6/12/2007

Woking

Letters from December 6, 2007

Shocked by ignorance and discrimination

EDITOR —  I am responding to your front page article Gay Charity Action Threat After Shopping Centre Ban (News and Mail, November 29).

I am completely disgusted by The Peacocks shopping centre manger Tim Keeping and his views and attitude.

As a gay male myself I found it offensive and hurtful. I do hope Woking Police will take this seriously.

I find it incredible that Gay Surrey was not allowed in the shopping centre on World Aids Day. I know Gino Meriano (chairman of Gay Surrey) to be a passionate, truthful and professional man at all times, and he campaigns so hard for justice and equal rights for the gay community.

He always puts others before himself in public, and strives for tolerance and deplores injustice of any kind.

Mr Keeping said any form of gay or lesbian awareness or education was inappropriate because it may be seen by children unaccompanied by their parents.

Gay Surrey is an informative, professional charity, raising awareness of HIV and other relevant information on gay, bisexual and transsexual lifestyle. Under no circumstances does it go out to misinform the public.

I would also like the town centre manger Jo Walker to give her views regarding this deliberate barrier put against Gay Surrey’s hard work, considering hospitals and clinics in the area supported World Aids day with posters and ribbons in their premises.

Why does The Peacocks feel threatened by HIV awareness?
Paul
Goldsworth Park
(full name and address supplied)

EDITOR — As a lifelong resident of Woking and mother of four children aged 13 to 21, I was appalled to see that the management of The Peacocks has taken what seems to amount to unlawful, homophobic action in refusing to allow an HIV awareness promotion for World Aids Day.

This action does not deserve any support from our borough council.

Firstly, AIDS is not simply a gay issue and World Aids Day is something which should concern us all. To quote from the BBC news pages: “The rate of new cases of HIV/Aids in the UK is one of the highest in the European Union. A report shows, at almost 149 cases per million inhabitants, the UK has the third highest rate of new infections behind Estonia and Portugal.”

Therefore, this worldwide event to help prevent the spread of HIV, encourage early diagnosis, ensure people living with HIV have access to treatment and care, and eradicate HIV-related stigma and discrimination deserves our support.

Secondly, the reason given by Mr Lee of Woking Borough Council for not allowing the Gay Surrey group and the Terence Higgins Trust to exhibit in The Peacocks is discriminatory and small- minded. I have brought my children up to be accepting of diversity and I strongly object to the notion that a public HIV awareness promotion could in any way be harmful to them. In fact, it might save their lives.

Younger children would simply not be aware of the exhibition and children old enough to be shopping unaccompanied by their parents,  as postulated by Mr Lee, are likely to be aged 12 or above and will have already been bombarded with sexual images and information of all kinds from the media.

This type of health education is helpful, not harmful to them and I am upset to find that a large employer such as The Peacocks has been allowed to discriminate in this way.

The council should make plans to support any such exhibition planned for World Aids Day 2008 and ensure it stays within the law in relation to the Equality Act 2006.
Teresa Copp
St John’s Rise
Woking

EDITOR — I cannot believe the management of The Peacocks shopping centre is being so small-minded.
HIV is a fact of life affecting so many people in the world.

Surely children ‘roaming free’ are considered old enough to be out alone, so they are old enough to know about HIV.

Children with their parents seeing the exhibition would, maybe, be encouraged to ask questions.

The most important thing is to raise awareness in people of all ages to try and help stop the spread of this terrible disease by whatever means, and that includes many more people than just the gay community.

Keeping it hushed up is a big mistake. I am disgusted with The Peacocks management and its lack of interest in the welfare of all generations in Woking.
Hilary Southgate
Blackbridge Road
Woking

EDITOR — I was shocked to read about the ignorant and discriminatory attitude of The Peacocks centre management to people wanting to raise HIV awareness.

Already millions of people around the world have died from HIV-related illnesses. Parts of Africa have already lost a generation of young people and the numbers of HIV infected people is rising in Europe too.

To say that this awareness is inappropriate for young people is nonsense.

Is The Peacocks management also saying Oxfam talking about starvation is “inappropriate”? Or Mencap talking about mental health is “inappropriate”? Or Shelter talking about homelessness is “inappropriate”? Of course they are not.

What is is doing is displaying blatant prejudice and bigotry against gay, lesbian, and bisexual people who it ignorantly thinks will be trying to convert children to their sexuality. They should be ashamed of themselves!

I suggest to Woking council that it reviews its business relationships with The Peacocks and not give it any public funds until the management understands its own inappropriate behaviour.
Richard Bos
Lucas Green Road
West End

Schools are not at fault over literacy

EDITOR — Your front page article (Shame of the Illiterate Generation, News and Mail, November 29) shows a complete misunderstanding of the school testing system.

Children come with a wide range of natural ability, and the SATS tests were designed for those of average ability. Around 80% of junior children achieve their target, and many exceed it by performing two years ahead of their actual age.

It is wrong to say that those who don’t achieve the ‘Level 4’ can’t read — they can. The purpose of schools is to move children on from where they started — someone of low ability can make good and useful progress even if they can never be ‘average’. The SATS tests were never intended to set a ‘required standard’ or make everyone the same — that’s impossible.

Furthermore, schools with higher results are not necessarily better schools — their admission area may simply have a more able intake. Having just retired as a deputy in one of the borough’s schools, I know there is no magic pill to increase natural ability, but if your reporter knows of one, I’d be interested.
Mike Hurdle
Farm Lane
Send

EDITOR  — I was aghast at the ill considered and grossly unfair article.  The named schools work with integrity and commitment and their loyalty to the needs of children are second to none.

Whilst accountability is important and necessary, the blame for the figures you mentioned should be placed firmly at the government’s door.   Two successive governments have set in motion a perpetuity of relentless, bureaucratic change.  Schools have become a one-stop shop for the government to call on for sorting out societal ills that they do not know how to handle.

In practice this means that schools are shifting around resources for flavour of the month according to government dictate.  The question might be asked, why are some schools not as successful as others in regard to reading and other subject areas?  

The answer to this is quite simple, each school has a unique set of demands and circumstances.   Where my school does not have to worry about teaching children about healthy eating and engaging in purposeful sport, this is not the case in all schools where energy has been given to these areas.  

My catchment is different to other schools, the level of SEN is different, we are not struggling financially and nor do I have an influx of pupils with language and other difficulties as a result of open borders.   Transitory school populations will also present a challenge in some schools.

It would also be unfair to say that all government initiatives are bad, but what is fair to say is that not one initiative has been rolled out with a sensible time scale, resourcing to match need and with the right motivation.

On another but similar note, this government has decided to abandon God, reduce absolutes and societal standards to a non recognisable form and lead this country under the banner of tolerance, equality, diversity and political correctness.   

Government is complex, but common sense and strong moral leadership should prevail.  

Your newspaper has in the past done an excellent job at supporting community and an apology should be made for such poor, demoralising judgment.   The headline and article would have been far more accurate if it had said it is remarkable how well all schools are managing despite constant government interference, increased demands, less and less time available to educate and with such enormous tasks such as building a cohesive society. It has to be said that this is all in an increasingly dysfunctional society.
Mr A A Butterick
Headteacher
Holy Trinity School
Benner Lane, West End

Don’t be too quick to judge young people

EDITOR — Last week, my daughter and niece both had a legitimate day off school, there being no classes due to other school business. They decided to go to Woking town centre together. 

Unfortunately, they curtailed their visit and returned home due to the discomfort they felt as a result of a stream of comments from people about them not being at school. 

Sadly, some people were very swift to judge, and indeed jump to the wrong conclusion, which they were not slow to share with the girls.

It is interesting when children seem to be made aware at every turn of the need for them to display respect for others, that they are not always afforded the same courtesy.
Name and address supplied

First printed in: Woking News and Mail

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