I'm a parent. I'm a teacher. I am, sometimes, a writer. Some people are also all three. Some people are two of those, some people are just one. Whichever you are, whether you like it or not, there is a responsibility to have a duty of care over the children with which you come into regular contact. Apparently, some authors, including the illustrious Philip Pullman, are balking at the idea of submitting themselves to a simple, one-off vetting procedure to cover themselves for regular contact with children. I work in an area of the country that remains conscious of the repercussions of the despicable behaviour of a man named Ian Huntley. Like it or not, the situation now is that every teacher in the country has to be CRB-checked to prove, to put it bluntly, that he (or she) is no danger to children. As a parent, I find that reassuring. As a teacher, I find it no problem whatsoever. The only inconvenience was having to provide proof of identity and allow the school to check with the Criminal Records Bureau that I pose no danger to children. If an electrician has to come into school to work for a prolonged period he also needs to be checked. My wife recently volunteered to chaparone some nursery school children and she had to be checked. It is not only not a problem - it's a responsibility. This news story makes clear that, for occasional one-off visits to schools (where visiting speakers are already only with children in the presence of teachers - the rules are quite clear about that), this vetting won't be necessary. It will be, however, for frequent or prolonged contact with children. Fair enough, isn't it? Sometimes authors come into schools for free (Gawd bless ya, GP Taylor), but mostly (and rightly so - it's a job after all) a fee is involved. Is it really such an imposition on personal freedom to submit to a simple check that reassures schools, parents and children? It's all very well Mr Horowitz et al getting sniffy about it, but think for a moment about why this kind of thing is required. And it's painless. So come on, we want more authors in schools - and we're not going to manage that if some threaten to cut off their own noses to spite their faces. Anne Fine called it "demeaning". Really? I mean, really? My only concern is that the article seems to suggest that authors will have to pay for the check themselves. As a teacher, I don't pay to be checked out. Make it free. Remove the suspicion that it's Government just revenue-raising and what real objection can there be?
Children's Laureate Anthony Browne writes a great deal of common sense about it here.
Take a look at The Guardian's comment on it here. Although, to be fair, scroll down The Guardian's page to look at reader comments - a few points about the author of the article.
Philip Pullman says he won't be coming into schools again because of this. Oh well. That's sad. He's brilliant. Kids love his books. As far as I know he's a nice bloke. He wrote for The DFC, and anyone who does that of course has a special place in my heart which is normally cold and stoney as a stoney thing. But it's his loss. And saddest of all, it would be a great loss to the very children who we want to grow up - safely - with a love for great literature. Thing is, in a way, he's right. I would think that it's likely unnecessary, but I guess it comes down to whether you think it's a small or large price to pay.
The 456 and the Elephant in the Room
Two things happened yesterday that made me want to blog something more than the superficial fluff you normally get from me. For someone with, shall we say, firm opinions, I try to keep them out of a public forum, but today seemed appropriate to say something. First of all, yes, I read The Guardian, I work in education most of the time and do a bit of writing on the side. I like science fiction and I work in a school. It's rare that those two things coincide, but they did yesterday.
First of all, there was this shocking news story. A science teacher in Mansfield has been accused of attempted murder of a 14 year old pupil. Seeing what I've seen over the years, knowing what I know, and having experienced what I'm going to call The Elephant In The Room, it will not surprise me if it is eventually revealed that this teacher was pushed, provoked and prodded into this situation over a long period. That doesn't excuse what he did. It isn't intended to take anything away from thos pupils or their families, for whom I have every sympathy. I hope the boy recovers well. But who is going to be revealed as the biggest victim in this story? The boy, the teacher of the elephant?
The Elephant In The Room is behaviour. It's a common misconception that so-called 'failing schools' are 'failing' because of poor teaching. Sometimes that is true but often it is because such schools exist in deprived areas with low incomes, low aspirations and low respect for education. On Question Time last night, Shami Chakrabati made the point that she would never want to deprive anybody of the opportunities that education gave her. The Government profess to make the same point, but they come at it backwards: of course teachers have a responsibility to teach the children well, but when the children themselves make this impossible, when a gang in a classroom can destroy the whole experience by challenging, mocking and, yes, sometimes even bullying, the teacher, it doesn't matter how many directives are issued, how many Ofsted inspections are carried out, how many boxes are ticked, how many Heads prime the kids to behave whilst the Inspectors are in and then retreat back to their offices the day after; things will still remain unchanged. The majority of teenagers want to learn, want to do well, want to make a future for themselves. But a minority - and in some schools they are unchecked - don't see a future for themselves and strike out against authority in the way that they have been taught by their parents: assert your individuality; make them listen to you; what you want is more important than anything else. Guess what? It isn't. What we are seeing amongst many teenagers is the legacy of the 'me, me, me' years of the 1980s. Their parents have grown up believing that putting oneself first is the way to get on, and this is compounded by the over-regulation of everything - especially eduication - that we've had for the past decade. For too many, the prevailing view is 'I want what I want. I don't care how it affects other people. And if I can't have it, it's the state that should be giving it to me. But at the same time I don't want them to tell me what to do'.
Which brings me to Torchwood. An odd segue you might think. Well. I joked the other day that the 456 aliens in this week's Torchwood mini-series were Ofsted. Two days notice. Imminent arrival. Everyone scared of what they will do. Then, guess what? In last night's episode, the Government sat around a table debating how to identify the ten per cent of children that they were going to give up to the aliens. How did they make the decision? School league tables. They identified the ten per cent of children least likely to succeed in society based on league tables of 'failing schools'. Hey presto, get rid of a drain on society and solve the alien problem in one fell swoop. What was really chilling was that I could see this happening. It was relentlessly logical. It's what school league tables are for: quantify the underclass. Now, I genuinely think that the Labour Government are by and large made up of good people who have our best interests at heart. I think Gordon Brown is a good man out of his depth. But any Government would act the same. Solve the problem by getting rid of it. It's too hard to deal with it. It's the Elephant In The Room.
Perhaps the tragic event of yesterday, where a teacher attacked a pupil, is the fault of a bullying teacher. Perhaps it's the fault of a system that makes it too difficult to deal with the disruptive behaviour of a few children. Perhaps it's nobody's fault. But I don't think so. Children have a right to an education and to not feel intimidated or threatened in the classroom. But they also have a responsibility to allow the other children around them to learn and to let the teachers teach.
We could leave them to it - or let the aliens have them. Or we could fight to stop it happening again. But we all need to do it. Public opinion will probably be split between those who blame the teacher, those who blame the kids, and those who blame the parents. You know what? It's everybody's fault. Not me, me, me. Us.
First of all, there was this shocking news story. A science teacher in Mansfield has been accused of attempted murder of a 14 year old pupil. Seeing what I've seen over the years, knowing what I know, and having experienced what I'm going to call The Elephant In The Room, it will not surprise me if it is eventually revealed that this teacher was pushed, provoked and prodded into this situation over a long period. That doesn't excuse what he did. It isn't intended to take anything away from thos pupils or their families, for whom I have every sympathy. I hope the boy recovers well. But who is going to be revealed as the biggest victim in this story? The boy, the teacher of the elephant?
The Elephant In The Room is behaviour. It's a common misconception that so-called 'failing schools' are 'failing' because of poor teaching. Sometimes that is true but often it is because such schools exist in deprived areas with low incomes, low aspirations and low respect for education. On Question Time last night, Shami Chakrabati made the point that she would never want to deprive anybody of the opportunities that education gave her. The Government profess to make the same point, but they come at it backwards: of course teachers have a responsibility to teach the children well, but when the children themselves make this impossible, when a gang in a classroom can destroy the whole experience by challenging, mocking and, yes, sometimes even bullying, the teacher, it doesn't matter how many directives are issued, how many Ofsted inspections are carried out, how many boxes are ticked, how many Heads prime the kids to behave whilst the Inspectors are in and then retreat back to their offices the day after; things will still remain unchanged. The majority of teenagers want to learn, want to do well, want to make a future for themselves. But a minority - and in some schools they are unchecked - don't see a future for themselves and strike out against authority in the way that they have been taught by their parents: assert your individuality; make them listen to you; what you want is more important than anything else. Guess what? It isn't. What we are seeing amongst many teenagers is the legacy of the 'me, me, me' years of the 1980s. Their parents have grown up believing that putting oneself first is the way to get on, and this is compounded by the over-regulation of everything - especially eduication - that we've had for the past decade. For too many, the prevailing view is 'I want what I want. I don't care how it affects other people. And if I can't have it, it's the state that should be giving it to me. But at the same time I don't want them to tell me what to do'.
Which brings me to Torchwood. An odd segue you might think. Well. I joked the other day that the 456 aliens in this week's Torchwood mini-series were Ofsted. Two days notice. Imminent arrival. Everyone scared of what they will do. Then, guess what? In last night's episode, the Government sat around a table debating how to identify the ten per cent of children that they were going to give up to the aliens. How did they make the decision? School league tables. They identified the ten per cent of children least likely to succeed in society based on league tables of 'failing schools'. Hey presto, get rid of a drain on society and solve the alien problem in one fell swoop. What was really chilling was that I could see this happening. It was relentlessly logical. It's what school league tables are for: quantify the underclass. Now, I genuinely think that the Labour Government are by and large made up of good people who have our best interests at heart. I think Gordon Brown is a good man out of his depth. But any Government would act the same. Solve the problem by getting rid of it. It's too hard to deal with it. It's the Elephant In The Room.
Perhaps the tragic event of yesterday, where a teacher attacked a pupil, is the fault of a bullying teacher. Perhaps it's the fault of a system that makes it too difficult to deal with the disruptive behaviour of a few children. Perhaps it's nobody's fault. But I don't think so. Children have a right to an education and to not feel intimidated or threatened in the classroom. But they also have a responsibility to allow the other children around them to learn and to let the teachers teach.
We could leave them to it - or let the aliens have them. Or we could fight to stop it happening again. But we all need to do it. Public opinion will probably be split between those who blame the teacher, those who blame the kids, and those who blame the parents. You know what? It's everybody's fault. Not me, me, me. Us.
Neill Cameron's A to Z of Awesomeness
Apart from the Bulldog connection, comic artist Neill Cameron and I have a couple of things in common. We both have small children, and we both therefore watch CBeebies. And, because there is an indefinable something about Nina from Nina and the Neurons (a CBeebies show, do keep up), perhaps it was inevitable that this would arise. If this means nothing to you, then you MUST get along to Neill's blog, and catch up on Neill's A to Z of Awesomeness. Which is awesome. Apologies for nicking the pic for this blog entry, Neill. But it is awesome.
Bulldog Empire Forbidden Planet Review
It's like buses...
Lookee here for a review of Bulldog: Empire, mine and Neill's bis scale widescreen epic Bulldog adventure that ended Winston Bulldog's adventures two or three years ago. This very much complements Richard's review of the Best of Bulldog yesterday (see post below). If you still haven't read it, contact me or Neill directly for any copies of the mini-series that we still have lying around (rare collector's items, y'know!) or buy yourself The Mammoth Book of Best New Manga volume 1 which is still available through some retailers, such as the aforementioned Forbidden Planet. Take a look at the review, it links to a buying option.
Did I mention that Neill drew Thor in the latest Marvel Heroes? Seriously, great strip. Buy that too.
Best of Bulldog Forbidden Planet Review
There's a very flattering review of The Best of Bulldog written by Richard Bruton at the Forbidden Planet blog here.
Oh, and by the way - buy the current issue of Marvel Heroes! The Mighty Thor by Neill Cameron! Brilliant!
Frankenstein Award Winner!
Frankenstein has won an award!
Obviously, not just my doing - kudos also goes to Declan, Other Jason, Kat and Colin's Classical Comics Crew!
It's an American award, given by the Association of Educational Publishers in America, for Distinguished Achievement in grades 9-12 - Self-Guided Materials.
The Rainbow Orchid
In the early part of this decade, I was self-publishing BAM, relaunching it after a short hiatus, with space for other material so that it would work as an anthology. I had in mind developing a small press version of Warrior (from the 1980s) with Bulldog as the lead. In the event, Bulldog took up most of the content, with able support from a strip by Garen Ewing called The Rainbow Orchid - a strip that, at the time, had been gestating slowly and, I guess, just needed the impetus of a regular print medium to get some momentum. I had been a big fan of Garen's artwork for many years, particularly his comic strip version of Shakespeare's The Tempest, and was only too glad to add his Rainbow Orchid pages to BAM! What I liked - and still like - about the strip is the density of plotting, the sweep of adventure and the way in which Garen sketches out characters very economically yet also with wit. These are characters that belong to the 1920s period in which it is set. These are characters that in some ways fulfill archetypes - or even stereotypes, but in a way that is true to the genre and the period. No angsty vigilantes here. Think the cast of characters in Peter Jackson's King Kong. Think Republic serials. Think Bulldog Drummond. Then update it to the verve and visual swirl of modern comics. In terms of the way that Garen draws faces (eyes in particular) and figures, obvious parallels are drawn with Tintin. Garen will take that as a compliment, as it's entirely intended - but it's no mere homage to the work of a Belgian with suspect politics, it's a work that stands on its own. I remember flogging my wares at the Bristol comic convention a few years ago, and most copies of BAM! at that time selling on the back of Garen's pages in that issue, many new readers attracted to that above Bulldog. And rightly so. Readers were clamouring for a collected edition and the continuation of the story. When BAM! folded in 2005, Rainbow Orchid had already been published in a short-run magazine edition collating the first few episodes, and later Garen produced a lavish hardback of the same episodes with a strictly limited print run. I think there were only 50 produced, of which I'm the proud owner of one. But the story didn't end there. For the last few years, Garen has been publishing the continuing story as a web strip, the unique way in which he constructs the pages allowing for what would be roughly A5-sized landscape sections of story to appear on a regular basis. It's picked up a large number of readers - check it out here for yourself, and click back to the beginning. Settle yourself down with a pot of tea and some nice biscuits, maybe some bully beef and tinned jam, and you're in for a treat as Garen takes you from the streets of London to... well, just discover for yourself.
Very soon, you'll be able to explore the expanding world of the Adventures of Julius Chancer in The Rainbow Orchid in fully printed form when the first of three volumes is published by Egmont. I have my copy on order from Amazon here. Also available from all good bookshops!
In Garen's own words from the website:
If you like your comics full of mystery and adventure and you love the worlds of H. Rider Haggard, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Edgar P. Jacobs and Hergé, then you'll want to read The Rainbow Orchid.
Set in the 1920s, it is a tale of the search for a mythical flower last mentioned by the ancient Greek philosopher and botanist, Theophrastus.
But why does the orchid also feature on a stone slab that may tell of a forgotten Vedic legend? Who was the mysterious stranger who brought one to a remote village in the Hindu Kush, populated by those who are said to be descended from Alexander the Great? And why does Urkaz Grope want the legendary Trembling Sword of Tybalt Stone at all costs?
The Rainbow Orchid is traditional adventure at its best. Strong and simple storytelling with attractive and cinematic artwork, it enjoys a varied international readership of all ages and both sexes.
Personally, I can't wait. Quality storytelling at its best. Happy Birthday to Garen this week! How old? Well, he's younger then me. Just.
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