiasm for this extraordinary charitable project.” To get the job, the Pride mem-


bers had to prove everything from their ability to coach rugby, to their knowledge of Land Rover main- tenance. Matthew Fieldhouse, a rugby


coach from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was one of the applicants lucky enough to be selected for the team. He said: “The Bhubesi Pride


expedition is a brilliant project. Being part of a team that will help so many people use rugby as a positive life tool is so exciting and something I am really looking for- ward to implementing.”


Glasgow, also made the cut. She said: “I can’t wait to be a part of something that combines my love of rugby and social justice and I hope that I can help the children we work with to achieve greater things.” However, despite the gruelling


recruitment process, there is still one spot remaining for a would-be female coach, which Mr Bennett feels could suit a fellow qualified teacher. He told us: “It would be fantastic for a second female team member to bring their expertise and value to Bhubesi Pride’s project. I’ll be looking for a highly qualified individual, who is at ease in a team and enjoys working with children.” Schools in the UK can get


involved by following the team’s progress through Africa, and becoming “support schools” – forming longer-term relationships with their African peers. For details, visit www.rugbyinafrica.org


Giovanni Ghelfi, 36 (rugby curriculum co-ordinator): Experienced Italian with coaching experience from his homeland to New Zealand.


Nadia Lipsey, 29 (events and communications co-ordinator): Scottish rugby coach who also has experience of training football coaches in Africa.


Severin Prats, 25 (strategic planner, African schools development): Toulouse-born coach who played four years of professional rugby in France.


Amir Yassari, 29 (medic and photographer): Austrian who trains with the national side and has recently finished his medical studies in Vienna.


Jim Butler, 57 (Vehicle maintenance/logistics): Former plumber and fireman who is involved with Stoke College School’s PTA.


FOR BETTER CHILD HEALTH SCHOOL NURSES MORE


A properly resourced school nursing service is required to help schools meet the government’s health and wellbeing objectives.


Research published in the British Journal of School Nursing (BJSN) shows that more school nurses are needed to meet these objectives and ensure school children receive the health care and support they deserve. Therefore


the BJSN has launched a campaign to increase the number of school nurses.


For more information on the campaign visit


http://moreschoolnurses.co.uk Support the campaign or send us your views at:


bjsn@markallengroup.com 24


SCHOOL NURSES FOR BETTER CHILD HEALTH


MORE


SecEd • June 24 2010


Photos: Photo Forty One ©


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24