LL-L "Language politics" 2002.03.31 (05) [E/S]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 31.MAR.2002 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: "Andy Eagle" <andy at scots-online.org>
Subject: Scots

The follaein micht bi o interest.
It wis a conteebution tae anither mailin list.
<quote>
Hullo,

Over the past week, the Scottish Education Minister, Cathy Jamieson, has
come under attack for using the Scots language. Many of these attacks
have
been vicious and verge on the racist. Below are two articles which show
this.....

An issue of performance, not pronunciation
http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/opinion.cfm?id=323932002
The Scotsman. 25th March 2002.

WHAT should it matter if Cathy Jamieson, the Scottish minister for
education, calls children "weans"? Many families across Scotland do, and
think nothing of it. But friends of the minister claim that she is being
targeted by snobbish critics who "have taken a view against her because
of
her background, because she is a working-class woman who speaks with the
accent she was born with, and talks about weans instead of children".

These "friends" have accused politicians, the media and the educational
establishment of personal attacks on her accent and background. They
claim
that, as with the House of Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, such remarks
say
more about class prejudice than genuine views on her performance as a
minister.

What a picture is painted: Cathy, cowering in her poor wee Kilmarnock
bothy,
the weans of the toon clinging to her ragged coat-tails as class hatred
rains down. How convenient - and impeccably politically correct - of the
minister's "friends" to sweep aside serious criticism in such a
contemptuous
way.

Most senior Scottish politicians have Scots accents, varying in strength
and
character. So what? Moreover, they do not seek to portray criticism as
personal attacks launched by snobs. It is on the performance of the
minister
and her competence in the post on which these critics have raised
questions,
not her accent or her background. In any event, it could hardly be said
of
Tino Ferri, of the NAS/UWT teaching union, that he has adopted the tones
of
Lord Snooty in his attack: "My biggest disappointment," he declared, "is
that she knows bugger all about education."

It is Cathy Jamieson herself who has launched a "national debate" about
education, and it should hardly be a surprise if issues of performance,
competence and political bias come to the fore. She has come to the most
important post in Scottish education through the most curious route,
both
professionally - 12 years as a social worker in Strathclyde - and
politically.

She was a member of the left-wing Campaign for Socialism set up to
defend
Clause Four and which told Tony Blair he should be leaving the party,
not
leading it, an attack which he dismissed as "infantile". She was a
member of
the Hard Left Grassroots Alliance. It is still unclear how this record
qualifies her to transform performance in schools, and how much of these
beliefs she has really left behind.

Concern over her competence was further fuelled by a speech she gave
shortly
after her appointment, in which she said her deputy was "best placed" to
be
in direct charge of the nation's classrooms while she concentrated on
"children in general". There has since been a retreat from this baffling
pronouncement, but it has only added to widespread public doubt over the
stewardship of education in Scotland.

The extent of that scepticism is evident in the latest Social Attitudes
survey, showing that only 27 per cent believe Holyrood is increasing the
standard of education. That is a damning verdict, and gives some idea of
the
size of the gulf that both Jack McConnell and Ms Jamieson now have to
bridge
if they are to be an effective and credible force for change. "Weans"
and
Ayrshire accents have nothing to do with it.

                            *******************

On Monday, I sent the following letter of support to Cathy
Jamieson......

----- Original Message -----
From: David Wilson
To: Cathy.Jamieson at scottish.parliament.uk
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 12:06 PM
Subject: Weans

Dear Cathy Jamieson,

    I read a rather bizarre report in The Scotsman newspaper today (copy
below), saying that people have made personal attacks against you
because of
your background and 'accent'. I have no idea what, exactly, these
entail,
only that I was delighted to hear you use the words 'weans', as that, to
me,
and perhaps millions of other Scots, is exactly what they are!!

    You are not alone, however, in experiencing prejudice because of the
language you use. The same 'snobbish elite', often view Scots speakers
as
somehow having a lower standard of education, as 'working class'
(something
I'm not ashamed of), as a 'teuchter', or as a 'ned'. From personal
experience and observation, I would argue that this prejudice is so
widespread and ingrained that, like many other kinds, that it's not even
seen as
prejudice by many. The Scots language is continually portrayed as some
form
of inferior slang and its speakers as a source of fun and ridicule. Such
prejudices can seriously affect an individual's chances of promotion and
advancement. The answer, of course, is not to give into those who
perpetuate
these insidious beliefs, but to expose and combat the injustice. You, I,
and
thousands of other Scots speakers, are no less intelligent when we speak
in
Scots, nor should we be made to feel so.

    In deciding to offer my support to you, I searched the Parliament
website for your email address, and, although I was pleased to see so
much
Gaidhlig there, I was unable to see any Scots (except on the Scots
Committee
page). I recall that a colleague of yours, Murray Tosh, MSP, once said
that
he objected to its inclusion because it would make the parliament look
ridiculous (or words to that effect) to people from the US or Australia.
However, people from these airts have no 'Scottish cringe'; that
collective
inferiority complex that so many of us are still brought up with. They
haven't been exposed to the same linguistic prejudices that we have and
are
therefore unaffected by it. I need hardly remind you that all the
parliamentry documents of the pre-1707 parliament, for instance, were
written in Scots, or that thousands of people in your constituency and
across Scotland still speak it today. Yet how often do we hear it on TV
or
Radio, except perhaps in interviews and phone-in's? Why are there so few
Scots speakers in prominent positions in Scottish society? Are they
really
less intelligent or less able? Why are so many Scots speakers virtually
consigned to the 'lower' parts of Scottish society? This is an issue I
believe that will come increasingly to the fore in the years to come.

    I speak both Doric Scots and English and from my own personal
experience
I can testify that people's attitudes will change markedly depending on
which language I speak. I believe also, that this is experienced by many
other working class people throughout Scotland. And also that these
people
will remain disadvantaged until this prejudice is removed.

    In the meantime, dinna let the numpties get ye doon ;-)

David Wilson.

                        **********************

The following article, if such bitter and poisonous invective can be
called
that, appeared today in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper.....

GERALD WARNER: An accent on the incomprehensible
http://www.scotlandonsunday.com/weekinreview.cfm?id=348622002
The Scotland on Sunday. 31st March, 2002.

"ORDER! Order! We now have a statement from the Minister of Education.
Cathy
Jamieson!"

"Ah jist want tae tell youse a' that thae folk sayin' the weans ur no'
gettin learned gude at the schule ur talkin' mince. There mair tae
ejjication than readin' an' writin', but. We're no gaun back tae huvvin'
rows uv weans sittin' up chantin' 'Twalve fives fifty-five!' an' 'Three
gizzintae fifteen twice!' Ah nivver kennt ma gizzintaes an' Ah'm the
heid
bummer o' Scottish ejjication.

"A' they snobs tryin' tae pit me doon - jist because Ah dinnae talk wi'
bools in the mooth like Karen Gillon an' theym that think they're that
bit
better - a' pan breid an' bow windaes! See yon wee bizzum Wendy - yon's
a
puir man's Maggie Thatcher, by the way!

"See exams, they're jist meanin'less bitsae paper - ask oanybody at the
SQA.
An' see streamin' - it'll be mair like tricklin', as long as Ah'm aroond
tae
pit the mockers oan it. Ma message tae Rod O'Donnell an' his pals is:
gonnae
no' dae that! Yon's pure dead elitist. If ye think Ah'm gonnae stand fur
it,
youse ur up a close wi' yer heid in a jawbox!"

"Thank you, minister. Nicol Stephen!"

"Sir David, if I may just put the minister's remarks into layman's
language,
what she is saying, in essence, is that the Executive is committed to
maintaining a creative interface between methodologies in the classroom
situation, while at the same time having regard to curricular
priorities,
without excluding modular experimentation within the parameters of
relevant
access clusters."

"Thank you. That concludes this ministerial statement. I now call upon
Cathy
Peattie to lead us in what is increasingly becoming recognised as this
parliament's unofficial anthem - The Freeloaders' Come All Ye. Take it
away,
Cathy!"

"Bannin' this, bannin' that an' t'ither,
It's a braw life fur wasters oan Ra Mound;
Peyed a fortune fur bans an' blethers,
Gi'en a medal fur jist bein' around.
So come all ye that live aff freebies,
Never heed when the punters hiss an' boo;
A hunner' grand in wir hot an' sweaties
Beats the wee scams we fiddled oan ra Broo!"

"Beautiful, Cathy! I declare this session of parliament closed. We shall
reconvene after the Multicultural Egg-Rolling Festival recess, when the
main
items on the agenda will be a ban on poodle-clipping, the Prohibition of
Heterosexual Flirting (Scotland) Bill and a further increase in MSPs'
salaries."

The Scottish parliament has now progressed beyond parody. The
appointment of
Cathy Jamieson as education minister encapsulates the whole farce. Even
media critics who have voiced the national dismay have cravenly
restricted
themselves to the objection raised by Tino Ferri, of the NAS/UWT union,
that
the minister "knows bugger-all about education". That is true; but the
politically correct ambience of the New Scotland inhibited them from
taking
the "snobbish" view that the minister should be capable of speaking
English.

The minister's inarticulacy is highly relevant. Toleration of it
resembles
the refusal by trendy teachers to correct children's mistakes - a
betrayal
of the disadvantaged, patronisingly referred to as "weans". It signals
the
ultimate degradation of Scottish education - once the world leader, now
presided over by Daphne Broon.

The same applies to the maudlin kailyard kitsch that is the musical
expression of the devolved parliament - a song that is an academic
construct, as demotic as a composition in Chaucerian English. What does
"Blaws the cloods heelster gowdy" say to any denizen of Easterhouse? He
would find it slightly easier to understand the far-back modulations of
art
critic Brian Sewell. As for the "black boy frae yont Nyanga", he has
materialised in the shape of Flight-Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, the only
world leader so leprous as to be reduced to addressing Holyrood.

It is appropriate that MSPs' dinosaur sentiments should be expressed in
a
dead language. They are as far removed from reality as Marie Antoinette
playing shepherdess at Trianon, except that the queen was a lot more
attractive and knew how to hold cutlery.

If MSPs attempt to revisit the Scotland Act to evade a cut in their
numbers,
public opinion must insist that the occasion be used to abolish the list
system. In the meantime, readers are invited to submit suggestions for
interpreting the acronym 'MSP'. To start the ball rolling, the columnist
offers 'Mercenary Shameless Parasite'. Feel free to improve on this: it
is
time that the self-regarding spongers on The Mound experienced the
settled
ill-will of the Scottish people.

                            *********************

If anyone feels motivated to take a stand against the prejudice and
discrimination Cathy Jamieson has experienced in the 'Gerald Warner'
article
(and elsewhere), please write to the Scotland on Sunday newspaper, at;

"Letters to the Editor"
Scotland on Sunday: letterssos at scotsman.com
Note: if you would like your letter to be considered for publication,
please
include your name, full postal address and a daytime telephone number.

Postal address;
Scotland on Sunday,
Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road,
Edinburgh, EH8 8AS. Scotland.
[Tel: +44 (0)131 620 8620
Fax: +44 (0)131 620 8616]

For anyone wishing to send a letter of support to Cathy Jamieson, please
send an email to;
Cathy.Jamieson.msp at scottish.parliament.uk

copies can also be sent to;

First Minister (and Labour Party Leader);
Jack.McConnell.msp at scottish.parliament.uk
Scottish National Party Leader;
John.Swinney.msp at scottish.parliament.uk
Conservative Party Leader;
David.McLetchie.msp at scottish.parliament.uk
Liberal-Democrat Leader;
Jim.Wallace.msp at scottish.parliament.uk
Scottish Green Party Leader;
Robin.Harper at scottish.parliament.uk
Scottish Socialist Party Leader;
Tommy.Sheridan.msp at scottish.parliament.uk

Members of the following group may also appreciate a copy;

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on the Scots Language.
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/cpg/cpg-scots.html
Group Members (MSPs);

Brian.Adam.msp at scottish.parliament.uk
Colin.Campbell.msp at scottish.parliament.uk
Helen.Eadie at scottish.parliament.uk
Fergus.Ewing at scottish.parliament.uk
Margaret.Ewing at scottish.parliament.uk
Winnie.Ewing at scottish.parliament.uk
Alex.Fergusson at scottish.parliament.uk
Ian.Jenkins at scottish.parliament.uk
Kate.Maclean at scottish.parliament.uk
Maureen.Macmillan at scottish.parliament.uk
Tricia.Marwick at scottish.parliament.uk
Irene.McGugan at scottish.parliament.uk
Gil.Paterson at scottish.parliament.uk
Cathy.Peattie at scottish.parliament.uk
Nora.Radcliffe at scottish.parliament.uk
George.Reid at scottish.parliament.uk
Michael.Russell at scottish.parliament.uk

* As with anything of a 'campaigning' nature, I leave it with the
conscience
of the individual as to whether they agree or not, or wish to
participate.

    ### Please forward this to others who may be interested ###

David Wilson
</quote>

Andy Eagle

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