The Balkans

About a day after Lehna returned from SE Asia (actually I think it was the same day) we booked three weeks in the Balkans, or former Yugoslavia, or whatever you want to call it. To be honest the thought of visiting this part of the world had never really been high on my agenda. However, a decade after the inter-ethnic conflicts which completely devastated the region, it was a perfect and interesting time to go.

We flew to Split in Croatia on 21st June with the intention of traveling down the coast before crossing into Bosnia, moving up through that country, going into Slovenia and finally ending up in Venice, Italy. The journey to Birmingham and Split airport was pretty much faultless; due to some mysterious botch up with the rail ticket booking, Lehna had to fork out another £25. However, that was soon forgotten and we ended up in Split's Old Town at about six in the evening.

It was at this point that throngs of locals tried to thrust upon us spare rooms in their own homes or 'pansions'. Although Croatia has recovered physically and politically from the events of the 1990s, the economic situation is still far from rosy. That is why at pretty much every bus and train station frequented by tourists you will see middle aged Croat women asking you to stay in their home. After a series of polite 'no thank yous' we set off to find our own pre-booked accommodation.

This, we were soon to find out, would also be in someone's house - but not before we were nearly deceived by our host's neighbour. When we thought we had found the right place he told us that there 'was no hostel here' and tried to shoo us off his property. It was only when we were 25 yards down the street that our host appeared and welcomed us in. It appears there is a certain degree of ugly competition between the pansion hosts of Split.

After an interesting couple of days in Split which included a walk up the tower of Diocletian's Palace, we set off by boat to the island of Korcula where we camped for two nights. This place was lovely - our camp was a stones throw away from the beach and about a 30 minute walk from the old town. The town was stunning - much nicer, as I would later find out, that its bigger cousin Dubrovnik, and a million times better than Venice despite the fact that the city gates are adorned with the Venetian coat of arms.

Having left Korcula we left for Dubrovnik where we spent one night, again on a campsite. Dubrovnik is one of those places you 'have to visit' when you are traveling through Dalmatia. George Bernard Shaw called it the 'pearl of the Adriatic'. I can see why, it really was beautiful, however, the amount of tourists spoiled it for me. Like Venice it is a popular cruise ship destination and the crowds didn't make for pretty sightseeing. Furthermore it was quite big and overbearing which was nothing like the pretty quaint atmosphere evoked by the Old Town in Korcula.

From Dubrovnik we got the coach up to Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Due to a strange state of affairs whereby Bosnia territory includes about 4 miles of Dalmatian coastline (the town of Neum is Bosnia's only seaside resort) we crossed into BiH, then out into Croatia before going into BiH again. Having entered the country for the second time the bus moved into the heart of the country and it was probably at this time that we both realised that what we were being presented with was a completely different kettle of fish. Take 'Pocitelj' for example, this was one of the bus stops on the way to Mostar and the first major town we came across. Apart from the obvious shell fragments and bullet holes, this town looked like a complete 'dead-end'. There was graffiti everywhere, the shops looked completely run down and the whole place seemed really sorry for itself. There Bosnia was of 1992-1995 is so difficult to explain and I can barely get my head around it. The sheer quantity of ethnic groups makes it difficult to comprehend - Bosnians, Bosnian Serbs, Muslims, Croat Muslims - the list is endless. I had a fruitless search for a book that would help explain things more clearly so will try here from a few scrappy pieces of research:

Unemployment and inflation escalated in the last 1980s in the wake of Marshal Tito's death. This alarmed countries like Slovenia and Croatia who in turn held multiparty elections and declared their independence. In Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic feared that this would threaten the 700,000-strong Serbian communities in Croatia and BiH. When Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in June 1991 civil war broke out - the first European War since 1939-1945. A series of ceasefires and UN interventions resulted in a ceasefire in January 1992. However, by this point the war had spread into BiH, regarded as a powder keg because of its volatile ethnic mix (the country is 40% muslim - ethnic divides are nowhere as visible as in Mostar where one side of the river is Christian and the other, Muslim. Plenty of Jewish people are thrown in for good measure as well). When Bosnia wanted to leave Yugoslavia the Serbs let rip with violent attacks on Mostar and Sarajevo, the former was almost completely destroyed (including, most symbolically its 500 year old bridge) and the latter was hled under siege for 3 years. Food and supplies were smuggled in through a tunnel which began at the city's airport. It was during this time that 'ethnic cleansing', a process not seen in Europe since the Holocaust, was committed by Serbs on the Muslim population. This, together with the conflict, raged on until 1995 despite UN intervention. The Dayton Agreement of that year finally brought an end to the war. The resulting situation is that BiH is roughly a decade behind. Of the three places we visited (Mostar, Sarajevo and Bihac (a heavily mined city on the Croat border) the scars of war are self evident - bombed out buildings sit uneasily next two bars and shops, ghostly reminders of a conflict still clearly in the minds of anyone above the age of 20. In cemetaries, literally every grave stone says 'died 1993' and in Sarajevo shell holes in the streets are filled with thick red paintas permanent reminders of the the terrible ordeal endured by that city.

But for all this, things are looking up for Bosnia. The tourists are starting to come back. No that they'd been away for that long. As an independent communist state freed from Moscow's interference, Westerners were free to come and go as they please. This is starting once more - as a UNESCO world heritage site, the Old Bridge area of Mostar is an absolute must for visitors and was easily our favourite place. We agreed that Bosnia is the sort of place that we would love to revisit in 10-15 years. By then, I expect (and hope) that it will be fully back on its feet once more.

After the cultural highs of Mostar and Sarajevo our trip entered a lull. For a start, the much anticipated white water rafting and Bihac didn't happen when we realised that we needed to book in advance. Then after one night in the town it was off to Zagreb where we had the most depressing and drawn out search for accommodation ever. We were just about to board a train for Llubljana when we found a 'cell' in a Youth Hostel which charged £18 a night. Bit of a con but it was somewhere to rest our heads. The following day we transferred up to Lake Bled in Slovenia for five solid days of camping, bike riding, hillwalking, rowing (?) , jogging (!) and monging by the lovely Alpine lake. I'm not going to say much more about this except vent my minor frustration with the amenities and provisions of the modern 'camper'. We carried everything we needed for camping on our backs and to be perfectly honest it was all we needed. The only thing which we agreed would have made things slightly ore comfortable would have been a small table and chairs for our meals. We did NOT need a fridge-freezer, sky television, a DOORMAT, a microwave or a wireless-enabled laptop. For people who turn up in camper-vans which are bigger than my parent's house i do not consider this camping. To be honest, I would rather stay in one of the swanky hotels nearer to the town of Bled. At least here I wouldn't be trying to be anything I wasn't.

Rant over, after five nights we had one night in Llubljana. The least said about this place the better. Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing the place itself - Lonely Planet calls in 'Pure Mitteleuropa, with cafes and culture galore'. All we did was clothes shopping and get drunk. As a general aside it may be worth point out some on the cocktails that were available in 'Skeleton Bar' - 'Juicy Balls', 'Blow my Woody', 'Orgas,', 'Bloody Orgasm', 'Bloody Screaming Orgasm' and (my favourite, but most definately the most un-PC) 'Sex in disabled toilets'. I didn't have 'Sex in toilets' and so will be unable to comment on the subtle differences in taste.

The bus journey to Venice was grim. I'd had more cocktails than I could count and my throat felt like I'd swallowed a cheese grate from all the Marlboros I'd smoked.

Venice itself wasn't great either but for different reasons. Our accomodation in Llubljana had been some Halls of Residence - on the whole clean and cheap. In Venice we paid three times as much for filth and the most uncomfortable bed known to mankind. If you ever find yourself in Venice, do NOT stay at the Hotel Giovanini. Venice itself was nice, but like Dubrovnik it was spoiled by the sheer numbers of tourists, only more so. The prices were horrendous too - 4 euros for a cappuccino certainly doesn't float my gondola. Personally i thi kwhen you've been in the tourist game as long as Venice, you become complacent. Prices rise without a proportional rise is the quality of service offered. So much so that in some cases everything is generally poor. In the most depreived areas of Bosnia we received the best meals and accomodation for a fraction of the cost that we did in Venice. The best pizza was in Sarajevo for £3, certainly not the 'tomata sauce on a piece of concrete' which I received in Venice. After a few tiresome days in the city we went to the airport, flew to Liverpool and then homeward.

I recognise that some parts of this tale have descended into rants. I don't want it to appear that I had a bad time because that certainly isn't the case. I'd never been on holiday for more than 9 or 10 days before and I had a wealth of new experiences and saw places that most people never really go to. I definately want to visit Bosnia again, particularly Sarajevo so I can see how the place is finally starting to pick itself up. I think we both agreed that if we go to that part of the world again we shall still firmly off the tourist trail - perhaps to places like Romania, Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria. They all have a lot to offer and I'm looking forward to making a return trip at some point in the future!

Without rules, where would we be?

If we all follow these simple rules, our classroom will be a much friendlier place where we are more likely to learn and succeed!

1. We will raise our hands when Mr. Owen asks a question and wait to be picked (unless he asks us personally).

2. We will not shout out.

3. We will keep four chair legs on the floor at all times.

4. We will bring our basic equipment to all lessons. This means a pen, a pencil and a ruler.

5. We will wait our turn and not interrupt Mr. Owen when he is talking to other pupils.

6. Mobile phones, MP3 players and Ipods will be neither seen nor heard in Mr. Owen’s lessons.

7. We shall respect everyone else in the class.

8. We shall always try our best!

Always ask if you are struggling!

All but over?!

Hillary Clinton's narrow victory in North Carolina and Indiana may not be enough to save her. She needed a big win to offset Senator Obama's lead and not even the so-called 'superdelegates' may be enough to avoid the inevitable. The trouble is, Clinton will not give up until the bitter end. Think about it, she's been planning this campaign for years and now with only a few months to go until the general election she's going to want to know that she fought tooth and nail - the trouble is, this will mean defeat for the Democratic party overall. I'm not the first to point out that this bitter contest is leaving the McCain team rubbing their hands with glee. At the time of writing it seems as though he is by far and away the frontrunner. His military past gives him a certain amount of credibility - and not to mention his moderate Republican policies which has made many people realise that another GOP President would not be a Bush reincarnation.

That's why liberal America has something to smile about. Whoever wins, the White House will come in from the right. Furthermore, whoever McCain faces it's going to be an interesting contest - with Clinton we of course have the first possiblity of a female President but with the more likely candidate, Obama, we have the possiblity of the first black president - perhaps even more astonishing, especially only 44 years after the end of racial segregation in the deep South. However, I don't think race will be Obama's downfall - his inexperience may be the harbinger of defeat on this occasion. I forget his exact age, but he's in his forties, was elected to the Senate only a few years ago after a stint as a legal eagle and his record cannot compare to either that of Clinton or McCain. A commentator recently said (I think it was Freedland in the Guardian) that if Obama were to be elected, the worldwide anticipation and excitement that this would create would remove the possibility of a successful presidency - quite simply, expectations would be far too high to match outcomes...He's been looking very tired recently too. Whilst he's shrugging off Clinton, McCain is preparing for the contest in November. Expect to see a Republican President in the White House this time next year!

It looks like the party's over!

The only decent thing about the recent elections was the fact that the BNP didn’t win in Carlisle. Labour lost two seats to the Tories and in the ward where I reside – St. Aidan’s – the Labour incumbent retained her seat. The BNP, despite pushing all manner of racist garbage through the letterboxes of these streets in recent weeks, were well and truly defeated. Nationally the BNP polled much worse than expected due to the relatively high turn out. The most high-profile victory was Richard Barnbrook in Dagenham. I’m sorry to say that he used to be a teacher.

Overall, the Labour party were completely annihilated on Thursday. Parties of government are expected to do badly in local elections. Blair received an electoral ‘bloody nose’ prior to the General Election of 2005. However, this defeat for Gordon Brown was worse, much worse. So bad in fact that Labour have not fared so badly since 1968. Back then Harold Wilson was in Number 10 and within two year he was defeated by the Heathite Conservatives. Brown knows his history – the man who waited his entire political life for his current job must now face the real possibility that it will come to an abrupt end in 2010, barely three years after Blair handed over the reins and hardly long enough for Brown to fulfil his potential. It also ought to be remembered that Blair never faced an election off the back of an economy in recession. Governments survive or fall by their handling of the economy and that which saved Blair may be Brown’s downfall.

Martin Kettle writes in today’s Guardian that the great New Labour experiment is over. The party which for so long wasted away in the doldrums of the left has now come ‘full circle’ and the Conservative party are once again returning to their natural role of governing party – I say ‘natural’ because history shows the Tories have held power the longest. If Labour are defeated in 2010 – and that now looks highly likely – the party will face an interesting predicament. It will undoubtedly have to reform. Steering the same path will be out of the question. Cameron has always been a big fan of Blair and his government will be the natural heir of Blairism. Even though a return to the days of 1983 would be catastrophic, I see little alternative to a leftward shift for the party. Quite clearly it will have to define itself in opposition to the new Conservative government. Thatcherism has become Blairism – the torch will soon pass to Cameron and a leftist alternative is now the only option for Labour. I’m not talking about socialism – quite simply the party needs to return to its core values of justice, equality and standing up for the working man. Recently, it has been the party’s failure to do this which has given rise to the exploitative tactics of the BNP. The white working class feel disenfranchised by Labour (the proposed abolition of the 10p tax rate was the epitome of this and the most symbolic aspect of Labour's abandonment of the working classes) – the party needs to a new reforming agenda which will reach out to its core constituency. The sooner it does this the better. Whether this can be done before 2010 is questionable. In any case, I cannot see it saving Gordon Brown who now finds himself in the same position as John Major in 1995 – two years to go as a ‘lame duck’ Prime Minister.

A morning with 8C1 - edited version

8C1 have a reputation in my B placement school for being a particularly disruptive class. There are 18 pupils, all of which are on the SEN register. They have been placed in the ‘C band’ on entry to secondary school because they failed to achieve a level 3 in the core subjects whilst in primary school. I observed these three subjects over the course of a morning with the following foci: behaviour management, provision for inclusion (one pupil is by far and away much abler than the rest – I have given him differentiated resources and I want to see if other teachers do the same) and communication. As I had suspected, whilst the class can be poorly behaved in history, it is much worse in other subjects. They are said to get a ‘good deal’ in history. They like the content, as well as its ‘narrative’ nature – the scrutiny of rigorous historical concepts is difficult with these pupils.

First stop - maths. The teacher lays their books on the desk at the front before the lesson so pupils can pick them up on their way to sit down – simple, but something that I can incorporate into my own practice. From the start it is clear that this class really needs a teaching assistant. The teacher is moving disruptive pupils from the very beginning. Four pupils arrive 15 minutes in with no excuse. The starter is still being completed and this is further disrupted. One pupil at the back claims to have finished the starter (addition - with a competitive element. Pupils win a polo if they are the first to get the right answer) and he is angry that the teacher has not acknowledged him. However he cannot do this because of the loud chatter which is taking place. There is clearly no respect for the teacher – one pupil who is asked to leave the room tells him to ‘shut up’. Overall, this was an unsuccessful lesson but I’m not sure that the teacher was completely at fault. Classes like this need a teaching assistant. Also, maths is of course a massively important subject. Not being a specialist I am not sure how this can be made more engaging. In History we can of course settle the class by telling them a good story or making the learning active. Something like this needs to be done in maths or pupils will fall further behind.

The bad behaviour spills over into science when three girls refuse to even enter the room. They are escorted away by the year head who takes them to the ‘seclusion room’. I cannot help thinking that the teacher has contributed to his the behaviour problems this time around. Of the seven benches in the science lab, all the pupils are clustered around two. One of the many things teachers can do when there is an issue with behaviour is create their own seating plan. At the very least pupils need to be well spread out. As regards communication it’s much more difficult in a science lab given the room’s sheer size. In these instances it is much more effective to use a wide range of visuals. “Pupils in this class learn by osmosis” says the teacher. “There is no way I would stand up in front of them all and try to present a normal lesson because they would have none of it”. Also, pupils are eating sweets and chocolates constantly – this sugar rich diet, as well as the fact that very few have breakfast or dinner means that the pupils are very hyperactive and pale. Steps need to be taken (for a start in PSHE lessons) in order to ensure that pupils receive a proper diet.

The final lesson of the morning is English. This is by far and away the best I have seen them behave. This has partly to do with the fact that the class has been split – some pupils (incidentally the worst behaved) have gone elsewhere for intensive literacy work). Their behaviour is also much better (I believe) because the teacher maintains a consistently calm approach. Very little seems to faze him and on the one occasion he does raise his voice pupils take note! For the first time today they actually all work silently as a class and when they talk it is actually about the work in hand. One boy is sent out. He is given five minutes outside ‘to reflect’ and then let back in but only if he can give the teacher two good reasons why this should be so. Again this is good practice which I shall take forward from today. Overall, I think the main reason why behaviour was better here was because the teacher was unflinching in his use of praise. This is the teacher’s number one weapon against bad behaviour. If used appropriately and often I believe that praise can make even the most poorly behaved pupils improve.

In none of the classes I saw today was special provision made for MM. When a pupil is so clearly ahead of the rest s/he needs to be pushed. I have done this by modifying his resources so he is not actually doing more work (he would resent this!) - it is the same amount, just different (i.e, more challenging). Please see my examples of this.

Additional comments scribbled by me (but not included on the report):

1. …managing zoo animals rather than teaching.
2. After today I will go home and drink a pint of scotch.
3. Most pupils seem to be oblivious to the fact that anything resembling a lesson is taking place.
4. He bribes pupils with money!
5. If managing pupils was an Olympic event…
6. The whole class is working silently! I go into shock at the back of the room.
7. The pupils are STILL working silently. I fall off my chair and try to pick myself up.

Various...

Today was Monday!

Unnaccustomed as I am to blogging the following may not make a lot of sense. However, I've decided to join blogger for a number of reasons:

1. I take quite a keen interst in current affairs and occassionally I feel the need to comment on them.
2. Over the last few months I have written a note on facebook whenever something has 'rattled' me. Essentially this was a blog in itself so I decided to sign up for the real thing.
3. I like taking up new hobbies!

I see it as part diary, part me ranting about current affairs (see previous entry). Today, it will probably be the former - suffice it to say that there have been a few news items this week which deserve a mention. The Labour party has jettisoned the last pretence of being the party of the working man by opting to abolish the 10p starting rate of tax. This will benefit those earning over £19-20,000 a year (i.e., the middle class) whilst penalising the poorer sections of society. Keir Hardie will be spinning in his grave...

So, I rolled into St. Aidans this morning ready for another week of fun and frolicks. The school is shutting in July to make way for the new Richard Rose Academy (the name of the dead son of the new principal, or to use the correct language - 'Director of Learning') and plans are afoot to make the transition as smooth as possible. However last week teachers were dropped with the bombshell that they're going to have to apply for their OWN jobs for September. At roughly the same time student teachers at the University of Cumbria received an email advertising jobs going at the new Academy. Put two and two together and yes - it appears that the powers that be are using the transition as an opportunity to 'remove' some teachers quietly. This isn't a simply case of incompetance - ALL teachers at St. Aidans need to apply in writing before the end of this week. There's even talk of some having formal interviews where they 'judtify their position in the new school' to a panel.

It's not easy for me as a student teacher working in this environment. Teachers don't know whether they're coming or going - at present it isn't confirmed who will have a job in September OR whether pensions will be secured. It's a shitty situation to say the least and one the school could do without. Behaviour and attainment are a serious cause for concern - if Ofsted came in tomorrow, the headmaster believes that 'we would be in special measures'. I teach a range of classes from Years 7 to 11. In one of my year 7 classes pupils have a reading age of 7-8 and no one in my Year 11 set will achieve above a grade C. Pupils go to prison on a regular basis, teachers are often verbally and physically assaulted an I've seen them break down in tears in the staffroom on no less than three occasions.

And yet for all this I can't help liking St. Aidans. This is the third school I've spent any considerable length of time in and I can honestly say that I have never worked with a friendlier staff. It often happens that the more challenging the school, the nicer the staff and that's certainly the case here. They will always give their time up for you and for me as a trainee that's very reassuring and helpful. What's more, look very carefully and you will find some nice pupils. It's not easy but they are there!

The May Elections in Carlisle

I have in front of me a copy of ‘Voice of Freedom – The Newspaper of the British National Party’. Normally 60p – this FREE copy found itself through my letterbox because of the imminent May 1st local elections. Now, given what you could call my ‘morbid fascination’ with extremist politics I decided to give this paper a read just so I could see what these crackpots believed. It is easy to call them these names I know, but you don’t need to read for long until you realise how downright misguided their principles appear to be. Take the following quote for example – taken from the front page and designed, I suspect, to be read by the majority of people before the paper goes flying into the waste paper bin (I hope).

“Visits to local mosques are now on most school curriculums because Labour, Conservative and Lib-Dem run councils are forever pushing for the promotion of foreign religions and cultures on young British school children. They do so because the 'Old Gang' of political parties see the future of Britain as a melting pot of different nationalities with a 'cohesion' of foreign cultures.”

‘A melting pot of different nationalities’ – traditionally we have seen the USA as a ‘nation of immigrants’, however, much of the same can be said about the UK. We have been colonised by Nordic Vikings, Germans, Franks and Romans (who didn’t bother going home when the Empire ended) since the beginnings of history. Jews and Eastern Europeans were coming to this country well over a century ago, fleeing persecution. So, if anyone believes that immigration began in the Windrush years they are sorely mistaken. We perceive it to be a modern phenomenon because it was only recently that this country began to welcome ethnic minorities (i.e., visibly different). Well I say recently – we now have up to four generations living in this country, three of which were born here. Ask many young Muslims today where they were originally from and they will probably say Manchester or Glasgow. Many have only a minor appreciation of what it means to be Pakistani or Palestinian - a reflection perhaps of their visits to relatives. So, to regard Islam as a foreign religion is preposterous. Countries evolve and Islam has established itself fully as one of the country’s many faiths. The same can be said of Sikhism, Hinduism and Judaism – I think one of the reasons I haven’t really enjoyed living in Carlisle is because I miss the vibrant, interesting mix of multicultural societies. “Everyone in Carlisle is [to quote a colleague at school] the same” – they share similar hopes and fears which the BNP aims to work towards its advantage.

Carlisle is in many respects perfect hunting ground for the BNP. Predominantly white, reasonably low achievement in school and high levels of immigration create a situation which the party can easily exploit. Essentially this is what the party and its predecessor, the National Front, have done for decades – play on people’s fears and anxieties for electoral gain. I see a lot of disaffected young people on a daily basis – rich pickings for the BNP. They believe that they can do this because New Labour has supposedly abandoned the working man for the centre ground (and in doing so has supposedly left him exposed to the nasty immigrant). In reality, the party is incredibly elitist. It despises unionism and regards the rich as racially superior.

I recently had a look at the Youth BNP website which looked at the study of History in schools. The message board questioned the failure of the subject to address our country’s ‘glorious past’. Which county had the world’s biggest ever Empire? Which country supplied the world with the fruits of the first Industrial Revolution? – it asked. Feeling bellicose, I decided to ask ‘Which country founded a substantial percentage of its modern wealth on the exploitation of Africans?’ Of course, I’m dismissed as nothing more than a Marxist nut. In fact, I’m happy to say that I am mildly nationalistic and I despise the fact that the party has hijacked the Union Jack for its own ends. Like all ideologues, the most credible recognise the strengths and weaknesses of their beliefs. That is why pupils should be taught a balanced view of history.

I do agree that there is a large constituency of people in this country who have been disenfranchised by the mainstream parties – the ‘Old Gang’ as the BNP call them. The challenge is to find a workable solution to this problem before the party builds on its recent success.