Goodrich School in Daily Mail

[ClareC]

Whereas this is not in the least bit racist!!! Erm .......

LadyLibra Wrote:

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> It has to be said that I know white people,

> through experience, are very good at trying to get

> themselves out of 'holes' when caught being

> racist. I used to live in the Dulwich area and

> know how the white middle class parents fight by

> 'any means necessary' to make sure their children

> get the best educationally. My guess is they do

> not want Mrs. Patterson as their Head, being black

> of course 'she isn't good enough for their

> precious babies' - I remember a similar scenario

> at St. Saviour's School, Herne Hill, when they had

> their black Head. The fact remains that Southwark

> houses some of the best private schools in London

> or maybe in the country and these parents, would

> send their children to private schools, but cannot

> afford it. They have to realise they live in

> London, it is very multicultural and if they do

> not want a black head, they have to do 'white

> flight' and go to another town outside of London,

> where everyone is white.

>

> I feel sorry for Mrs. Patterson, being black

> myself, I know what it is like to have racist

> slurs, 'jokes' or the like hurled at me, all

> underhanded of course - and have most of my life.

> Hence it has to be said most of those parents will

> never walk in Mrs. Patterson's shoes, so will not

> ever understand how she feels. The saddest thing

> is, I am sure most of these white middle class

> parents are university educated, so one would hope

> should know better!!

[showboat]

Actually, no. That's not racist. It's a vicious statement, but not neccesarily incorrect. Truth can hurt.

Speaking as a very white, middle class born-and-bred East Dulwich resident (married to a mized race woman), I honestly feel that it's one of the great 'unspoken' issues of areas like this. Racism exists in all stratas of society. But we think that it 'couldn't possibly happen here' because we all read the Gaurdian/Independant and so on.

But some of the most racist things I'v heard have been from white folk with money. I'll happily post a list of the ones I know of the top of my head if you want, but for now suffice to say that I have been shocked by them. We think that to be a racist you need to live in Eltham, get tattoos, vote BNP, shave your head and fly the St George flag the roof of your white van. It isnt true of course, and although I don't think any parents at Goodrich will actively hold racist views, they may have subconcious beliefs about who they 'think' should be running the school. THIS DOESN'T MAKE THEM BAD PEOPLE, but it's something to think about.

[dulwichbloke]

.

[LadyLibra]

Monkey Wrote:

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> Why do people assume that parents are giving the

> head a hard time just because she's black? Because

> they're white and middle class? Isn't that a

> racist assumption to make? Goodrich's results have

> been going down. It's a fact. My poor impression

> of Goodrich (apart from this thread) comes from

> looking at league tables and also from seeing a

> number of grammatical mistakes on their website,

> including a glaring one on the homepage (now

> removed)... That's why I decided not to send my

> daughter there. If a new head is appointed and

> results start going up, I will reconsider my

> decision, whatever the colour of the new head.

>

> Headteachers are paid a lot of money (far too much

> in my opinion) so when they don't deliver, they

> need to be held accountable.

Headteachers are paid a lot of money and should deliver, but before this poster was produced, lots of 'little' things were happening before the poster issue came to light. Mrs. Patterson is not paranoid, but sadly just used to this form of underhanded racism, which most black people experience on a daily basis, but choose to ignore - due to fighting off the perpetrator all the time. Just because a white person does not use the 'N', 'wog' word or hurl blatant racist abuse at a black person does not make them non-racist. The fact of the matter remains if any of those white parents were to be asked an honest question regarding who they would prefer to run their school, it would be a white Head - full stop! Had a white Head been running the school now and it was 'failing' - I know categorically that he or she would be given an easier time and lots of much needed support.

Also to be 'white and middle class' is not a racist assumption - again sadly and not all, but most white middle class people actually feel it is their absolute right, above all, to succeed. To succeed is good but to actually wreck other people's lives in the process is very wrong.

It is unfortunate for Mrs. Patterson because she is being intimidated, hounded and bullied and no doubt all the parents who are part of this must be members of the BNP or KKK. May their conscience rest well with them - and I know it will!!

[dully]

Monkey Wrote:

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> Why do people assume that parents are giving the

> head a hard time just because she's black? Because

> they're white and middle class? Isn't that a

> racist assumption to make? Goodrich's results have

> been going down. It's a fact. My poor impression

> of Goodrich (apart from this thread) comes from

> looking at league tables and also from seeing a

> number of grammatical mistakes on their website,

> including a glaring one on the homepage (now

> removed)... That's why I decided not to send my

> daughter there. If a new head is appointed and

> results start going up, I will reconsider my

> decision, whatever the colour of the new head.

>

> Headteachers are paid a lot of money (far too much

> in my opinion) so when they don't deliver, they

> need to be held accountable.

Has no one considered the possibility that the results went down because the children were not very bright? I mean the whole daily mail/lynch mob thing seems quite a thick thing to have done anyway. These are parents who can't accept that they are just not good enough to earn enough money to send their child to prep school and have to bully staff to make up for their deficit. Or maybe they know that at ?105000 per child that their child wasn't worth the investment. Also all those prep schools over in west dulwich are quite multicultural and diverse. What do you think they would have done with this poster?

[nikthegreek]

Yes actually it is racist.

"white people, through experience, are very good at trying to get themselves out of 'holes' when caught being racist" sounds like a belief that people have certain qualities based on the colour of their skin to me

Personally I don't care what colour my childs teacher or head teacher is so long as they are focused on providing a quality education

[LadyLibra]

post removed for being overly antagonistic after I have just given a warning - The Administrator

[james84]

What a load of crap all of this is- Southwark council have refused to publish the findings of their inquiry into this matter. Why??? Probably because the results woudl show that this was all a big waste of time. It was never meant as a personal attack on the head teacher, and should never of been taken as such by her, but obviously that cant be published because it would make the head teacher look foolish for reacting in such a way.

Southwark would also look pretty stupid to have wasted so much time on such a ridiculous case, its obviously not racist, its Charles Darwin for god sake, he has a bloody grey beard. How anyone can see it otherwise is looking to stir trouble. Admitedly there is teh question here of whether the imagery of parents holding the school to account in such a way is acceptable, but that is a completetly different question from whether from racism.

I wonder if this was reported in teh Guardian, would people still be so adament that it was a racist act?

[Earl Aelfheah]

My reaction to reading this story was:

- there is almost certainly more to this than reported by the mail. It's quite unbelievable how the Mail use the ethnicity and income (indirectly implied through house prices - even more odd), as a shorthand to insinuate something about the character, motives or values of those involved.

There is a lot of lazy stereotyping around ethnicity, class and income going on in this debate. Decrying 'pushy middle class white parents' fails to respect people as individuals - insulting to pretty much everyone. It is not only white parents who get actively involved with their school, or demand higher standards for their children. Nor is it the exclusive preserve of the middle classes. Nor is it true that there is not a substantial black middle class. And lastly, it is not true that any of these grouping are themselves homogenous in their views.

[james84]

http://www.humanistlife.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/charles-darwin-320x240.jpg

[dully]

Emily Wrote:

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> Sats are supposed to be about judging the school,

> not individual children, surely?

No, it is about the child not the school. You can't blame a school for your child's lack of smarts. Secondary schools don't look at sat results and say "well, milly your results are rubbish but the rest of the school did well so maybe you are a genius after all." NO. Maybe if the parents of goodrich spent more time on their actual children than mud slinging through the national press then there might be some hope.

[Earl Aelfheah]

> The fact of the matter remains if any of those

> white parents were to be asked an honest question

> regarding who they would prefer to run their

> school, it would be a white Head - full stop!

If you are suggesting that all white people have an issue with a non-white Head (that 'they' are all fundamentally racist), then you are mistaken.

[Mick Mac]

James Barber Wrote:

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> I've looked at the picture again and it looks like

> a black man with a white beard

I'm amazed anyone would say that.

[Mark]

Is it possible to see a copy of the actual poster so that we can see all the words and pictures in context i.e. not just the Darwin & mob models photo?

[*Bob*]

Last night I went to bed and everything seemed fine.

I awoke this morning discover that Charles Darwin was black and East Dulwich has an active Ku Klux Klan cell.

Can't wait for tomorrow.

[LadyLibra]

Had you read my post properly, you would see that I am talking about the parents involved in this sorry saga only!

[StraferJack]

Leaving aside everyone's assumptions so far, my understanding is that the poster is displaying Darwin under attack

I have also read repeatedly in recent years that creationism and the teaching therof is on the rise in uk schools

Is anyone able to clarify if this is the case at goodrich? If not, as you were. If so, the poster makes perfect sense

[*Bob*]

LadyLibra Wrote:

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> Had you read my post properly, you would see that

> I am talking about the parents involved in this

> sorry saga only!

I know what you mean.

Just this morning (on my way to the Co-Op) I had to cross the street to avoid a small gathering of pointy-hatted white supremacists - and then nearly tripped over a burning a cross that someone had carelessly left leaning up against Barclays.

[LadyLibra]

How entertaining for you.

[LadyLibra]

dully Wrote:

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> I think it would have been unprofessional for the

> teacher to comment to the daily mail. Any other

> paper maybe but they were always going to give her

> a rough ride.

>

> The poster is awful and too questionable a choice

> to have been used in the context of a primary

> school even if it was for parents. The guy clearly

> has an ego problem if he thinks it was

> appropriate. If he was elected then surely it was

> his choice to work for the pta, so just do the job

> and don't try and turn it to a satire exercise.

> Magazine, student paper would be appropriate. Kids

> school no.

>

> I have noticed that some East dulwich residents

> are sometimes racist. Whether out of malice or

> ignorance it has been seen and heard. I wouldn't

> discount that there may have been events which

> contributed and affected the head teachers

> perception of events. The fact that the parents

> are pushy enough that this poster was made in the

> first instance would suggest the head is up

> against it. Good luck to her I say.

Well said, thank you. Now if I were to say what you said, as a black person - it is without a doubt, frowned upon.

[Mark]

LadyLibra Wrote:

> Now if I were to say what you said, as a black person - it is without a doubt, frowned upon.

How do you know dully is not black? Why has the colour of the writer got anything to do with it? Why do you assume it will be frowned upon? Please stop trying to stir up a racial argument beyond the poster discussion.

[edited once for clarity]

[james84]

This thread should probably stop now. Lady Libra you are not going to accept anything else but your own point of view, and anyone who argues with your point will be labelled. From your last post it is obvious that you are picking an argument.

[LadyLibra]

Mark Wrote:

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> LadyLibra Wrote:

> > Now if I were to say what you said, as a black

> person - it is without a doubt, frowned upon.

>

> How do you know dully is not black? Why has the

> colour of the writer got anything to do with it?

> Why do you assume it will be frowned upon? Please

> stop trying to stir up a racial argument beyond

> the poster discussion.

>

>

Read my posts and you will see how folk have frowned upon my posts. Me trying to stir up a racist argument - this whole thing is a racist argument! If you read from the beginning, some folk are saying similar things such as I.

[StraferJack]

So goodrich isn't trying to push Creationism? I'm happy to accept that if it's the case. But the picture to me seems to be making a much simpler point than most people seem to be imbuing it with

If I had a child at a school that was pushing creationism, then colour has nothing to do with it... It's just darwin under attack

So, once again: is the school pushing creationism. I will believe yes or no answers

[chantelle]

i find it difficult to believe any parent of any colour have a preference over the colour of a head teacher. and doesn't everyone, no matter their class or colour, have a right to success - to aim for success? I can't understand why aspiration and ambition are dirty words in this country. Shall we all aim to be salt of the earth working class?