Theday.co.uk

[SerenityNowwwww]

We used to use this when DS was little. Sorry we don’t so that I could cancel it.

They do worksheets in topical/news events and get kids to discuss/think. This one on the recent JKR affair is mind boggling in its bias and utter nonsense. It’s written as if it is a generally agreed fact that she has written hateful comments and is on the wrong, plus this gem:

WORD WATCH
People who menstruate
Rowling implied that we used to call people who have periods “women”, which excludes trans women. In response, Daniel Radcliffe wrote: “Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people.”Daniel Radcliffe Played Harry Potter

theday.co.uk/stories/potterheads-cancel-rowling-after-trans-tweet

What utter shite. I thought it used to be generally accepted that news for children should eschew ideological bias as much as possible, to allow them to develop their own analytical skills and because they're not old enough to understand bias yet?

It was sent out as a link to parents by a school. So biased it makes your head spin.

So, for example, although I'm a leftie and despise Thatcher for what her government did to my home region and my country, if I wanted to write for children about the miners' strikes I'd try not to do it from a standpoint of it going without saying that Thatcher was wrong. I'd want to explain the problems her government was trying to solve, the economic and political context, the aims etc., as well as the other side of things.

The crazy thing is the whole point was about it not feeling inclusive for transmen- nothing to do with transwomen. Yet somehow it is presented as all about them!

It's also extremely patronising in tone. In assuming a target age of something like 7–10? Old enough to find that kind of didactic condescension very irritating, if they're intelligent, independent-minded kids.

Exactly - you lay out the facts and encourage the child to think and explore the issues. Few things are 2D black and white on this world.

If parents read that, they may well decide that a boycott is a good thing... of this awful piece, not of Rowling, obviously.

I’d hope parents are looking closely at the materials supplied to their children and being vocal when it’s crap this.

Bet you a delicious rice pudding it was written by a shiny new English lit grad wanting to show off the one thing they know about Roland Barthes

I wrote my thesis on Barthes. I really couldn’t stand him but my tutor was a fan and keen on me to do so.

If you think Barthes is bad you mustn't have had to suffer Adorno…

Anyway, back to the topic: is this website a widely-used resource?

I think it is. Or maybe was?

5th rule of misogyny: Women and Feminists must be useful to men or they are worthless.

The parents letter to their school im here is a beauty:

safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2020/06/20/dfe-recommended-phse-resource-portrays-j-k-rowling-as-being-on-a-par-with-anti-semites-and-celebrators-of-sexual-violence/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

They are really pushing this from every possible angle aren't they? The persistence is overwhelming.

The parents letter was an absolute joy to behold. Wish I'd been a fly on the wall when that landed in the head teachers inbox 😁

It was good wasn't it? So genuine and heartfelt and yet rational and reasonable. The tone was just right — came across as concerned and knowledgeable parent, rather than activist campaigner, and communicated justified anger without aggression.

I hope we can be kept up to date with this. I'd be interested to know about any response from theday.

That was a wonderful well thought out letter.

What age is this aimed at?

Looks like secondary.

What on earth though?

They have quickly cobbled together an exercise to slag off jkr? And sent it to a load of schools/ kids?

That's properly weird.

What are their other materials like, worth a look I'd say.

But can we still enjoy the books themselves? Some of the greatest artistic achievements have been created by deeply unpleasant people, fromWagner’s Fifth SymphonytoPicasso’s Guernica

Wagner’s Fifth Symphony????

Wagner wrote 2 symphonies, only one of which was completed. In 40 years of attendance at classical concerts I've never even seen the completed one on a programme.

This is disgraceful ignorance in what is supposed to be a teaching resource.

I mean how bloody ignorant do you have to be not to know Wagner wrote very long operas, most of which are based on Norse sagas, and that Hitler was a fan?

And that reference to "the Fifth Symphony", without any further descriptor, means Beethoven's 5th.

If I were a parent I'd ditch these idiots for that alone. If they get this wrong what else have they got wrong.

Others say, enough is enough. JK Rowling must understand that her words have consequences. Trans people are especially vulnerable to self-harm and suicide and it is simply unacceptable for her to use her fame in this way

They had to get a bit in about JK Rowling literally killing trans kids.

That's not news, it's propaganda.

And this:
"Wagner’s Fifth Symphony
One of the most famous pieces of classical music was written by German composer Richard Wagner, celebrated by the Nazis for his anti-semitic and racist views."

As dido pointed out, is just embarrassingly factually wrong