Hugh Lester

1) His tweets are hideous, I don’t believe his ‘apology’ for an instant, I hate that he's now here and I believe that his presence, and the presence of any others who believe what he believes does, in fact, make the community I am a part of here less safe. 2) He had a right to citizenship based on the legal parameters (his mother was born here. It doesn’t matter that she was born while her own mother was here as a student and then left when she was two. That’s not how the system works). 3) I don’t believe that his citizenship should be somehow ‘revoked’ for his tweets. Apart from anything else, that’s a terrible precedent to set up. And no, he’s not in the same bracket as someone who literally went to join ISIS. 4) Among other things, he repeatedly supported the killing of civilians. Just dismissing that as “some tweets” minimises the issue. People in my community have the right to be vehemently critical about someone who doesn’t believe we’re human and has tweeted about how he thinks our relatives should be murdered. 5) The government was unbelievably stupid to actively celebrate him coming here 6) The Tories suddenly clutching their pearls on this is pretty hypocritical, especially since they worked very hard when they were in power to help him come here. 7) Watching Farage and others in Reform UK who celebrated someone who tweeted incredibly repulsive sentiments last year suddenly acting outraged at this guy is fairly revealing about their attitude towards someone’s actions based on their ethnic and racial background. 8) Watching some people bend over backwards to pretend that his tweets aren’t a problem or were a ‘long time ago’, doesn’t sound very different to those who ignore the accusations against Farage at school simply because they happened ’50 years ago’.

Having had a day to think through everything about El-Fattah, here's where I stand. Yes, it's possible to believe all of these things at once! In fact, it really shouldn't be that hard.

Looking for Eduqas-specific training in GCSE English Language for your school, or a tutor for someone sitting the exam? I offer advice, training, support, tuition and assessment, online and in person. hugh.lester.wixsite.com/hughlester

Angela’s new novel, The Allegations, is available on Kindle and Amazon, at Griffin in Penarth, Wellfield Bookshop, and Cardiff Bookspace, Crwys Road, and to order elsewhere.

amzn.eu/d/b1RNOeK

Hooray, it's #BookshopDay 📚
A perfect excuse to visit your local bookshop and grow your TBR pile #ChooseBookshops

Looking for training in Eduqas GCSE English Language for you or your department, or a tutor for someone sitting the exam? I offer advice, training, support, tuition and assessment, online and in person: hughlester.wixsite.com/hughlester #eduqas

Entry has grown in recent years as colleges have become more aware of the qualification. The papers are a bit longer but having two rather than three is quite popular.

Yes, the Eduqas qualification has a much larger entry on F. It’s particularly popular in FE / post 16 colleges.

Sorted! One more than you need really.

The Bee A home for working class readers and writers

We’ll also simply celebrate that mix of joy and wonder that comes from a reader or a writer of any age. And any class.

Please join us: thebeemagazine.com

A Class of Our Own The world needs more working-class writers. The Bee is going to find, nurture and publish them.

thebeemagazine.com/a-class-of-o...

Slippery slope

Happy New Year! Just a quick reminder that I offer online and face-to-face GCSE English assessment, advice, tuition and training, specialising in the Eduqas qualifications. Have a look here to find out more. hughlester.wixsite.com/hughlester
#eduqas #teamenglish

Happy New Year!

8 x 0.1 =0.8; 0.8 x 3 =2.4

Surprisingly nice! Very thoughtfully done.

Every single school should have a library & a librarian, to help every single child find the books that will make them readers, and give them all the lifelong benefits of literacy. Libraries & librarians change children's lives FOREVER!
#literacy #libraries #librarians

20000 Streets is so funny but also heartbreaking. There was an excellent BBC adaptation about 20 years ago.

Have you tried any of his other novels? 20000 Streets Under The Sky and The Slaves of Solitude excellent too. One of my favourite novelists.

‘Relatable’ curriculums smother aspiration Swapping the study of Shakespeare for working-class writers simply reinforces stereotypes

www.thetimes.com/article/42a9...

Christmas deer back at Cardiff Castle

I had no money growing up. Luckily, all my favourite things were free. Friends, nature & learning. This was the local library. Sometimes I was the only one in it. Sometimes the odd drunk popped in to vomit. Anyway, it all turned out OK.

@earthlypowers.bsky.social Some Anthony Burgess in your handle? A fine novel I thought - although it’s 40+ years since I read it

Of Love and Hunger by Julian Maclaren-Ross review — an absolute blast This 1947 novel about a frustrated vacuum cleaner salesman is a comic masterpiece

A neglected modern classic

www.thetimes.com/article/0c8d...

Image of winter sunset over a broad in Norfolk, England. Sun is setting behind a row of trees without leaves, which is reflected in still water.

Late autumn over the University Broad, UEA, Norwich, Norfolk, UK. An image from the 1970s on 35mm transparency film.

Most people can’t tell real poetry from AI. Can you beat our quiz?

www.thetimes.com/article/9e87...

"Two lads looking forward to a life which was lost before it began in the futility of war ... "

Up to about 15 years ago this appeared in the South Wales Echo every November. It doesn’t anymore, presumably because these two docks boys' school pals are no longer around either.

And I’m not convinced in my experience that the old Speaking and Listening assessment led to better reading of poems aloud! But an interesting debate certainly

Yes, it does seem a bit daft. His main gripe appears to be with the way Shakespeare is examined. I think Eduqas is a bit better in this regard - but I suppose I would say that anyway. OMAM was popular and worked well but there must be other texts which work equally well.

Scrap Shakespeare and study Instagram posts — how I’d save English Lit in schools No wonder degree courses are shutting and only 28% of boys read in their spare time, Freddie Baveystock, head of English at Harris Westminster Sixth Form, says. Exam boards and politicians stifled the...

Interesting point of view from a teacher in today’s Sunday Times

www.thetimes.com/article/b3d9...

Just a quick reminder that I offer online and face-to-face GCSE English assessment, advice, tuition and training, specialising in the Eduqas qualifications. Have a look here to find out more. hughlester.wixsite.com/hughlester
#eduqas #teamenglish