News magazine of the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard in Leeds
News magazine of the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard in Leeds
Child-friendly
Arooj
“Our policy on race equality would be meaningless without full involvement – just a piece of paper,” John Graham told Harmony.
In November, Year 5 pupils from Leeds schools were invited to the Arooj Creative Writing workshops at the Civic Hall. Qaisra Sharaz (The Holy Woman, Typhoon) and John Siddique (Don’t wear it on your head), they were immensely successful, producing overwhelmingly positive feedback. The workshops were also used to launch the Arooj Creative Writing Competition and also to encourage young people to enter the national Muslim Writers Awards.
Civic Hall sponsored by Aamir Darr, who owns a multicultural bookshop in Bradford and who has been a key player in supporting the whole project, and who was on the steering group along with Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, Cllr Mohammed Rafique, Sameena Choudry, Rehana Minhas and Dr Claire Chambers from Leeds Metropolitan University.
Fifteen primary schools were given some additional funds to enable them to engage with visiting writers, and many of these chose John Siddique, who worked in a number of contexts ranging from assemblies to intensive work with targeted groups. Award winner Abdulrahman with Lord Mayor Jim McKenna and Cllr Mohammed Rafique
All Hallows School Council
As headteacher of All Hallows Church of England Primary in Gedling, Nottingham, he is justly proud of the one for his school, which was written by pupils on the School Council. “We have an established ethos based upon respect, inclusion and quality,” he continued. “The idea for a childfriendly policy came out of a discussion which followed our Show Racism the Red Card event.
In a meeting with Harmony, three Council members - Liam, Otis and Lucy from Year 6 - made comments: LIAM: Every child played a part doing this. The policy has short paragraphs and pictures so everyone can understand. The original version was mainly for adults, with bits everywhere and lots of long, complicated words.
Also, other people who overhear might want to copy them, which is bad. LUCY: In school we learn French, but we should be aware of languages which are spoken at pupils’ homes. We must respect children from different backgrounds and never make hurtful remarks.
“We are linking the policy to our work for the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard, which we will be beginning properly after Easter.
We should make an effort to learn simple things in lots of different It wasn’t very attractive to look at either. languages – at least “Thankyou” OTIS: It’s not too detailed, and it’s good and “Hello”. for the younger children because it gets Parent governor Tracy Booth added: straight to the point. “It’s important to have systematic
The children have presented it in assemblies, there’s a copy in every classroom and we’ll review it regularly to make sure it’s a working document.”
We need it because people say hurtful things sometimes and the people who hear them might not feel that they want to be who they are.
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approaches to race equality, like the Stephen Lawrence Standard, and to make sure children are involved from an early age.”
Arooj is an Urdu word which could be translated as ‘Ascension’ or ‘Arising’. The aim of the project was to introduce young people to role models who would help them develop their talents and imbue them with extra confidence. Led by writers of Muslim heritage
Competition entries poured in, to be scrutinised by a team of twelve judges who shortlisted entries for the winner and highly commended categories across all key stages. The competition was open to all Leeds pupils and was held in partnership with the Leeds Information and Library Services. On 2 March, John Siddique hosted a special awards ceremony in the
Award winner Misbah between Cllr Jane Dowson and poet John Siddique
Faiz in Yorkshire Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-84), Pakistan’s pre-eminent poet, is having his centenary marked by one of the largest ever events held to honour a poet, hosted by the President of India. Bangladesh is also organising a series of events in his honour. Even in death, Faiz’s extraordinary ability to bring three fractious nations together persists.
In three very different presentations Salima focuses on three distinct strands of Faiz’s writing – freedom, peace and conflict and his use of traditional poetic Urdu imagery to convey the most radical of messages. At Opera North, Leeds on 8 June at 6.30pm – Remembering Faiz Ahmed Faiz: activist, prisoner, poet.
Yorkshire is fortunate to be the only region hosting a three-day programme
At Harewood House on 9 June at
involving Faiz’s daughter, the gifted
6.30pm – My father – teacher,
artist, Salima Hashmi.
poet, progressive.
At the National Media Museum, Bradford on 10 June at 11am – Faiz Ahmed Faiz, poet, Marxist, polemicist. All three events are presented by Alchemy as part of the Allegories of Power programme in association with the Faiz Centenary National Organising Committee, the Ilkley Literature Festival and The Peace Museum. Visit www.alchemyanew.co.uk 13