At the chalkface Only connect


Many years ago, my old english teacher – the late, great “Min” – made us learn great chunks ofMacbeth. Fabulously grim stuff like “life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing!” “This will serve you well in


your later years,” warned the great sage darkly. Well, that time has finally come.a wet Friday with a bonkers 8th year? a PowerPoint address by a motivational buffoon? Or a music cover with no lesson plan and only bongos? none of these. so what could prompt such drear conclusions? Millwall football fans. The horror! The


horror! Last week at QPr.alien thugs laid waste to west London. Our streets were war zones. Bottles of urine flew in floodlights. Darts pierced the hearts of noble Hoops fans. Dear me. Who could stop it? not the police. Chief inspector sir Dennis O’Connell admits they’ve “lost the streets”. Who’s to blame? Teachers? Probably. should we have cudgelled the buggers, as Gove has recently intimated? Is there any hope? Probably not. But listen up at the back. Many years ago I was


peddling down the Portobello road, beforenotting Hill was a theme park or a tawdry television show. There was a major kerfuffle.youths, mostly Black, were cursing coppers, mostly White. There seemed to be a suspicion of drug dealing.a


rather combustible situation. I got off my bike. “Good afternoon, boys!” “Tell ’em, sir!” “They giving us grief, sir!” “We done nothing, know what


I’m saying.” They’ve been busy doing nothing since conception. “Would we deal drugs, sir?” erm... The coppers, young and liberal, smiled at me. “Let me talk to


them!” I suggested. “We’re pretending,


sir. We’re just


pretending to sell drugs.” They were just


flogging dustbin lids.


rubber dustbin lids.you cut them up, wrap them in foil


and sell them to the tourists. We seemed to have


entered a rather twilight, overly nuanced moral


universe. I told them to buzz off. They did. Peace was restored. The coppers were awed and toddled off to catch some proper criminals. The


tourists were gobsmacked. Who was I? Tony soprano? The Lord of Ladbroke Grove? How did I do it? simples! I knew them. I knew them since their first year. I’d had them in detention in those too long trousers their mothers put them in. anti-social behaviour? We can’t do much about it, unless we know each other. “Only connect”, as e M Forster said. We’re all God’s children, well, except for Millwall fans, full of sound and fury.


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


News


Ski-lift accident inspires student to help disabled


by Pete Henshaw


a 30-foot fall from a ski-lift changed the life of a 15-year-old student who has since dedicated himself to helping disabled people to access sporting opportunities. The story emerged as Cameron


Foster, from West Leigh school in Wigan, was awarded the top prize at this year’s Humanitarian Citizen awards, run by the British red Cross. Five years ago, Cameron dislo-


cated his ankles, broke both legs and an arm in the accident. eight weeks later, as he had his wires, pins and plasters removed and started physi- otherapy, he found it frustrating not being able to join in with sports. The experience made him


aware of how difficult it can be for disabled people to be involved with sports and he decided to raise money to try and make a difference. since then, Cameron has organ-


ised a sponsored walk and raised £5,500 to buy specialist sports equipment for disabled people, has abseiled 70 feet three times for Wigan and Leigh Hospice, DIas, Cancer research UK and the local Booth Hall Burns Unit, and has run the sport relief Mile twice among many other activities. In total he has raised around


£10,000 and he also volunteers with the Wigan sports Development Unit working with both able-bod- ied and disabled children and has helped a team of autistic children in a mini-games tournament in Wigan. at the awards, Cameron also


came first in the fundraising cat- egory. Other winners during the cer-


emony included Osborne Middle school in east Cowes on the Isle of Wight, which was recognised for its work to help save a Ugandan school from closure. Pupils and teachers fundraised


£4,500 to ensure the pupils in Uganda could continue their education. school senCO Chris Vivian


explained: “We starting raising money after our schools were twinned to improve facilities there, but unfortunately soon after that the Ugandan school was forced off the land it was on. “We decided to commit to rais-


ing £4,500 needed to purchase another building. With the help of the local community here on the Isle of Wight we managed that and in september 2009 I visited the new school – now called Osborne nursery and Primary school.” The awards, supported by


Canon, and are open to anyone aged 25 or under. For more infor- mation, visit www.redcross.org.uk


Champion: Cameron Foster celebrates his award with mum


www.etwinning.net The Community for Schools in Europe


With over 90,000 active members in 32 European countries, eTwinning is an eff ective online partner fi nding and collaboration tool for teachers, pupils and schools.


 Bring Europe to your classroom  It’s free, easy and safe to use  Develop 21st century learning skills  Raise standards and motivation in your classroom  Access great professional development opportunities  Work towards a full International School Award


“eTwinning is an easily accessible network that enables teachers and pupils to participate in international projects that reaps both personal and pupil benefi ts”


Steven Hales - Executive Head Teacher, Burnham Market Primary School


For further information and support, visitwww.britishcouncil.org/etwinning 16 SecEd • October 14 2010


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