I think this hits at a truth. I used to make my own
'crappy' wooden weapons as a child and spent hours of imaginative play dealing
with dragons (not very historical in a purist sense - but hey), highwaymen,
battles of WWII and all sorts of other creative adventures which took me
deeper into an exciting historical world. As a girl growing up in the 1960s my
stubborn resistance to being rescued and other passive delights also provided
me, in retrospect, with a tough learning curve in feminist
resistance!
I hope all children who are denied such things as
'crappy' wooden weapons have the wit and will to go maverick and deny that
what we often impose upon them in our angsty adult way is what they
actually think and are.
With regards history, as you say, the other stuff came
later.
As a child I don't recall any association in my mind
with sadism and malevolent cruelty and oddly, like the vast majority of people,
playing with toy weapons has never made me want to rush out and use the real
thing or be less empathetic about the use of weapons or implements of torture.
This was brought home to me on a relatively recent (and
only) visit to the London Dungeon - most of which was a bit silly and left no
impact or memory - except for the end where some authentic items were displayed.
The six inch long eye gouge in its tiny cabinet had more impact on me than the
whole place put together. I put this down to a well exercised imagination
through early play which has made me more understanding of harsh reality
and empathetic to its victims, not immune to it.
Jan
I remember being at a school that banned us playing
with toy weapons - even though that was a fair few years ago now. I also know
that I got hooked on history by war stories, and generally the blood and guts
and fighting stuff. Everything else came a bit later, but I'm not sure the ban
had much effect. You might say I had bad taste as a child, but I would hope that
most adults wouldn't try to regulate the way a kid like me plays around with
historical stories.
Of course it is up to parents
what their kids play with, but what fires up their child's imagination is not up
to them at all. When schools ban kids playing with toy weapons it says more
about their unwillingness to really engage with a child's imagination than it
does about their commitment to shaping attitudes to violence.
Nick Sherrard
Key Accounts
Manager, (UK Heritage)
Antenna Audio
----- Forwarded by Nick
Sherrard/UK/Europe/DCI on 20/06/2008 10:31 -----
Agreed we shouldn't sanitise history - for an adult audience. But I
sometimes feel that the more gruesome aspects of the past do need to be handled
carefully with a young audience, rather than promoted to the exclusion of all
else, like some of the horrible histories books do.
So, at Warwick Castle, I'm happy to watch the trebuchet being fired,
and talk to my six-year-old about it. But I have never taken him into 'the
torture chamber' and I steer clear of the unjolly 'rack' on which you can lie
and have your photo taken.
Rebecca.
On
20/06/2008, Marcus Grainger <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
Well said Tehmina! We should not sanitize or veto
aspects of history just to satisify our personal moral or ethical sensibilities.
Our duty is to inform and educate. We should not justify, promote, rebute,
ignore, or oppinionate any fact from the past.
Marcus
Grainger
Education Officer
Jersey Heritage
-----Original
Message-----
From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the
UK.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Tehmina
Goskar
Sent: 20 June 2008 08:44
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Wooden
weapons - schools instructed not to buy on site
visits?
I rather
think all this is more a consequence of how different parts
of modern society
view 'weapons'. That is to say, that violence and
willful harm, perhaps
even sadistic tendencies evoked by weapons,
their use and portrayal today is
the reason many people do not,
understandably, want their children to use
them even in play.
However isn't there a question of education here?
Swords, catapults,
bows and arrows through time have been used for
hunting as well as
warfare. Knives were and indeed _are_ practical
tools whose primary
purpose is not necessarily to mame or kill. Keeping
kids away from
wooden or other toy versions will not enable them to learn how
to be
responsible or what the dangers are if they are used
wrongly.
Schools who follow this kind of policy are doing a diservice to
their
children and to the future of society of they constantly
demonise
anything that could, possibly, be misconstrued, instead of providing
a
real _education_ (as distinct from schooling). If children
understood
better how 'weapons' were used in the past, how those societies
used,
respected and understood them, they will be far more likely to
view
such things with caution and responsibility. I worry about how
this
kind of thing is fueling fear and it is through fear
that
misunderstanding and misuse arise.
Tehmina
2008/6/19
Stephen Allen <[log in to unmask]>:
> It's the
sort of story which ends up in the Daily Mail under a 'Political
>
Correctness Gone Mad!' headline. However, as a parent and if I was
a
> teacher I wouldn't want my kid(s) buying crappy toy
weapons….
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK.
>
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sun
Jester
> Sent: 19 June 2008 11:58
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Fw:
Wooden weapons - schools instructed not to buy on site
visits?
>
>
>
> Hi All
>
> I have asked a
major wooden toy company who supply to English Heritage and
> many others
for their view. This is their response. I am inclined to think
> that this
is to do with individual school's decisions and not a general
>
theme.
>
> Towse Harrison
>
>
>
> -----
Original Message -----
>
> From: Tymeagain Ltd, Historic
Toys
>
> To: 'Sun Jester'
>
> Cc: [log in to unmask]
>
>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:21 AM
>
> Subject: RE: Wooden
weapons - schools instructed not to buy on site
visits?
>
>
>
> Hi
>
> The short answer is I
do not know of any directive.
>
>
>
> The long answer is
we have not heard any rumour from either the English
> Heritage Buyers or
Historic Scotland's, The National Trust, Historic Royal
> Palaces or any
of our many, many independent historic site
customers.
>
>
>
> We have e-mail orders from schools
all over the country every week of the
> year; this week has been no
exception. We have built good relations with
> teachers all over
Britain and they have said nothing about this
matter.
>
>
>
> There are many Schools that have a 'no
weapons' policy on School trips, many
> more have a 'no pocket money'
policy or say "only bring a pound to spend".
>
>
>
>
Throughout the whole of the UK we have not seen or heard of a lack of
sales
> this year because parents are buying less toy weapons because they
want to
> follow directives laid down by their child's school. This
sort of rumour
> does the rounds every five years or
so.
>
>
>
> As you have asked, you may pass on this
e-mail to your colleges if you wish.
>
>
>
> All the
best,
>
>
>
> Ben Jeal
>
> Director
Tymeagain ltd.
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
www.historictoys.co.uk
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From:
Sun Jester [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 17 June 2008 13:20
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject:
Wooden weapons - schools instructed not to buy on site
visits?
>
>
>
> Hi
>
> You may realise that
I have just ordered some toys from you if my name is
> familiar. I work in
museum and heritage education and have just received the
> following email
( pasted in below this message) via the e-list of The Group
> for
Education in Museums. This is one of those classics that will make
>
people panic unless/until they know the truth. As wooden weapons are
your
> speciality (and I know that English Heritage sell them at their
sites) are
> you aware of anything like this - or is it just the policy of
an individual
> school. I would be happy to pass your comments back to the
e-list if you
> would like.
>
> Many thanks
>
>
Towse Harrison
>
> SUN JESTER
> Consultants for Lifelong
Learning
> Historical Interpreters
> Community Artists
> 12
Ascott Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1HX
> Tel: 01296 423118
>
http://sun-jester.mysite.orange.co.uk/
> "Anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and
entertainment
> doesn't know the first thing about either". - Herbert
Marshall McLuhan
> 1911-1980
>
>
>
> Original
message:
>
> Dear GEM
>
>
>
> We have had
the following report from one of our site staff and I was
> wondering if
anyone else had heard of this? I have looked at the DCSF
> website and
googled, but can't find anything.
>
>
>
> "After talking
to a teacher I was informed that according to new school
> guidelines
children on trips or at schools are not allowed to buy anything
>
resembling weapons anymore AT ALL. This means that in future bows and
arrows
> , swords, catapults wont be purchased by school
groups.
>
> We have also noticed the trend of parents also following
this as well, often
> overhearing the "no weapons" rule being told to
children".
>
>
>
> Many thanks
>
> Lynne
Minett
>
> Education Manager (North of England)
>
>
English Heritage
>
>
>
>
________________________________
>
> No virus found in this incoming
message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database:
270.4.0/1508 - Release Date: 18/06/2008
> 21:08
>
> National
Museum of Flight Airshow, 26 July. Book now and save up to £10 per
>
ticket. www.nms.ac.uk/airshow <http://www.nms.ac.uk/airshow>
>
> National Museums Scotland, Scottish Charity, No. SC
011130
>
> This communication is intended for the addressee(s) only.
If you are not the
> addressee please inform the sender and delete the
email from your system.
> The statements and opinions expressed in this
message are those of the
> author and do not necessarily reflect those of
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> This message is subject to the Data
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> Information (Scotland) Act 2002. No
liability is accepted for any harm that
> may be caused to your systems or
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>
> .
--
Tehmina Goskar, MA
AMA
[log in to unmask]
Web
Communication Development for Culture, Heritage and Academia
Museum
Specialist
Historian
--
My new book:
Powering Up: are computer games changing our lives? is now available. http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470723106.html
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