Parents were left confused and angry the word "black" was replaced by "little" in the traditional nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep during an Easter concert. Despite the primary school insisting the adaptation was part of a new teaching technique, the move was described as "political correctness gone mad". Pupils at Park Hill School in Kingston, Southwest London, sung "Baa Baa Little Sheep", causing Conservative councillor and parent Andrea Craig to voice her confusion on Twitter. A spokesperson for the independent school told local paper the Surrey Comet the lyrics were changed to teach children phonics and "fit in with the Easter theme". "It was about baby sheep. It's a way of teaching phonics so children understand these words they are using." Do you think this is political correctness "gone mad"? The spokesperson added the school, which teachers three to seven-year-olds, had "always had adjustments" to the traditional nursery rhyme as the children preferred to sing different variations. But Craig added she didn't think the school should have used that particular rhyme as it could "so easily be misconstrued as political correctness gone mad". "They have got to be a bit smarter about it." The phonics system, which teaches children to learn by phonetics , has attracted a barrage of criticism in recent weeks. On Monday, delegates at a National Union of Teachers conference attacked the technique, saying it was "unnecessary and innappropriate". The union argued that the government's policy of promoting phonics will send a message to schools and parents that other aspects of reading are less important.
thats alright for you to say, when i was wee and first came to this country my classmates used to sing that song and look at me and chortle at the 'black sheep' bit. so im all for it
It is PC gone mad. We are so afraid of offending people that we have to censor children's rhymes that have been around for centuries
But you stayed. BTW I was over 6 ft at 15 and was called Jiffy the broomstick boy after a TV show, never got it banned mind.
The kids' phonics and diction would be far better tested with a more varied amount of consonant sounds and fewer assonant syllables. May I suggest "baa baa proddie sheep"?
Ridiculous!! So long as thet let you enter them it doesn't matter what colour (or non colour) they are. Nothing racist about that is there?
Baa Baa ethnic minority peaceful herd beast have you any Fair Trade wool ? Yes my partner in social equality, yes my partner in social equality Three bags full One for the former Master who has now relinquished his patriarchal hegemonic title And one for his cherished life companion previously burdened by the constricting role of Dame And one for the vegetarian lesbian who lives down the lane
