Don’t get me wrong I like my friends – I really do – it’s just that they are a pain. There I’ve said it. So they have to be gotten rid of, oh not quite literally I hasten to add, but if it came down to a choice between friends and education… well I can always make new ones. Right? I know it is harsh, but I’m afraid true.

 Friends are the ones who distracted me last year and still had the audacity to come out with better grades. I’m stood here thinking, how did that happen? The universe failed to answer. Besides, my main focus is not on how they achieved their grades; it is about how I am going to succeed this year.

I have a plan: Library, before school; Library, lunch time; Library, after school… You get the picture? I have a new best friend.

 Ms Hamilton even made it into some comical-twilight-zone joke (where only she inhabits and finds amusing), but for the rest of us? Well, she’s just weird. She has this way of just creeping me out. That sly snigger and her thoughts, heaven forbid if anyone had access to those… It’s not her thoughts that get me, I’m no mind minder- but those sniggers just grate. Two words come to mind: Batman, Joker, Hamilton – yes I know that’s three.

 You may think that my mini rant about Ms Hamilton is a bunch of kafaffall, but you actually have to see (or hear) to believe it. Seriously. She even approached me today and said in her homicidally constipated grating whine, “Jay, I hope you’re working hard?” and then quite literally disappeared in a puff of cackling smoke? I mean, who does that?!

 Maybe she needs some friends.

Jay Simple

Resident Journo and committed hoody

My mind set was still cemented on what happened in August. How I had to hold back my tears in front of Ms Kelly. This is the main reason why I am always in the library every break and lunch swotting. Even the librarian Mrs Hamilton made a sneaky joke that the library was my new best friend. I returned with a fake smile and laugh but then actually, upon reflection had to admit what she had said; in fact it was the truth.

That same day I walked past Room 31 and saw Ms Kelly sitting at the computer clicking away on the mouse, her facial expression was full of distress. Before I strolled in I had already rehearsed what I was going to say to her, I do not want to waste any valuable time with small talk. She is always one for jumping at the opportunity to ask ‘friendly’ questions such as, ‘How was your weekend Jay?’ when we’re in the middle of the week or ‘Did you win your football match?’ when she knows perfectly well that I’m a cricketer. I sensed the ‘friendly’ question and answer session was cancelled today though.

But why? Maybe she had a bad day? Or maybe her personal problems were beginning to clash with work? There were lots of rumours flying around… At that time I wish I was blessed with the ability to read one’s thoughts, but hey we can’t have everything…

I jumped towards my requesting when hearing her refusal to give me the dates. What was exactly her reasoning in rejecting my request? She mentioned it was not my priority and I should concentrate on my independent study. Not my priority?!

She even asked me if I would like to return in February. Is that a threat…? At that precise moment my heart sank, and without even acknowledging her – I left the room and walked towards the library.

 Jay Simple

Resident Journo and committed hoody

The Christmas period: November to the end of January is the hardest period where A Levels are concerned. One begins to get de-motivated and forgets what they are working towards. A couple of days ago, I had a bout of this which soon passed… School, home, home, school, and work and so the cycle goes on.

However others have not been so fortunate, such as Sarah who began to suffer from depression early into her A levels and God only knows where she is now…

 This period is a struggle for me because deadlines have to be met – plus I have to continue to revise the topics so that I do not forget them. Hopefully all of the work will benefit me in the long term – but all I can do is believe and hope.

No rest for the wicked.

Jay Simple

Resident Journo and committed hoody

 There are a growing number of parents dissatisfied with the state schools, and perhaps in no position to send their children to private school, have decided the better option is to home-educate. Believing that not one size fits all, parents are therefore are seeking alternative ways in which to provide the education they believe their children deserve.

 The article highlighted much of the sentiment of that parents have suspected for a long time. That despite the vast amounts of money pumped into state education, children’s literacy and numeracy have not improved; discipline in schools is an uphill struggle to achieve and quite simply in the end failing all children. Parents are beginning to vote with their feet.

 The growing disquiet regarding our education system has parents feeling there are few real choices, despite the fact that by law parents are legally responsible for ensuring their children receive an education. In an interview with Education Otherwise, Ms Zenna Atkins, Chair of Ofsted, echoed much of the sentiment of why parents are opting out of state education. When parents raise concerns regarding their children’s education they feel their voice may be heard, but not listened to. Often feeling intimidated by teachers – who treat them as people who have no insight into children’s needs, or that parents have a fundamental lack of awareness regarding the aptitude of their children – end up feeling that in order to be heard an adversarial stance must be taken.

 In this day and age where there is so much talk about diversity and ensuring greater choice in healthcare, education and greater empowerment of communities it is surprising that if – for what ever reason – parents decide to home-educate their children they will need to have their curriculum approved – fair enough – by the local education department.  No issue with that. However, then parents would be subject to an assessment by a social worker. One question – Why?

 On the one hand parents are legally responsible for the education of their children, whether public or private. However when they decide to exercise this right they will find themselves subject to an assessment and if unsatisfactory, the parents’ decision can be over ruled and the children forced back into school.

 However that isn’t even the real terrifying part. Even if your Educational Department approves your curriculum, this can be vetoed by the social services department and force you to place your child back into school. They will be able to have an ‘interview’ with your child without you being present; not even the police can do this. This is what is so disturbing and paradoxical. Are social services also educators?

 Whilst I’m sure most social service departments’ paramount concerns are children’s protection, to levy that they have to ‘investigate’ because (in some cases, so the argument goes) the withdrawal of children maybe to cover up instances of abuse, forced marriages and the like, aren’t people supposedly innocent until proven guilty?…

Although this may be the case in a number of circumstances, and yes we all must do more to bring these to light, but what studies have been conducted to ascertain the real number of instances of such cases where children have been taken out of school in an attempt to cover up abuses, or forced marriages?

 And yet we all know of recent headline cases such as Baby P, Victoria Clumbié, and of social workers placing a known paedophile with a foster family with young children, who then went on to molest of the the children. However the social workers did not inform the parents of this little detail, wanting to preserve the paedophile’s human rights. Uhmmmn…

This creeping insidious march of eroding the rights of individuals is very disturbing, particularly when the reasons given seem to be a catch all: child protection.  If you protest you are viewed with suspicion and the implication that you have something to hide. If you say nothing your responsibility for your child’s educational welfare can be overridden.

 We have a menacing onus that you are guilty and must prove your innocence otherwise your decision to home educate your children will be met with suspicion and your children’s best interests will be decided by faceless individuals who have set up what amounts to Kangaroo courts to decide your fate and that of your child.

 By Montania Saah

Creative Director of Groovy Art Workshops

 My Saturday started simply enough, I was walking along Shepherd’s Bush Road only noticing the fast food outlets: Eroma, Wests Best and Texas Chicken. Not sure why, maybe it had something to do with the hunger pangs and having an empty pocket to console me. I carried on trudging along, slowly becoming aware of the facial expressions of other passing pedestrians. Many showed disgust – not sure why, so I returned the favour – and they hastily scurried off. One incident involved an old-aged woman who looked into my face with such distaste only for me to return it with a beaming smile, which made her hurry off as if the devil was after her.

 Now anybody who is not of my generation would immediately jump to the conclusion and ask ‘Why did he do that?’ Well I ask myself the same question of others, ‘Why do so many people (particularly those who wear high-waisted trousers with trainers and reminisce about the war) look at me as if I’m about to decapitate them, just because I’m wearing a hood?

 I kid you not. I have a hood on my head and I’m welcomed with expressions of abhorrence and fear and I think, ‘what have I done to deserve this?!’ Yeah I have a hood on, but surely I should be able to get home without apprehensive, distasteful glances? So are my clothes that threatening you can’t see the person. Uhmmn. Okay I get that there are some who wear my style of clothing to deliberately threaten others, but the majority wear it to express themselves.

 The life of your average Hoody can be stressful at times. What with getting good exam grades; a part-time job; helping around the house with chores; after school sport activities and generally getting under the feet of ones parents. So I say those who are judging, see the whole person first, not just the hood.

 Would the old lady in Shepherd’s Bush please take note.

 Article by Jay Simple

Resident Journo at Groovy Art Workshops

 In the UK an average child gets £200.00 worth of toys a year. A staggering £2.15 billion of toys and games are sold per year in the education and entertainment of our children. So for all the vast amounts of money being spent to improve hand-eye co-ordination; literacy and numeracy; spatial awareness; colour recognition etc, why is the art of creativity by children viewed as (at best) the splatter of paint or worse “…uhmm that’s nice/lovely dear?”

 The message is clear, being creative serves no purpose other than to keep the little ones entertained so that they can leave the grown-ups to do grown-up things.

Yet throughout history the creative intelligence of humanity (in no chronological order) led us out of Africa; to harness the power of fire; domesticate animals and cultivate land; invent the wheel; design and build the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the invention of zero and decimals; right the way through to the World Web – is all through our human ability to play, imagine, explore, experiment…

 Bottom line our creativity and ingenuity. The human capability to ask: “What if…?”

 It is through this ability that we have managed to not only map our own planet, but now look to explore and map our universe. Yet we do not acknowledge that the seeds are often sown in childhood. We’ve formed this notion that being creative falls into two camps – that of high art and design, and everything else. Of which children’s art is on the lower rungs of the ‘everything else’ hierarchy: A crying shame. A shame that despite all the billions spent in Britain on educational toys and our educational system, we truly do not acknowledge the importance of creativity within our children.

 Thus those individuals past and present who in unleashing their artistic potential have allowed the rest of humanity to live in greater safety and improved health; developed systems of communication; increased our understanding of our world and universe, have ultimately enriched all our lives.

 We adults can often learn a thing or two from children’s art and acknowledge our own human predisposition to inventiveness has led us to compose music that makes us cry; build architectural structures that amaze; scientific equipment that allows us to see our world with new eyes; and what we learn through this process we ultimately share with others. Albert Einstein was spot on when he said

 It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in
creative expression and knowledge.

Article by

Montania Saah

Creative Director of Groovy Art Workshops