Anarchy 43/Primary courtesies - Revision history

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imported>Ivanhoe: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) September 1964
Primary courtesies | author = Charlotte Franklin | section = | previous = ../Stunted t..."

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Created page with "{{header | title = [[../|ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) September 1964]]<br>Primary courtesies | author = Charlotte Franklin | section = | previous = ../Stunted t..."

New page

{{header
| title = [[../|ANARCHY 43 (Vol 4 No 9) September 1964]]<br>Primary courtesies
| author = Charlotte Franklin
| section =
| previous = [[../Stunted to school|Stunted to school]]
| next = [[../Teacher's dilemma|Teacher{{s}} dilemma]]
| notes = ''CHARLOTTE FRANKLIN lives in {{w|North London|North_London}} and has four boys who have experienced a variety of schools.''
}}

<div style="max-width:500px; margin:auto;">{{p|258}}

<font size="5">'''Primary courtesies'''</font>

<font size="4">'''[[Author:Charlotte Franklin|CHARLOTTE FRANKLIN]]'''</font>

<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc|Everyone knows the discrepancy}} between private and public services in {{w|England|England}} in Health and Education. In many cases the essentials{{dash}}medical or teaching skill are no better in one or the other.

{{tab}}But some of us like to pay, quite a lot even, for being treated as an individual with feelings and possibly even ideas of our own.

{{tab}}With more and more compulsory education greater efforts must be made to make it as palatable as possible or else the fundamental aim of producing able and civilised individuals is defeated. A change in attitude towards the parents and children by the {{w|local Education Authorities|Local_education_authority}} is essential.

{{tab}}The Welfare Clinics seem to be able to combine courtesy and efficiency and achieve the co-<wbr>operation of the mothers in the current phases of medical hygiene. Their positive approach must be carried on in the educational field at the {{w|primary school|Primary_school}} stage.

{{tab}}In my own area, London, which has had a pioneering, enlightened Education Committee for years, the parent of the five-<wbr>year-<wbr>old is confronted with the most unenthusiastic, unwelcoming and clumsy note straight away:</div>

<blockquote><font size="2"><div style="text-align:right;">From {{w|L.C.C.|London_County_Council}} School …{{tab}}{{tab}}{{tab}}</div>

<div style="text-align:justify;">{{qq|Dear Sir/Madam,|l}}<br>

{{tab}}{{qq|I am to inform you that if your child X is not attending school and there has been no infection or contageous illness in the home during the last three weeks he/she can be admitted to the above named school.|r}}</div></font></blockquote>

<div style="text-align:justify;">{{tab}}Of course this is purely formal and unimportant. From a Private school the parents might get a slightly different letter:

<blockquote><font size="2">{{qq|We are pleased to tell you that we have a vacancy for your child starting next term …}}</font></blockquote>

and only then a sentence to the effect{{dash}}please inform the school if there has been an infection or a contageous disease in the house.

{{tab}}The emphasis, the spirit is so different.

{{tab}}Most Educational Authorities seem only to understand if you write to them in their own limited language. On the following point I myself have had experience in London only, but a friend in {{w|Norwich|Norwich}} and one in {{w|Cambridge|Cambridge}} have found the same in their areas.

{{tab}}We all thought (quite independently) that for our five-<wbr>year-<wbr>old children the morning at school would be sufficient and that in fact spending the whole day at school was very tiring and possibly doing more harm than good.

{{tab}}Our ideas as parents were of no interest to the heads of the schools. Only a doctor{{s}} letter, that the child had started bed wetting again or something similar was understood and accepted as reasonable.

{{tab}}In the {{w|Middlesex|Middlesex}} area some schools make it very difficult for the parent to meet the teacher of the child without complicated appointments. The school has no telephone number available to the parents. Every call has to go through the Town Hall.

{{tab}}We have found in the private school an entirely different approach.

{{tab}}Any problem, please let us know at once{{dash}}we are here to help, to work together with you.

{{tab}}I should point out that {{w|Parent Teacher Associations|Parent-Teacher_Association}} are not the answer. They can have interesting meetings and help in educating parents in the work of the schools. But my experience of this is that parents join together in a kind of minor plot to redress greivances. This Trade Union atmosphere is also wrong and no substitute for a direct and trusting contact between parents and the schools.

{{tab}}The state primary schools are still permeated with a critical approach towards the parents. In fact collection of dinner money, taking numbers in a class, medical inspections have an importance in the minds of the poor child quite out of proportion with actual importance.

{{tab}}The whole bureaucratic, slightly bullying, we-<wbr>know-<wbr>how-<wbr>to-<wbr>do-<wbr>it, keep-<wbr>out-<wbr>of-<wbr>it tone has, of course historic reasons, but it must be changed now and quickly. Unnecessarily, the gap between private and public education widens. And if private education should be abolished, all the more reason that the civilised approach towards the children and their parents must win through and not the authoritarian.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Primary courtesies}}
[[Category:Children]]
[[Category:Education]]
[[Category:Health]]
[[Category:Articles]]

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 {{tab}}The Welfare Clinics seem to be able to com&shy;bine cour&shy;tesy and ef&shy;fi&shy;ciency and achieve the co-oper&shy;ation of the mothers in the current phases of medical hygiene. Their pos&shy;it&shy;ive ap&shy;proach must be carried on in the edu&shy;ca&shy;tional field at the {{w|primary school|Primary_school|Primary school}} stage.
-{{tab}}In my own area, London, which has had a pi&shy;on&shy;eer&shy;ing, en&shy;lightened Edu&shy;ca&shy;tion Com&shy;mit&shy;tee for years, the parent of the five-year-old is con&shy;fronted with the most un&shy;enthu&shy;si&shy;astic, un&shy;wel&shy;coming and clumsy note straight away:</div>
+{{tab}}In my own area, London, which has had a pi&shy;on&shy;eer&shy;ing, en&shy;lightened{{p|259}} Edu&shy;ca&shy;tion Com&shy;mit&shy;tee for years, the parent of the five-year-old is con&shy;fronted with the most un&shy;enthu&shy;si&shy;astic, un&shy;wel&shy;coming and clumsy note straight away:</div>
 <blockquote><font size="2"><div style="text-align:right;">From {{w|L.C.C.|London_County_Council|London County Council}} School {{e}}{{tab}}{{tab}}{{tab}}</div>

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 {{tab}}In my own area, London, which has had a pi&shy;on&shy;eer&shy;ing, en&shy;lightened Edu&shy;ca&shy;tion Com&shy;mit&shy;tee for years, the parent of the five-year-old is con&shy;fronted with the most un&shy;enthu&shy;si&shy;astic, un&shy;wel&shy;coming and clumsy note straight away:</div>
-<blockquote><font size="2"><div style="text-align:right;">From {{w|L.C.C.|London_County_Council|London County Council}} School &hellip;{{tab}}{{tab}}{{tab}}</div>
+<blockquote><font size="2"><div style="text-align:right;">From {{w|L.C.C.|London_County_Council|London County Council}} School {{e}}{{tab}}{{tab}}{{tab}}</div>
 <div style="text-align:justify;">{{qq|Dear Sir/Madam,|l}}<br>
@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 <div style="text-align:justify;">{{tab}}Of course this is purely formal and un&shy;im&shy;port&shy;ant. Never&shy;the&shy;less it re&shy;flects the whole at&shy;ti&shy;tude which is most im&shy;port&shy;ant. From a Private school the parents might get a slightly dif&shy;fer&shy;ent letter:
-<blockquote><font size="2">{{tab}}{{qq|We are pleased to tell you that we have a vacancy for your child start&shy;ing next term &hellip;}}</font></blockquote>
+<blockquote><font size="2">{{tab}}{{qq|We are pleased to tell you that we have a vacancy for your child start&shy;ing next term{{e|r}}}}</font></blockquote>
 and only then a sen&shy;tence to the effect—please inform the school if there has been an in&shy;fec&shy;tion or a con&shy;ta&shy;geous disease in the house.

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
-<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc|Everyone knows the dis&shy;crep&shy;ancy}} between private and public ser&shy;vices in {{w|England|England}} in Health and in Edu&shy;ca&shy;tion. In many cases the es&shy;sen&shy;tials{{dash}}medical or teach&shy;ing skill are no better in one or the other.
+<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc|Everyone knows the dis&shy;crep&shy;ancy}} between private and public ser&shy;vices in {{w|England|England}} in Health and in Edu&shy;ca&shy;tion. In many cases the es&shy;sen&shy;tials—medical or teach&shy;ing skill are no better in one or the other.
 {{tab}}But some of us like to pay, quite a lot even, for being treated as an in&shy;di&shy;vidual with feel&shy;ings and pos&shy;sibly even ideas of our own.
-{{tab}}With more and more com&shy;puls&shy;ory edu&shy;ca&shy;tion greater ef&shy;forts must be made to make it as pal&shy;at&shy;able as pos&shy;sible or else the funda&shy;mental aim of pro&shy;du&shy;cing able and civ&shy;il&shy;ised in&shy;di&shy;viduals is de&shy;feated. A change in atti&shy;tude towards the parents and chil&shy;dren by the {{w|local Edu&shy;ca&shy;tion Au&shy;thor&shy;it&shy;ies|Local_education_authority}} is es&shy;sen&shy;tial.
+{{tab}}With more and more com&shy;puls&shy;ory edu&shy;ca&shy;tion greater ef&shy;forts must be made to make it as pal&shy;at&shy;able as pos&shy;sible or else the funda&shy;mental aim of pro&shy;du&shy;cing able and civ&shy;il&shy;ised in&shy;di&shy;viduals is de&shy;feated. A change in atti&shy;tude towards the parents and chil&shy;dren by the {{w|local Edu&shy;ca&shy;tion Au&shy;thor&shy;it&shy;ies|Local_education_authority|Local education authority}} is es&shy;sen&shy;tial.
-{{tab}}The Welfare Clinics seem to be able to com&shy;bine cour&shy;tesy and ef&shy;fi&shy;ciency and achieve the co-<wbr>oper&shy;ation of the mothers in the current phases of medical hygiene. Their pos&shy;it&shy;ive ap&shy;proach must be carried on in the edu&shy;ca&shy;tional field at the {{w|primary school|Primary_school}} stage.
+{{tab}}The Welfare Clinics seem to be able to com&shy;bine cour&shy;tesy and ef&shy;fi&shy;ciency and achieve the co-oper&shy;ation of the mothers in the current phases of medical hygiene. Their pos&shy;it&shy;ive ap&shy;proach must be carried on in the edu&shy;ca&shy;tional field at the {{w|primary school|Primary_school|Primary school}} stage.
-{{tab}}In my own area, London, which has had a pi&shy;on&shy;eer&shy;ing, en&shy;lightened Edu&shy;ca&shy;tion Com&shy;mit&shy;tee for years, the parent of the five-<wbr>year-<wbr>old is con&shy;fronted with the most un&shy;enthu&shy;si&shy;astic, un&shy;wel&shy;coming and clumsy note straight away:</div>
+{{tab}}In my own area, London, which has had a pi&shy;on&shy;eer&shy;ing, en&shy;lightened Edu&shy;ca&shy;tion Com&shy;mit&shy;tee for years, the parent of the five-year-old is con&shy;fronted with the most un&shy;enthu&shy;si&shy;astic, un&shy;wel&shy;coming and clumsy note straight away:</div>
-<blockquote><font size="2"><div style="text-align:right;">From {{w|L.C.C.|London_County_Council}} School &hellip;{{tab}}{{tab}}{{tab}}</div>
+<blockquote><font size="2"><div style="text-align:right;">From {{w|L.C.C.|London_County_Council|London County Council}} School &hellip;{{tab}}{{tab}}{{tab}}</div>
 <div style="text-align:justify;">{{qq|Dear Sir/Madam,|l}}<br>
@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 <blockquote><font size="2">{{tab}}{{qq|We are pleased to tell you that we have a vacancy for your child start&shy;ing next term &hellip;}}</font></blockquote>
-and only then a sen&shy;tence to the effect{{dash}}please inform the school if there has been an in&shy;fec&shy;tion or a con&shy;ta&shy;geous disease in the house.
+and only then a sen&shy;tence to the effect—please inform the school if there has been an in&shy;fec&shy;tion or a con&shy;ta&shy;geous disease in the house.
 {{tab}}The em&shy;phasis, the spirit is so dif&shy;fer&shy;ent.
@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 {{tab}}Most Edu&shy;ca&shy;tional Au&shy;thor&shy;ities seem only to under&shy;stand if you write to them in their own lim&shy;ited lan&shy;guage. On the fol&shy;low&shy;ing point I myself have had ex&shy;peri&shy;ence in London only, but a friend in {{w|Norwich|Norwich}} and one in {{w|Cambridge|Cambridge}} have found the same in their areas.
-{{tab}}We all thought (quite in&shy;de&shy;pend&shy;ently) that for our five-<wbr>year-<wbr>old chil&shy;dren the morning at school would be suf&shy;fi&shy;cient and that in fact spend&shy;ing the whole day at school was very tiring and pos&shy;sibly doing more harm than good.
+{{tab}}We all thought (quite in&shy;de&shy;pend&shy;ently) that for our five-year-old chil&shy;dren the morning at school would be suf&shy;fi&shy;cient and that in fact spend&shy;ing the whole day at school was very tiring and pos&shy;sibly doing more harm than good.
 {{tab}}Our ideas as par&shy;ents were of no in&shy;terest to the heads of the schools. Only a doc&shy;tor{{s}}<!-- 'doctors' in original --> letter, that the child had started bed wet&shy;ting again or some&shy;thing sim&shy;ilar was under&shy;stood and ac&shy;cep&shy;ted as reas&shy;on&shy;able.
@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 {{tab}}We have found in the private school an en&shy;tirely dif&shy;fer&shy;ent ap&shy;proach.
-{{tab}}Any problem, please let us know at once{{dash}}we are here to help, to work to&shy;gether with you.
+{{tab}}Any problem, please let us know at once—we are here to help, to work to&shy;gether with you.
-{{tab}}I should point out that {{w|Parent Teacher As&shy;so&shy;cia&shy;tions|Parent-Teacher_Association}} are not the answer. They can have in&shy;ter&shy;est&shy;ing meet&shy;ings and help in edu&shy;cat&shy;ing parents in the work of the schools. But my ex&shy;peri&shy;ence of this is that parents join together in a kind of minor plot to re&shy;dress griev&shy;ances. This Trade Union atmo&shy;sphere is also wrong and no sub&shy;sti&shy;tute for a direct and trust&shy;ing con&shy;tact between parents and the schools.
+{{tab}}I should point out that {{w|Parent Teacher As&shy;so&shy;cia&shy;tions|Parent-Teacher_Association|Parent-Teacher Association}} are not the answer. They can have in&shy;ter&shy;est&shy;ing meet&shy;ings and help in edu&shy;cat&shy;ing parents in the work of the schools. But my ex&shy;peri&shy;ence of this is that parents join together in a kind of minor plot to re&shy;dress griev&shy;ances. This Trade Union atmo&shy;sphere is also wrong and no sub&shy;sti&shy;tute for a direct and trust&shy;ing con&shy;tact between parents and the schools.
 {{tab}}The state primary schools are still per&shy;meated with a crit&shy;ical ap&shy;proach towards the parents. In fact col&shy;lec&shy;tion of dinner money, taking numbers in a class, medical in&shy;spec&shy;tions have an im&shy;port&shy;ance in the minds of the poor child quite out of pro&shy;por&shy;tion with actual im&shy;port&shy;ance.
-{{tab}}The whole bureau&shy;cratic, slightly bul&shy;lying, we-<wbr>know-<wbr>how-<wbr>to-<wbr>do-<wbr>it, keep-<wbr>out-<wbr>of-<wbr>it tone has, of course his&shy;toric reasons, but it must be changed now and quickly. Un&shy;neces&shy;sarily, the gap between private and public edu&shy;ca&shy;tion widens. And if private edu&shy;ca&shy;tion should be ab&shy;ol&shy;ished, all the more reason that the civ&shy;il&shy;ised ap&shy;proach towards the chil&shy;dren and their parents must win through and not the au&shy;thor&shy;it&shy;arian.
+{{tab}}The whole bureau&shy;cratic, slightly bul&shy;lying, we-know-how-to-do-it, keep-out-of-it tone has, of course his&shy;toric reasons, but it must be changed now and quickly. Un&shy;neces&shy;sarily, the gap between private and public edu&shy;ca&shy;tion widens. And if private edu&shy;ca&shy;tion should be ab&shy;ol&shy;ished, all the more reason that the civ&shy;il&shy;ised ap&shy;proach towards the chil&shy;dren and their parents must win through and not the au&shy;thor&shy;it&shy;arian.
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Primary courtesies}}