Strikes and that Kipper Tie feeling.

As the rubbish piles up along our street and the schools close-I am getting that 1970's feeling. I could just see us breaking out the kipper ties and brown jackets with orange overstitiching .

I haven't really been watching the news much so although I knew the strike was happening-I have friends who are teachers-I wasn't too sure what it was all about.

The BBC news yesterday was interesting in the way they covered it. Now, I know quite a few teachers. All of them have a very good grasp of the English language and can string a sentence together without a thick accent. They are quite capable of articulating a position, should they be asked.

However the BBC reporter managed to interview three teachers (I think it was three) all of whom came across as rather lacking in basic educational ability. The idea that these were qualified teachers was rather shocking. But just as they may have persuaded me to have no sympathy with their position at all they flicked across to Ed Balls, a sinister minister extraordinaire. The kids had all come charging into the room at this point so I couldn't hear what he said-but even my son commented on his scary bulging eyes! How does he make his face do that!?

So my rubbish sits on the pavement, and the kids in the neighbourhood are not at school, and while I think nurses have received an equally bad deal on the pay front and they are not striking-the fact that teachers have Ed Balls in charge of them is all I need to offer them sympathy in their plight.

Chavenges on Channel 4

Last night Channel 4 ran a programme from the Cutting Edge team entitled "The Dangerous School for Boys" about Chavanges International College.


I knew the programme would set out to show the worst possible side of the school, but I watched it anyway.
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When I first read about the school being established it seemed to me it was aimed at parents like me; Catholics who wanted a fully Catholic education for our children and were not going to be able to get it in our local schools so we are home educating.
It was advertised as a kind of extension of the home education ethos. My initial reaction was that I could not see many parents from the Catholic home ed side sending their children there.

As a Catholic home ed parent I take very seriously the Chruch teaching on the rights and duties of parents in the education and upbringing of children-so I basically do not want other people to bring my children up for me; boarding school is not an option for me therefore.

Nevertheless I could see how a school like this would be a good thing.

I have only ever met one parent who sent a child there. He became very homesick and she had him back. But I did wonder why she sent him. Her children were-not well disciplined- and I wondered if she thought school would help that.
I wondered if Chavenges was set up to help parents set boundaries for their children-and whether behaviour would be a problem over there.

You might think that with my pre-set concerns about the school that I would agree with the negative view Channel 4 tried to put across last night, but what I saw was a vision for a genuine strong education for young men.
It has a strong Catholic ethos and the man behind the project Ferdi McDermot seemed to have the right idea-but lacked organisational skills I suspect.
There was a kind of chaotic feel to the place, which obviously was partly due to editing.
There's no money for the place it seems and the building is falling around their ears.

I know the 'rabbit killing' scene will so upset the delicate souls who live in cities surrounded by abortion mills-but I have no problem with the boys learning how to properly kill and prepare meat. I was concerned there did not appear to be anyone there who actually was experienced in this though.

It is obvious the school has problems-but the programme did not shine any light on that.

My favourite part was the sheer horror of the man interviewing Ferdi over the idea that the boys are taught chastity and expected to try and live chaste lives-with NO sexual sins allowed.
Imagine that! LOL!
Take a look at YouTube for some interesting clips that offer a very different view of the school.