Press Invasion

Rick Braithwaite is a coloured teacher from British Guyana who starts his first job at Greenslade Secondary School, a tough East End school in London, where he is confronted with a lot of reserve and hostility. The following passage, which is taken from chapter 20 of his autobiographical book, vividly shows the school's experience with the press and emphasizes Braithwaite's unusual position on the staff.

Later that week the school was invaded by a newspaper. The Headmaster had obtained the necessary L.C.C.[22] permission for such a visit, having been persuaded that he could present his views and policy to a much wider public through this medium, and that it was an excellent oppor­tunity to reply to his critics and detractors[23]. The day before the reporters arrived he called a staff meeting to inform us of their visit and to ask for our co-operation. From his enthusiastic remarks it seemed undoubtedly a sound[24] idea, and we all agreed to help. It was decided to say nothing beforehand to the children, as the plan was to photograph them at their normal pursuits[25].

They arrived about ten o'clock in the morning, a reporter and two cameramen. Soon they were everywhere, their shutters[26] snapping[27] and bulbs[28] flashing unexpectedly and disturbingly. The children became somewhat excited, and the members of my class were constantly craning their necks[29] towards the door in the hope of having their pictures "took". During the morning the Head sent for me and introduced me to the reporter and cameramen, who were having a cup of tea with him in his room.

"Mr. Braithwaite, these gentlemen would like to speak with you for a moment." I sat down and the reporter began.

"When the Headmaster told us that you were on his staff, I thought it would be a good idea to have some special photographs of you with your class; you know, as an example of the spirit of democracy and tolerance in the school."

I studied him for a few moments. Democracy and tolerance, how glibly[30] these people used those words! Suddenly I didn't like it and exclaimed involuntarily[31]:

"Why, what purpose would that serve?"

"Well, at least it would show that in Britain there is no colour bar[32]."

"I'm sorry," I said, bored by this travesty[33] of the truth. "Look here, I am at this school as a teacher, that and nothing more; the Council did not employ me because I am coloured, and I have no wish to be used as propaganda for any idea or scheme, especially the one you just mentioned."

I spoke with some heat[34], I suppose, for they all looked at me in surprise. The Head turned to me:

"I must confess to being the one who initiated the idea, Mr. Braithwaite, believing that any publicity given to your presence on the staff would benefit the school. I do not think there are many Negro teachers in England, and we are fortunate to have you and would like to say so publicly."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Florian," I replied, "but I am not really concerned with the public view of my presence here, and I have no wish to be a sop[35] to public conscience[36] on matters of tolerance. I am merely a teacher and would prefer to remain unpublicised except in circumstances of my own choosing."

They were disappointed but they left it at that, and soon went on with their business, photo­graphing the children in classrooms, at meals, in the playground, and at the midday dance session. Bell put the boys through their paces[37] before the cameras, he himself stripped down to vest[38] and slacks[39]. The children co-operated magnificently, stimulated by the prospect of that fleeting moment of immortality when they would see themselves in the newspaper, the pride of their parents and friends, and the envy of less for­tunate youngsters.

On the following Monday the illustrated report appeared. I call it that for want of a term better descriptive of the malicious[40] outrage[41] which passed for[42] journalism. There were pictures, cer­tainly, but the "report" was restricted to a few captions[43] and a short paragraph, none of which were truthfully descriptive of the pictures above them. Of the three pictures which appeared one showed Mr. Florian as a small, grey, aged figure dancing with one of the girls, in ridiculous contrast to the whirling-skirted youngsters around him, who were made to look sleazy[44] and uncouth[45]; another picture showed some of the children with cigarettes hanging from their mouths and wearing expressions of bored depravity[46]; the third was of the dining hall at dinner time - a thieves' kitchen would have fared better.

There was something horribly vulgar about the whole thing which sickened me, and I arrived in school to find the staff very angry at the trick played on them and the school. Mrs. Drew told us that the Head wanted to discuss the matter with us during mid-morning recess[47].

The children were not upset by the publicity; they thought it grand fun, and we discovered that they had been induced to pose with the cigarettes. We all knew that some of them smoked, but the pictures inferred[48] that they smoked openly and together. Any picture would have been acceptable to them, and that day many of them even went far afield to obtain a copy of that newspaper. I suppose the slight increase in circulation effectively soothed[49] any twinge[50] of conscience momentarily experienced by those responsible.

I had never attended so voluble[51] a staff meeting. Each one saw the "report" as a personal slight[52] on himself or herself. The Old Man was very distressed[53] about the whole thing.

"When I agreed to have the newspaper people here," he said, "it was on the understanding that they would report, at some length, on our varied activities here, fairly and objectively. They promised that they would and I believed them. I gave the reporter a carefully prepared summary of our scheme of work to help him in making such a report. Now it seems they have gone out of their way to make us look cheap and ridiculous; they've given more grist to the mill[54] of those who have maligned[55] us without knowing anything about us; they will now be able to point at these photographs and say: 'the camera does not lie'." In his agitation he was pulling at his lower lip, an odd habit which appeared in moments of emotional tension. "I do not know if there is any action open to me against this sort of thing."

From To Sir with Love by E. R. Braithwaite, London: William Heinemann, 1959, pp. 159-161.

Task 6. Answer the following questions on the text:

1. Why did the headmaster allow a newspaper to report about his school?

2. What does the author want to express by the phrase "the school was invaded by a newspaper"?

3. Why did the newspaper men want to write about Mr. Braithwaite in particular?

4. What was the headmaster's attitude towards this?

5. How did Mr. Braithwaite react?

 

— SPEAKING