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A GOOD BOOK will spark a conversation and stay with us forever. So many of the books chosen for students in classrooms across Ireland generate discussions far beyond the pages of these stories.
When we close off the pages of Jane Mitchell’s novel Chalkline, students cannot help but wonder how Rafiq will settle back into life at home after being kidnapped by Kashmiri rebels at the age of nine and trained to fight in a war.
Students demand a neat and tidy ending but Mitchell denies them the satisfaction of it because life is rarely ordered, it’s difficult. After reading Donal Ryan’s book The Spinning Heart we wonder if love is enough to save Bobby Mahon from the mental paralysis he now finds himself in.
Similar questions arise from the closing scenes of Claire Keenan’s novel Foster as students wonder if the young protagonist will be spared from the hardship of her biological home and remain in Kinsella’s care.
The books read by students at both junior and senior cycle are never light or breezy, we save that sort of stuff for our holidays, we study things that we evoke debate.
But we deliver these lessons carefully, always remembering that perspectives and experiences will be different.
Books are rarely written to make us feel comfortable and they are chosen by teachers to make our students think. They sometimes force us to acknowledge our capacity for evil, they teach us lessons about the past and encourage us to learn from our mistakes.
The lessons offered by literature
The whole purpose of a book like To Kill A Mocking Bird is to encourage us to step into another person’s shoes (or ‘skin’ as Harper Lee’s main character Atticus Finch asserts) ‘and walk around in them/it, before we ever judge’.
It also reminds us what real courage is and champions tenacity. The recent conversations about whether this book by Lee and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men should be removed for the Junior Cycle syllabus has certainly sparked lots of debate.
When it comes to deciding whether these books should be removed, I know my privileged position doesn’t give me the right to choose. I am Irish, I am a teacher, I am white.
Like all teachers, I care about my students and deliver lessons with caution but I’ll never fully understand what it feels like to read harrowing incidents of racism in a world where the same issues are occurring in real life.
In 2008, when I started teaching novels like this and Mildred D Taylor’s Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, I felt that I could tell my students, with confidence, that inequality like this no longer exists.
A different time
At that time, Barack Obama had taken up his position in the White House and we all celebrated the mantra of ‘Yes, We Can’. But things are different now. Trump’s policies are the antithesis of the hope Obama championed.
These texts feel different now but I’m not sure if that means they are less important and I feel they are certainly not the problem.
Society needs to change. Racism must be challenged. The topic is uncomfortable but some good things have come out of this debate on censoring books. It has highlighted the fact that there is room from more black writers on the course.
It has similarly sparked lots of conversations among the students I’m privileged to teach. Most of them champion the need for more variety but don’t agree with removing these books from the curriculum.
While some are ready to cast Of Mice and Men aside, their loyalty to Harper Lee’s text is much stronger. Experiencing the world of 1930′s Alabama through a child’s first encounter with racism and the lessons this provides has been an enlightening experience for so many of them.
The recent discussions in class have been refreshing, real conversations about literature and great writing have evolved. Ones that are lively and refreshing. This conversation involves them so it’s important that they’re included here.
Below is a snippet of opinion from two of my students. They are in Sixth Year, returning to school after many months away. They’re following the Black Lives Matter movement and are appalled by scenes of police brutality demonstrated not in the past but in their world.
I asked them to write their views as each comes at the subject from a different perspective. Here’s what students had to say:
“We can do better than these books” - Sarah
We don’t need to devote our lives to the study of literature to know that words carry inconceivable weight. And it is because of this very fact that we deliberately pick texts for students that will convey great messages and teach valuable lessons.
While To Kill A Mocking Bird and Of Mice and Men both shed light on social injustices, they are inevitably outdated and the same can sometimes be said about the institutions in which they are taught.
How in the 21st century can we justify teaching students about racism through the lens of a white author?
How do we expect any black student to feel comfortable in a classroom where non-black classmates or a teacher simply gloss over words and scenes of racism that evoke such pain?
In this century we should know better. Nowadays we understand enough to know that we must take into account how black students feel when their rights, their history, their identity and their trauma is offered up for public debate. In our classrooms today we should know better.
Instead of censoring books, I have a better suggestion. Rather than teaching oppression using novels written by those who will never experience its true nature we must, as allies, students, friends and educators raise the voices of black writers and prioritise their stories in education too.
The list of possible writers is endless: James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Robin D’Angelo, Angie Thomas and Ibram X Kendi.
It’s time for our empty promises to change and update a curriculum where the same books have appeared for far too long. It’s time for us to become the change we want to see and that change, as always, begins with our young people.
“Leave them on the curriculum” - Ava
Books like To Kill A Mocking Bird and Of Mice and Men have in the past, and always will be, controversial novels. They both shine a light on the racial injustices of the times in which they were set.
In the wake of a global Black Lives Matter Movement people in Ireland have called for these books to be removed from the Junior Cycle syllabus. Some may argue that these books offer realistic portrayals of life when the infamous Jim Crow laws enforcing racial segregation divided a nation and that therefore they do so much to educate students about racism.
Many believe that the harrowing scenes of injustice realised through their pages make man’s capacity for evil much harder to forget. The disturbing scenes of brutality that each novel explores most certainly inspire conversations in the classrooms in which they are taught, where context is clearly defined and life lessons are shared.
There are others who feel that these books cause more harm than good and while it is important to listen to both sides, we cannot start ‘banning books’.
Society today is engrossed in a ‘cancel culture’ where people who are considered offensive are immediately dismissed. But this culture is potentially as dangerous as the toxic opinions that are shared because it doesn’t give people the chance to learn from their wrongdoings and apologise for their ignorance.
“Education,” as US writer Will Durant quite eloquently explains, “is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”
So instead of removing these books from our syllabus, we should continue to study them because they educate students on the dangerous attitudes of a particular time in history and they inform intelligent discussion on how this type of behaviour is and always will be totally unacceptable.
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Good news for dairy farmers and the support industries , but Rural Ireland isn’t just about milk we need broadband that works to grow rural businesses.
Yeah but Enda took the Soup – and that is no good for a lad looking for a seat in Mayo !
https://www.fsai.ie/faq/import_export.html
“Q. How do I go about importing foodstuffs into Ireland ? ”
What is stopping us being self reliant?
“Milk imports hit 354m litres on the back of cheap UK supplies”
http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/milk-imports-hit-354m-litres-on-the-back-of-cheap-uk-supplies-30919813.html
Given Enda Kenny’s behaviour in the Louise O’Keefe case should he be allowed near children ?
The 3 babies look terrified and rightly so if these gombeens remain in power for much longer.
And he agrees with bus eireann pulling routes in country area’s or boreens as he said himself
Poor old cows never have any money because those greedy farmers are always milking them dry……
Brilliant news. Agriculture should be a cornerstone of our economy going forward.
Going forward! Is there also a backward time travel option? Here’s a nuts idea: try to imagine the sentence you wrote without the “going forward” bit. See? Shame – your core point is solid.
I am a farmer who had a state guaranteed REPS Contract – Enda allowed the german parliament to produce a budget that broke that contract without consultation –
Enda and his government kept the Horsemeat scandal investigation within the Department of Agriculture – an organisation who’s failings were a contributory factor – despite levying money of farmers to insure it didn’t happen .
Enda ignored the fodder crisis – a farmer committed suicide because he couldn’t get feed for his stock – AFTER he shot all his cattle !
The current Government completely ignored the Beef price crisis last year which made a total mockery of the European notion of free trade across borders !
Sheep are being tagged for traceability yet Lamb Kebab meat was found to contain only beef and chicken – no lamb.
All of these undeniable facts will be read out on MWR FM in the lead up to the General Election for the benefit of all the illiterate farmers who have relied on T.D.s to fill up all the paperwork that modern farmers are required to fill out !
No rush with the election lads …no rush at all Farmers have great memories !
PB, It already has been for the past century since the introduction of the Agricultural Co-op movement….
Excellent news.
Eggcellent news. Keep it country!
“Lies, lies and more damned lies !”
2015 “the year of rural recovery” the farmers should be shaking in their wellies if this clsterf@%k is going to do something for them.
It’s a wonder Leo the Great was’nt there to give his advice on everything.
Coveney is waiting in the grass biding his time – Silly Simon – that chicken has flown the coop !
Poor ould Enda – He obviously hasn’t realised that this is actually 2015 already and that we are in the Month of March !!!!!!
Surely he should have put this into law before The First of January – Then we just might have believed him – ah sure how how could one believe anything that this Government would announce ?
Anyway Enda , Paddy’s Day is still 17th March and your Special Designated Day , is The First of April – Every Year !!!
he was busy making us the tastes growing economy in europe
He’s a total failure for not accessing theTurtkish beef market – 7 euro a kilo for beef there .
Germany however supplies the Turkish Beef market and for the first time in Germany’s history well lo and behold if the german’s didn’t order in 240,000 tonnes of Irish beef at 3.40 to 4.00 euro to make up the shortfall !
Sell your piddle elsewhere Patjoejoe – I hear that protestants in the North use it to throw at Catholic Children – you might know a few !
Leo couldn’t afford to be seen in this photo-shoot as the states policy of his department is to promote human milk for babies, not formula.
Great work, on time in budget, just shows what we can do when we get our act together here in Ireland. It’s quite a risk for all the Glanbia farmers who funded the most of the cost of the project as well as funding the on farm investment on facilities and stock. In fact the factory investment cost is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of overall investment.
Is Glanbia a CoOp?
Yes – some time ago the suits of the organisation tried to split it in two .
One company was to hold the property portfolio it had – that was the farmers who established it and the other half the production side was to be kept by the suits if I remember correctly – the notion was defeated !
Phil Hogan is from Kilkenny !
Paul. It sounds like a co op.
Hmmmmm,
It’s a limited company with an associated co-op… way to fix the price of milk or what?
A “Boom” in the food supply.
“Can’t wait”
I gave up eat all dairy products two years ago and I feel fantastic for it. I used to be plagued by indigestion and spots and as soon as I gave it up both vanished over night.. I lost weight without trying and my cholesterol dropped right down to under 4.. There’s plenty of delicious healthy alternatives out there so you really don’t have to be consuming an other animals milk that may be doing us great harm…
Sshh..don’t be highlighting unimportant things like health when business is at stake.
Not everyone has the same reaction to you
Caillte “as you” did you mean…
Why don’t you try and see.. Guaranteed that if you have any weight your trying to lose and you give up all Dairy products and anything that contains Dairy the weight will fall off you..
David, genuine question – did you ever get tested for an intolerance to dairy or lactose? Yes there are alternatives to dairy. It’s important to ensure calcium intake from non-dairy sources is sufficient to meet your needs and prevent osteoporosis etc.
The weight of all that bullshit maybe
I’d like to hear a little about how the standards of welfare for our cows will be maintained during this enormous increase in production.
Hi Deirdre. Thankfully all the Glanbia farmers are involved in an independently audited Quality Assurance Scheme and while this is costly and bureaucratic for the farmer I think everyone is agreed that animal health and welfare are top priority and are fundamental components of the scheme as is environmental sustainability.
That’s good to hear. I know that Ireland currently has some of the best standards in the world, which is why butter such as Kerry Gold are so popular globally.. still grass fed out in the open and all that. It would be a shame if a spike in production caused the industry to adopt some of the more questionable practices from other countries.
Thanks
Deirdra. They will still be up to their knees in muck,when they are on the land. Cant change irish weather.
On a serious note, while any increase in jobs here is welcome, this is happening at great expense to the health of children and the finances of families in the developing countries being targeted by Glanbia. This formula will be marketed as a premium alternative to breastfeeding and thus will persuade women to switch to formula at detriment to their children’s health. The formula will likely also be more expensive that other alternatives. This is how formula was first marketed in Ireland in case anyone thinks I’m exaggerating. Those tactics led to a massive slump in breastfeeding rates here, from which we’ve never recovered.
Milk from a lactating different species is just wrong. Its not designed for humans.
It’s not designed for humans but northern Europeans have evolved the ability to digest giving them an advantage in the low sunlight habitats they migrated too
Simon you are right, expect if you are Norwegian, their DNA genes havent switch off the lactic gene after breast feeding for around 5000 years now, must other races haven’t adapted to it yet
not a bad thing at all
http://www.nature.com/news/archaeology-the-milk-revolution-1.13471
It’s lucky a lot of Irish people are descended from Scandinavian vikings who came here and set up shop so
Funny article that – just from the point of view that Turkey has been also touted for the same genesis of the revolution.
What a delude clunts, so far up his own hole he can’t even see it, year of recovery because of all his taxes, total waste of space.
I remember when the qoutas first came in all them years ago cows were milked qouta sent to the lough egish and whatever milk that wasnt used in the house had to be just dumped what a waste…..
Josephine, that is what they like you to believe. No milk was dumped, it was just spirited away over the border and back again….say no more.
@Chris I have first hand experience of this mother used to have to pour it out to wastage whatever milk was over qouta and what we didnt use for our own consumption sometimes calves would be given it but it was a shame to see such waste….great news to hear qoutas done away with
Hopefully has some stage we can do away with giving huge subsidies to farmers because they are crap at farming someday.
Verge can you put your arm up the birth canal of a ewe and deliver lambs alive – when you can then you can judge that which you obviously know nothing about –
The average farm income is now lower than a single person’s dole and Enda is going to pay the mother of all prices for allowing this to happen and he sending inspectors around the place like demons from hell !
And the current Government keep cutting the payments despite no index linking on same – thus politicians loose their power for there is no greater power in Eire than those who guard Nature !
Very few farmers unimpressed with Enda sending armed cops onto private property to confiscate private property without a warrant …….. they think the power has gone to his head like a young bull in early spring – farmers know how to quieten bold bulls !
It would appear he knows very little on how to construct a sentence as well.
The average farmer can’t make a income from farming and therefore has been dependent on subsidies from urban areas in the form of the CAP for 40 years now.
In other businesses the inefficient and non-innovative companies go out of business. In farming we subsidize them so they keep farming. With each year they fall further behind their competitors and become more reliant on long term state welfare.
A farmer can’t make a living and it’s always somebody else’s fault. A plumber can’t make a living and it’s tough luck mate, reskill and do something else.
You should read the Iirsh Constitution son !
The largest tranche of payments to farmers is compensation agreed to allow GATT – You know nothing simple one !
If civil servants pay in the department of Agriculture is subject to increments then why wasn’t the single -payment index-linked ?
Farmers payments are the one thing that was never subject to benchmarking ? Illegal distribution of funding springs to mind !
You should note that the vast majority of Irish Farmer’s income never leaves the island and is either banked in State-owned banks or spent in the local economy – H.S.B.C. 350 do not do this !
So you take the land of all the “non-productive farmers – who keep getting their seed capital raided by the so-called Irish Government – then what do you do with them ?
10% unemployment – you give them the dole – you no think too much harry – stay on the verge amac !
That is outrageous Josephine, little wonder that Lough Egish was taken over by Lakeland Dairies. Your mum should have talked to Bailieboro Coop or Town of Monaghan, they looked after their milk suppliers.
And your plan to manage the depopulated and uncared-for hinterland of the Pale would be what, exactly?
It’s a pity nobody thought you to think.
Must be in Bavaria as Edna does not give a s@ite about rural Ireland.
He does about votes and there will be an election called by May I bet?
Buy organic milk, no hormones involved and its only 99 c per litre in lidl/tesco/aldi…. And they don’t use genetic modified food to feed the cattle like standard milk
Just to be clear hormone treatments are not used in dairy production, organic or otherwise as they are illegal in Europe.
How do they keep cows “milking” all year round then??? Bgst or whatever it’s called
In order for a cow to produce milk it needs to have a calf. Farmers can ensure all year round even production of milk by using batch calving or year round calving where cows are calved throughout the year. That way they don’t dry off all cows at the same time. No one cow is milked all year round-Not sure where you got that idea from. In Ireland milk goes through quality control. No hormones. No antibiotics. Etc.
Experiment for someone out there …
1. Go down to your local supermarket and buy a litre of all the different brands of milk !
2. Half-fill a glass with one from each brand – clearly marking their source !
3. Leave in a shed for a few days – checking periodically – make notes and take photographs !
4. …… SEE FOR YOURSELVES !
Hermes, can you please explain the aim and expected outcome of this “experiment”?
You may also like to add
- ensure all milk has the same “use by” date (not an exact comparison otherwise).
- ensure milks compared have the same fat % (to get a true comparison and higher fat milks last longer).
- take note of the temperature inside the shed (pretty cold out there-I’d expect it would go off faster the warmer it is)
Interesting experiment but you really need to think of all the other variables that may have an impact on your results. Not all down to “hormones” as you seem to think.
I never mentioned hormones Genevieve –
I am a farmer and milked the odd cow when I was a child and milk aint what it used to be – trust me on that !
I would also suggest a litmus test – and a fluoride test !
Excellent point re the synchronisation of the best before dates !
Have you noticed how the shelf milk of milk ahs extended from days to weeks – cows still make the same milk as far as I know !
Sorry Hermes re hormones. Thought that was you.
Why a litmus and flouride test?
Milk is naturally acidic (due to lactic acid). As milk sours it become more acidic. Is that why you’d like to use litmus? It’s not the most accurate of tests but I guess you are doing this experiment from your shed. It doesn’t take into account coliforms which are the main reason for milk spoilage.
Flouride? Is this because of water being flouridated and cows drinking it? That would be an interesting experiment actually. You’d need a laboratory for that though.
I guess milk lasts longer due to developments and improvements in milk processing, farm hygiene, quality control and storage.
An individual cow won’t produce milk continually. Milk production is triggered by the cow becoming pregnant and having a calf. Depending on the farming system a cow will have a calf every 12 to 18 months. Before the cow calves she will have a rest period where no milk is produced. It’s all a natural process.
Genevieve the viscosity of milk is where you need to look for the answer to your fluoride question …
Elongated shelf life would suggest an additive – Milk is either milk or milk is not in my book !
Your guess could be of course be correct Genevieve – but given that the F.S.A. are in charge of testing our food and given that Alan Kelly or whatever his name is wasn’t sacked over the Horsemeat Scandal then these questions have to be asked .
There is a world of difference in how different milks solidify – I only noticed it when the kids were small and the odd glass of milk got left lying around – it shouldn’t be left around because the smell should alert – it doesn’t in some brands !
WE need a social and spiritual revolution in Éire
Typical Fine Gael pandering to wealthy farmers and encouraging rural revival.
Why all these pro Fine Gael/economic growth articles in advance of the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis this weekend?
In fairness to Sinn fein – they made some attempt during the beef crisis and they have stolen a massive march on the meeja , nod nod wink wink Parties !
And they won great support for their work in the bogs as well – deserved support – they seem to have more of a clue about rural affairs !
And let’s face it there is a world of difference between sending in a Sinn Fein delegation to Lar the goose and sending in the likes of Enda Kenny – particularly when the I.M.F have told us how red rotten useless off a negotiator he is !
I never voted. Sinn Fein means WE OURSELVES. There is no organic food cause of chemicals being sprayed in the air. WAKEN UP PEOPLE.
Des …. We ourselves comes from a very simple notion that no matter how bad Paddy could run things at least we wouldn’t go around tarring and feathering each other !
Ireland under British and Roman Catholic Rule was a very dark place …
They are still deeply embedded in the state but the church is dying out and the E.U.(Saxon ), is too !
I’d like to declare 2015 the year we got rid of our parasite politicians, who heaped extreme unjustifiable financial and social hardship on their own people, robbed the people off their wealth and transferred it to other govs, the ecb and the imf. Get out kenny and co asap.
Just the same old back slapping and arrogance from Inda and Hogie. What a pair of Clowns.
A bit harsh on clowns
Closest thing those babies will get to tits.
It is more or less in Waterford. Sure it is in Waterford port after all. Even thou the address is Kilkenny
Oh good god.Iv heard this before!Please,the ferrybank issue was there the last few years but saying Belview is more or less Waterford……….If there was something big and important built in Mooncoin(south Kilkenny) yee would probably say mooncoin is in Waterford.Belview is obviously in Kilkenny me not needing a map to prove it.Like why cant ppl from waterford be happy with what they have.I went to school there for years,its a lovely city with great things going for it but the claims of land into Kilkenny the last few years I have heard is just abit stupid tbh
It is abit of tongue in cheek comment. But as it says in the tweet it had #Waterford
I’d say there’s singing and dancing in every hamlet in the country, and why not? Any sign of those shipments of BST from Amerikaaay?
This is bad news!! Look at countries such as australia and canada who have had their dairy industries ruined for the past 15 years. It will make milk cheaper for people but break the farmers.The price of milk per litre went from 42c to 19c in 3 years in WA due to the supermarkets endless supply of milk.
Needs to put money where his mouth is .
Funny place to stick it up?
Are all these eejits gonna whip out the babies for the photo opps for the next election thinking its gonna win them votes or something. And these twofaced rodents done feck all to improve the childcare sector.
Will all the grown men stop picking up babies for we are feeling a bit upset about out of mothers’ hands for the moment.
Considering that Glanbia didn’t even exist before the mutual merger of Waterford and Avonmore Co-op’s less than twenty years ago, I don’t see how they can call it a stagnation. The company has been turning a profit ever since and even controlled a slice of the UK dairy industry after the ending of the British Milk Marketing Boards.
I don’t believe anything what these corporates say, when it is well known around the world that the Irish dairy industry is still riding the celtic tiger.
You clearly know nothing about the Irish Dairy Industry with comments like that Chris!
Thanks msk, having spent over thirty years with the Irish Dairy Processing Industry……I have seen more than you think and helped bring it into the modern age.
excellent initiative
Terrible cruelty to those innocent little babies. Social services should interview their parents.
You think they would never do it again and they do and that is lie with bells on…
The year of the Rat?
The year of the snake?
The year of the unicorn?
The year of the lying bast@rd?
Ahaa, the year of the election!!!
And 2016 will be the year of eternal happiness!
Eternal tax rises…
I’m sorry Enda standing next to Phil is meant to be a good photo shoot. It just shows how out of touch Enda and his well paid advisers are….
F*ck the culchies, what about us here in the inner city?
Jacinta. Your milk will still be in cartons in your local shop,because the culchies will be up first thing in the mornings to milk their herds. And i thought name calling was frowned upon by the journal.
Con, I don’t eat dairy, so as I say f*ck the culchies
Jacinta……you may need an accountant..once a year, a doctor twice a year, politicians…perhaps never……….but nearly everyone needs a farmer three times a day. farming is perhaps the most important occupation on the planet.
Give up people, Jacinta thinks the skin on fruit is packaging
There’s farms in Dublin as well you know. Also, a lot of Dubs grow their own veg and spuds in their gardens. So we can survive without the culchies
Denis, I don’t eat fruit. I only eat McDonalds food, so I wouldn’t know what a fruit looks like
Jacinta,looking at all the red thumbs,shows how ignorant you are. Think before you speak in future.
Jacinta, I know you say you don’t eat dairy products but I’d love to know what you do eat? Especially as you seem to not need farmers or as you put it “culchies”.
I can link a farmer to all of my meals today.
Jacinta Troll – promoting rural urban divide ..
If Jobstown and the west of Ireland farmers link up then Clontarf will burn as Colmcille predicted !
And Enda is flat out combining it – fair dues to him for his gross incompetence !
“Rural recovery” code name for hangover after a night in the Dail bar
They look so natural and almost human holding the babies.
Roll out the barrell…oh no, just keep on scraping it insted Endaconversation…Culchie Tory
Such caring eyes…
2015? Or 2050?
For rural recovery we need fast broadband.
And now – not in six or seven years’ time.
For Belle Enda it will probably be the year of anal discovery!
Enda Kenny looks very uncomfortable caring for a baby.
Who let those monsters near babes, I would use a crucifix to protect those children lol.
Diapers like politicians should be changed on a regular basis
and both for the same reason
Is he stealing that babies bottle?!? I thought they only stole lollipops ;-p
Ahhhhhhh that horrible hogan hate him yuk yuk
It seems to escape his attention that we are quarter way through and barely holding on way down here. Is it a little far for your limo to manage then?
Perhaps a little building programme for soup kitchens and for homeless hostels, roll your sleeves up for there will be plenty more needed yet.
It might certainly be after this news. Fancy doing a report journal?
http://directdemocracyireland.ie/household-charge-defeated-in-court/
have your say