In terms of getting materials to schools and teachers, there's definitely a role here for education unions. Having worked on a humanities web portal previously (HUMBUL), I think this is an excellent way of going about things. The BASA would be the natural home for this, although clearly it would require resources. However, I suggest it could start small and grow as links are added, with a small review of what the sites contain and how useful they are. If we had such a quality resource, then ATL would certainly be happy to promote it. A Wordpress site would be quick and easy and cheap to set up and we could promote it on social media etc. Happy to set up a meeting for interested parties.
Best, Wanda
Dr Wanda Wyporska
Equalities Officer, Association of Teachers and Lecturers
7 Northumberland Street, London, WC2N 5RD
E: [log in to unmask] M: 07435 970065
@ATLWanda : www.facebook.com/ATL : @ATLunion
________________________________________
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Angela Allison [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 07 January 2013 20:29
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: the motives of Mary Seacole
Some critics view Seacole as being no more than a money-grabber who wanted to profiteer from the Crimean War. However it should be remembered that she turned entrepreneur only after her application to the War Office, to be sent as an army assistant, to the Crimea, had been refused. When the British Government later decided to permit women to travel to the affected area, Seacole was not included in the party of 38 nurses chosen by Florence Nightingale. Instead, she borrowed money to make the 4,000-mile journey by herself.
Angela Allison, Coventry UK
----- Original Message -----
From: Kathleen Chater <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:25:15 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: The new school History curriculum - depressing news but not surprising
I like the Black Presence proposal to do something positive rather than just complain. You have to offer a viable and positive alternative to something you don't want.
That said, Mary Seacole is a fairly obvious target. She didn't actually contribute anything to British history (there are lots of factors why beyond her colour and sex) and she went to the Crimea to make money. Actually you'd think the Tories would be pleased with her as a capitalist entrepreneur. Should we try to sell her as that? As a role model for the young unemployed? At the moment, she's mainly a symbol.
Kathy
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2013 11:45:00 +0000
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The new school History curriculum - depressing news but not surprising
To: [log in to unmask]
Collect all resources possible thrash out the best and categorise?
On 6 January 2013 08:22, msherwood <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I don’t know what is most important – printed books, kindle, websites? If we could meet and attract some teachers, we might learn…. The issue to me is NOT just about the Black presence/contributions to Britain, but also Africa, the rest of the African diaspora, the cultures/technologies developed by peoples in other parts of the world and then adopted by Brits/Europe. And, of course, also the massive class divisions in the UK, the horrific conditions of the working and sub-working class, the exported prisoners, the indentured labourers…..
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Blackpresence Website
Sent: 05 January 2013 17:25
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The new school History curriculum - depressing news but not surprising
I was university in the late 90's. whilst there was a few books about black contribution to British history there wasn't much on the internet. That was why I started the Black Presence in Britain website. My website has hundreds of articles about prominent black people who have made a positive contribution over the centuries.
Since blackpresence was set up there has been a great growth in online material to support existing publications. Such as.
http://www.blackpresence.co.ukhttp://www.100greatblackbritons.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/black_britons_01.shtml
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/blackhistory/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Britishhttp://www.brycchancarey.com/equiano/
These are just a few of the ones I could think of quickly, I know there are many more. We should somehow build an online database of black British links and all work to publicise the materials. I have the ability to turn webpages and pdfs into ebooks that can be read on kindle and ipads, so we could distribute ebooks to schools and libraries if we have the will?
Let me know if you think this could work.Phil
On 4 January 2013 13:29, BBM/BMC <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Thanks FabianThere is more than enough knowledge and contacts within just this list members to produce or facilitate the 'complementary curriculum', whilst other avenues such as lobbying and politicking, etc continues
KwakuBBM/BMC
[log in to unmask]
Akoben Awards Free Half-Day Music Industry Courses. Friday January 25 2013: www.bizmusic.eventbrite.com
On 4 Jan 2013, at 00:42, Fabian Tompsett wrote:
Sounds like an interesting proposal.
I think it would be good to look at the role Open Educational Resources
could play in developing something very practical.
Fabian
Dear Kwaku and Patrick
You make really important points, Kwaku. Rather than just reacting to Goveperhaps we do need to develop a complementary curriculum and promote it,
building on the expertise and good practice of many community
organisations and teachers within and beyond the school system. And itdoes need to get to schools, to ALL students. Getting together and
building from the best of what we all do will be challenging but
ultimately rewarding and important.
One reason why you may be not only right but realistic, Kwaku, is thelikely redundance of a national curriculum anyway. Nevertheless, getting
change in schools run by corporations, faith groups, universities or
private schools may be even harder than it was through local authorities.
Patrick, I wonder if there should be a meeting with everyone on BASA
Jiscmail invited to attend or contribute? If it takes place somewhere inthe UK there could perhaps be live minuting through the Jiscmail to enable
real time contributions by anyone unable to attend or far away?
I realise in my previous post I should have included community and
campaigning organisations and supplementary schools as an important part
of an alliance. Apologies for a sorry omission.
From: BBM/BMCSent: Thursday, January 03, 2013 10:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]: Re: The new school History curriculum - depressing news but not
surprising
Dear PatrickThanks for your post
Whilst I've signed the petition, I've also copied below my comments to the
preamble on the OBV site:http://www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/michael-gove-dumps-mary-seacole#comment-113166
Kwaku
[log in to unmask]
Akoben Awards Free Half-Day Music Industry Courses. Friday January 25
2013: www.bizmusic.eventbrite.com
I came by this excellent article because I heard OBV has a campaign topressure Education Minister Michael Gove from going ahead with his plans
to remove Mary Seacole from the new History curriculum.
Whilst I am not against such a campaign, I would like to highlight thefact that the African abolitionist Olaudah Equiano has also been moved
out, or should I say, expunged, from the new curriculum. So my question is
that would a joint petition for the two African British historicpersonalities be better than two separate petitions?
As it is, we are responding to a leaked draft, so there may a small window
for the likes of Seacole and Equiano to be "re-instated" in the new
history curriculum.
Abolition of chattel enslavement and immigration are said to be left inthe new curriculum - not sure what's happened to American civil rights.
The old curriculum allows for topics such as resistance against
enslavement, but how many teachers would know, let alone teach about aboutNzinga, Sharpe, Bussa, Kofi, L’Ouverture, Nana (Nanny) etc?
Immigration, for example, should not just be about "new" or "different"
peoples coming to Britain, or the change of the cultural landscape. What
about the impact on the social and political landscape, as a consequenceof activism which brought in race relations laws, which begat the other
equality laws.
The way forward? I don't think the school history curriculum can satisfy
everyone. So I've suggested to BASA (Black And Asian Studies Association)historians and history teachers that politicians will always play yo-yo
with the history curriculum, and that the way forward ought to include
producing a complementary curriculum which those who are interested inAfrican British history can refer to.
If people are interested in African British history, then as much as they
should fight for maintaining or re-instating Seacole and Equiano, they
should also look at the complementary curriculum from which they canimprove theirs and their children's knowledge of African history whether
through self-study, Saturday schools, community projects, or other
informal learning routes.
Some of us are not waiting on the schools to do it all for us. I runAfrican history projects through TAOBQ (The African Or Black Questions),
Akoben Awards and BTWSC. Other community organisations doing the same
include the likes of Black History Walks, Nu Beyond, Ligali, etc.
On 3 Jan 2013, at 17:42, Patrick Vernon wrote:
Hi Every One
I hope you had a good break. It would be great to sign the petition
below and fwd this to your networks.
Please see article in the Voice
http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/mary-seacole-be-removed-national-curriculum
PETITIONING
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education
STARTED BY
Operation Black Vote
Overview + The Government is proposing to remove Mary Seacole from the National
Curriculum. We are opposed to this and wish to see Mary Seacole retainedso that current and future generations can appreciate this...
Letter +
Keep Mary Seacole on the National Curriculum
Sign
View full site
https://www.change.org/petitions/michael-gove-secretary-of-state-for-education-keep-mary-seacole-on-the-national-curriculum
Cheers
Patrick
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [[log in to unmask]] on
behalf of BBM/BMC [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 January 2013 12:46
To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: The new school History curriculum - depressing news but not
surprising
Whilst I applaud the work Arthur has done and continues to do, bearing
in mind Governments can play yo-yo with the History curriculum, what
about the creation of a BASA History curriculum, which aims tocomplement and fill in the gaps?
Kwaku
BBM/BMC
[log in to unmask]
Akoben Awards Free Half-Day Music Industry Courses. Friday January 25
2013: www.bizmusic.eventbrite.com
On 2 Jan 2013, at 10:38, arthur torrington wrote:
I too am not surprised about the situation.
Equiano may be coming off the curriculum, but the coalition
government will keep William Wilberforce there. The Equiano Societyhas been lobbying this new government over the past two and a half
years for support on how the heritage of African people is presented
in schools, and I know that ministers are not giving way. I have metand am still corresponding with officials.
Nevertheless, lobbying must continue just as strong as before, until
change comes. I do 'not believe in giving up'.
arthur
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 08:22:27 +0000 From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The new school History curriculum - depressing news but
not surprising To: [log in to unmask]
What is our best concerted strategy to deal with this idiot?!
I'm planning to enlist William Cuffay and meet my MP Frank Dobson todiscuss the campaign.
Obviously writing to the newspapers too.
Martin Hoyles
From: Martin Spafford <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Monday, 31 December 2012, 11:22
Subject: The new school History curriculum - depressing news but not
surprising
News that I expect will be very unwelcome for BASA list members
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Education/article1185339.ece
If, like me, you don’t want to subscribe to a Murdoch newspaper
website, here’s the gist:
BRITISH history will take centre stage in classrooms again under a
revamp of the school curriculum. A leaked draft of the syllabus, overseen Michael Gove, the education
secretary, reveals a heavier focus on kings and conflicts including
the Norman conquest in 1066, the Hundred Years' War, the birth ofparliament and the trial and execution of Charles I.
But figures due to lose out as part of the shake-up include Mary
Seacole, the Jamaican-born nurse, who treated wounded soldiers duringthe Crimean war in the 1850s, Florence Nightingale, Robert Owen,
founder of the co-operative movement and Olaudah Equiano, a former
African slave who became an anti-slavery campaigner. Worth pointing out:
The new curriculum was devised by a group handpicked by Gove under
conditions of secrecy with no outside consultation. Academies (about 50% of secondaries) and free schools do not have to
follow the National Curriculum.
The curriculum this will replace (which did have consultation and intowhich BASA members fed) was already predominantly AngloCentric but did
have requirements to teach the continued diversity of Britain,
precolonial civilisations, resistance to slavery and decolonisation. Idoubt these will survive in the new imposed curriculum, due to be
announced in January. It looks like the small steps forward achieved
in 2008 are to be followed by a huge leap backwards.
-- Kind Regards,Phil Gregory - Editor / Author
------------------------------------------------------
Black Presence Website - Black British History, Black History Month
Website
http://www.blackpresence.co.uk
Like our Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/blackpresence
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackpresence @blackpresence
Watch Video: www.youtube.com/blackpresenceAudio files: http://soundcloud.com/black-presence
Downloads: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y7bjtgl6y2759ed/SriStfbbE2/Blackpresence.co.uk
Black Links: http://delicious.com/blackpresence/Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/blackpresence/
Tumbr: http://blackpresence.tumblr.com/
Email: [log in to unmask]
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/blackpresence
--
Kind Regards,Phil Gregory - Editor / Author------------------------------------------------------
Black Presence Website - Black British History, Black History Month
Website
http://www.blackpresence.co.uk
Like our Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/blackpresence
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackpresence @blackpresence
Watch Video: www.youtube.com/blackpresenceAudio files: http://soundcloud.com/black-presence
Downloads: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y7bjtgl6y2759ed/SriStfbbE2/Blackpresence.co.uk
Black Links: http://delicious.com/blackpresence/Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/blackpresence/
Tumbr: http://blackpresence.tumblr.com/
Email: [log in to unmask]
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/blackpresence
--------------------------------------------
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