Response to an article

Teacher ‘told to sound less northern’ after southern Ofsted inspection’ - How can you possibly tell someone to sound ‘less northern?’ How can you define what ‘less northern’ actually is? You can’t. You cannot, in my opinion, physically tell a member of staff that they have to tone down their northern accent. As if teaching wasn’t stressful enough, that poor teacher would then have to go into every single lesson, feeling on edge that the accent in which she has and cannot help just simply isn’t ‘suitable.’ Somebody’s accent does not in any way, shape or form affect their dialect; this teacher for all we know could be the best in her field. The way in which she pronounces word should not in any way, shape or form affect this. One thing that is particularly staggering though is the fact that she’s actually teaching in a northern school. Therefore, how can you justify that she should speak ‘less northern?’ It just doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.

Picture this: your average English school with teachers who speak in clear English accents. Suddenly, a teacher turns up who speaks with a Welsh accent, or perhaps even an Indian accent. Surely this would be classed as racism if you told them to speak ‘more British?’ That school would probably have the media hounded outside their building demanding why such a request was even made. You cannot dispute that this is unfortunately true. What happened to the common belief that everyone should embrace people’s differences? Instead of victimising people based on their regional way of speaking, it should be encouraged to promote and protect these accents. No one should feel like they should speak differently just because of a few seemingly insignificant opinions. I find it unbelievable that Ofsted have gone to this school to write a report on it yet how a teacher speaks instead of their teaching performance has been considered. It’s utterly ridiculous and the school should not sit back about this.

What I think people fail to remember is that accent and dialect are two different things. It would be a different matter if this particular teacher was frequently using taboo words and phrases/words not appropriate for the classroom but this isn’t the issue. If it was the issue, Ofsted would have had every right to comment on this. What the teachings are saying, rather than the accent in which they deliver it is much more important.

As for banning regional phrases for pupils in some schools, I think this is an outrageous thing to do. Children/teenagers have enough pressures and stresses when they enter the school building, let alone feeling anxious that they can’t say certain words and phrases. I don’t see how it can be said that certain regional phrases can damage their prospects. Typically, you would expect the vast majority of people to use slang around their friends and if this isn’t the case, everyone knows at least someone who uses slang. Surely, if regional phrases are being banned in certain schools for damaging prospects, then use of slang should be banned too. Of course you cannot physically stop slang from being used; in the same way it should be impossible to ban regional phrases. They’re wherever you go. “It’s about getting them ready for job interviews” what a lot of nonsense. If you were going into a serious job interview, you shouldn’t feel the need to use regional phrases anyway, as it is a formal scenario. What schools need to be emphasising to their students is how to actually prepare for interviews instead of saying that banning regional phrases is going to help them. Theoretically, wouldn’t you agree that schools are opting for the easy option out? ‘Oh yes, we can ban regional phrases and this will help our students in future job interviews!’ Instead of ‘we’ll run sessions for those interested to work on how they should conduct and speak in a formal interview scenario.’

The chances are, you’ll travel somewhere new in the country in the foreseeable future and during this experience you will come across a whole range of phrases that you perhaps have never even heard of. Why can this not be seen as expanding your vocabulary rather than it being stigmatised as a negative prospect?

Clichéd as it may sound, I am a firm believer that people’s differences, including differences in accent should be embraced. No one should be made to feel differently because of the way their mouth happens to shape words. That would be like judging someone because their walk is slightly different or that their hair colour is branching slightly out from the usual browns, blondes or gingers. If everyone spoke in the same way, wouldn’t life be lacking in variety?