Protesters

I’ll put forward a solution to people misusing the term racist. Don’t accuse people of being racist just because they have objections to recent events which you think are justified, acknowledge that folk on here rightly condemned the packed beaches in the south which contributors to this board played no part in -didn't happen in Scarborough did it !? There is no justification for hurling a bike at a poor bloody animal which has no agenda of its own ref the protesters and was doing as directed by its rider. Don’t dismiss any objections voiced to what Joshua said as being based in the colour of his skin rather than the words that came out of his mouth. And don't use the fear of an accusation of racism as a lever with which to prevent folk from expressing opinions which don’t align with yours. Racism is abhorrent and is an issue which is neither new nor exclusive to blacks, ditto police brutality as per Orgreave, which is why it’s actually ok to point out that all lives matter. Grow up Fonzie.

 

No funding for school minibuses nowadays.

 

I think it's more about this is the thing they are talking about not racism, not the fact that the protests were peaceful in most parts of the country. A lot of people, protesters included, are against violence.

 

That’s a shame, trips like that would probably have to be risk assessed to death now anyway.

 

Is that why kids pay to go on school trips. I was kept at home for most school trips because my parents couldn't afford them. I could have gone for free and nobody would have been any the wiser. Keeping me at home drew attention to the fact that we were skint.

 

It confused me the first time I found a trip letter stuffed down the back of the cabinets in my classroom, then I realised that one of the kids was hiding it so he’d never have to show his mum and make her feel bad about not being able to pay. Same with the kids whose behaviour would turn awful in the weeks leading up to it, hoping to be banned. I soon figured out which parents I needed to have a quick, quiet word with to let them know that the money is voluntary. I got in huge trouble at school once because I managed to get a parent to swallow their pride and accept the help so their child didn’t miss out and the school went ballistic saying it wasn’t voluntary and they couldn’t go if they didn’t pay as otherwise no-one would and it would have to be cancelled. They told me the class teacher who I would have to leave the kid with. I pointed out that it was one child who had never been on a school trip in their life and the payments are voluntary by law and I would be reporting the school and cancelling the whole trip rather than leave them behind again (I wouldn’t have cancelled, I’d have paid myself and not told anyone). The kid got to go but school was not happy.

 

I wish I'd have had a teacher like you. I was bullied for not wearing named clothing and going to the civic centre at Castleford for hand out coats. Getting my shoes from Shoe Express rather than wearing Clarks or Podds or Kickers. School was an unforgiving place for me.

 

Which school, mate? Asking as a fellow Pomfretian.

 

Cobblers Lane. I missed the Wigan Pier trip and second Hornsea trip. Then at King School I missed Light Water Valley and non uniform days. (After the embarrassment of the first one.)

 

I was at Carleton Park and then Carleton High, although my sister went to Kings. I can't remember specifically what I was bullied for, it all pretty much blended together.

 

Similar, never went on holiday in the 6 week holidays, couldn't afford the tuc shop at morning break, the annual ski trip didn't even enter my head. School was often ‘trial by the haves’ but I’ll tell you what pal it’s spurred me on no end to make sure mine wasn't in the same boat when she was at school. And the ‘bank of dad’ as she calls it still gets emptied to fund her through uni.

 

I've vowed to Laura and myself that George will never have to go through the hardships I did mate.

 

I think I remember one off incidents because they're the ones which I suppose scarred me emotionally the most. I'll admit I developed a complex over it for many years.

 

The speech by Joshua was not racist.

 

I empathise with that mate, I was bullied mercilessly for having free school dinners and being made to take them with the other kids also on freebies. Talk about open segregation!
I was so ashamed that when I got to secondary school I begged my mum to let me take sandwiches so I didn't stand out as being poor
I was bullied for having second hand clothes and shoes
I was bullied for being very tall and skinny
I was bullied for not having a father in the family
Anybody who stood out for any reason, be it thin, fat, tall, small or timid was fair game for the many bullies
I believe things have improved these days but back then the teachers were part of the problem as they most certainly turned a blind eye

 

Nowadays there is pupil premium. and that should ensure kids go on trips.Also payment is " voluntary" so as long as a parent agrees they can go they pay what they can afford. Unfortunately trips can o ly run if the vast majority pay.

I think in the light of #blacklivesmatter it would be great if kids could look around their locality, talk about the statues, plaques , significant local personages, street and school names and talk and learn about them. And then come up with alternatives/ additional wording.

Let's take WW1 memorials. Those soldiers suffering shell shock were branded cowards , their names omitted. We now know more about mental illness, what should/could we now do about this?

 

I had knitted wool trunks

 

Same regarding packed lunches, clothes. What made the clothes worse is they were hand me downs by a friend of my Grandmas whose grandson was in the same year as me. I was bullied for being overweight at School then more surprisingly college.

 

Me too, remember once going in the sea on a rare trip to Brid with me grandad, came out double in weight and them almost down to me knees!

 

Thanks to the power of television, my nickname was "Lurch"