Warning! Dangerous stories!

A couple of recent news stories:

Michael Gove changes the English GCSE so that children would no longer read novels written eoutside the UK. This provoked outrage and widespread protest, including a sit in at the Department for education, with people passionately reading Of Mice and Men, Catcher in the Rye, To kill a Mockingbird.

Richard Dawkins said children should not be told fairy tales as it gave them unrealistic expectations. ( although he does say the BBC got him wrong). Others, such as the children's writer, Laren child's, came on to defend the Fairy Tale.

Stories are powerful.

They are ways we make sense of our world. They encourage us to exercise our imagination. To ask, "what if?" "Why not?" In a story we can look outside our own limited experience of life. In an imaginary landscape we can try new things, explore emotions and apply them to our own lives. We can ask big questions about life, death and morality. We can experience fear, suspense, adventure, laughter and tears in relative safety. We can empathise with characters, and wonder about situations in our own world.

Is this why repressive regimes ban books? Is this why people who want to control women want to stop girls from reading?

In some states in America people have tried to ban books about magic such as Harry Potter from schools. They site the danger that young people might be led to experiment with witchcraft! I think no such thing. They might however, do something much more dangerous. They might read more books, and start asking questions.

Sometimes people who argue for  a literal interpretation of religious texts say, "if it were only a story, people would not have risked their lives for it!" I think that if the story was important enough, people might indeed have done so.

So, go on, do something dangerous today! Read a story!

Standard English

In the new National Curriculum for Primary schools in England and Wales, there is an increased emphasis on the use of standard English, in both speaking and writing. This poem envisages what might happen.

There once was a school in Manchester,

Where folks say,  "We was, " and  "Ya wot?"

But the bloke from Her Maj's inspectorate,

Says, "This really won't do, you lot,

"We were," and "pardon" is how you must say it,

Standard English is how you must speak,

Your children need to be better spoken,

If your targets you are to reach."

So the very next day in assembly,

The head teacher gets everyone in,

And when everyone has gone quiet,

He knew it was time to begin,

"Reet, we've got to all learn to talk proper,(I mean properly)

Like all the posh kids do down South,

Standard English is what they all call it,

So watch what comes out of your mouth.

Don't say, "nowt," say "nothing",

Don't say "swear down," say " it's true."

And only say "dead" if you're actually dead,

Otherwise "very" will do."

But what will this do to our language,

If children must all speak the same?

Summut is wrong,

If we can't sing our song,

And our regional roots we can't claim.

So by all means let's teach them the difference,

For the times they will need formal words.

But when they're at play,

The words that they say,

Should be owt that they like, except swears.