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| Britain |
| Word 'school' is out for Sheffield primary - has 'negative connotations' |
| 2009-01-03 |
| A new £4.7m primary school in Sheffield is facing criticism for dropping the word "school" from its title after governors decided the term had "negative connotations". The headteacher of Sheffield's Watercliffe Meadow, Linda Kingdon, said the south Yorkshire school, which is due to open on Monday, will instead be called a "place for learning". "We decided from an early stage we didn't want to use the word 'school'," she told local newspaper the Sheffield Star. "This is Watercliffe Meadow, a place for learning. One reason was many of the parents of the children here had very negative connotations of school. "Instead we want this to a be a place for family learning, where anyone can come. We were able to start from scratch and create a new type of learning experience. There are no whistles or bells or locked doors. We wanted to de-institutionalise the place and bring the school closer to real life." Local MP Richard Caborn questioned the decision to drop the word school from Watercliffe Meadow's title. "I'm always open to new ideas but the reality is education is about preparing young people to live in the real world," he said. "I just don't think the case has been made to drop the word school to a place of learning. I don't know why they have done it." Councillor Andrew Sangar, Sheffield city council's cabinet member for children's services and lifelong learning, said: "It's a school, we consider it a school and that's how we refer to it. "How a school chooses to manage and refer to itself is a matter for the board of governors and the community it serves and we're relaxed about that." The primary school is to replace Shirecliffe, Busk Meadow and Watermead infant and junior |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #15 "Where do they find these twats?" The New Europa. Utopia on steroids. |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2009-01-03 15:22 |
| #14 They are just going back to the original meaning of school. A school (from Greek σχολή (scholē), originally meaning "leisure", and also "that in which leisure is employed", "school") |
| Posted by: tipper 2009-01-03 12:25 |
| #13 In a madrassa they actually have to learn things... and get whacked if they don't... |
| Posted by: john frum 2009-01-03 10:39 |
| #12 How 'bout 'madrassa'? |
| Posted by: DMFD 2009-01-03 10:29 |
| #11 How about calling it something closer to what it probably will devolve into.....like "warehouse for obnoxious gits", or "reformatory preparation centre"? |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-01-03 09:25 |
| #10 If the parents are having a fit at the sound of the word "school", what chance for the kids? |
| Posted by: Grunter 2009-01-03 08:35 |
| #9 Ms. Kingdon clearly wanted to be an artist when she grew up, so she's just re-defining her job so that she can be a sculptor of young minds instead. And so she goes to work, with a hacksaw, hammer and chisel. Just cut out anything which isn't part of your work of art, Linda! |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2009-01-03 08:33 |
| #8 Knives, Knives, Sheffield steel! All I can think of is Fairbairn Sykes. They've simply got to change the name of that town. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-01-03 08:24 |
| #7 Get with the program... they are "facilitators" working with their "customers/clients" |
| Posted by: john frum 2009-01-03 08:19 |
| #6 The term "teachers' salaries" is begginning to have negative connotations. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-01-03 05:49 |
| #5 Oh FFS. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2009-01-03 05:33 |
| #4 "We wanted to de-institutionalise the place and bring the school closer to real life." For these poor kids, maybe they should just put in some desks and screens and name it a 'Job Centre Familiarisation Experience'. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2009-01-03 05:11 |
| #3 Where do they find these twats? |
| Posted by: mojo 2009-01-03 04:26 |
| #2 oh, i think they will be learning. it is just that they will be learning all the wrong lessons. |
| Posted by: Abu do you love 2009-01-03 02:11 |
| #1 If they don't call it a school it sure as H*ll won't be a 'place for learning'. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2009-01-03 00:44 |