You see that title up there? You see that story? Currently making a comeback? It's a lie. It's not true and it never has been.
The story of Baa Baa Pink/White/Rainbow/Blue sheep has been going on since the 70s (at least!) and it goes as follows:
'A primary school in Unspecified, England is banning pupils from singing the song Baa Baa Black Sheep on the grounds of racism. Instead, pupils are being made to sing Baa Baa White/Pink/Rainbow/Little/Cthulhoid Sheep.'
It first appeared in a local newspaper not exactly renowned for its validity. From there the Daily Mail (who else) picked up the story and it soon become a national phenomenon, outrage was registered, complaints were lodged and nobody actually stopped to ask the school about it. The school who have always maintained that they never actually stopped their pupils singing the song as it was.
Since then every few years it comes back, and unfortunately there is now a small basis for the story. When teaching children colours, or phonics (now compulsory in English schooling, thanks Michael Gove, you're a journalist not an educator) it makes sense to use simple rhymes they already know to teach them such things. Baa Baa all the colours of the rainbow sheep teaches them about colours, Baa Baa little sheep teaches them a slightly altered melody (which helps somehow with phonics) It is not the only nursery rhyme which is altered in this fashion, but it is of course the only one they can pretend has racial connotations. In point of fact my mother, who is a PGCE lecturer of ten years and a primary school teacher of fifteen, teaches an entire half module on how to alter nursery rhymes to provide multiple lessons from one basic melody.
*pant *pant
Discussion value: Have you ever experienced instances of mass hysteria over something you know to be false? Have you found it impossible to convince people, even with proof, that what they believe is a lie? And I don't mean classic 'conspiracy theories' like 9/11, I mean something that is all but accepted as common sense, apart from the few actually intelligent people who bothered to do the research (ie. you.)
The story of Baa Baa Pink/White/Rainbow/Blue sheep has been going on since the 70s (at least!) and it goes as follows:
'A primary school in Unspecified, England is banning pupils from singing the song Baa Baa Black Sheep on the grounds of racism. Instead, pupils are being made to sing Baa Baa White/Pink/Rainbow/Little/Cthulhoid Sheep.'
It first appeared in a local newspaper not exactly renowned for its validity. From there the Daily Mail (who else) picked up the story and it soon become a national phenomenon, outrage was registered, complaints were lodged and nobody actually stopped to ask the school about it. The school who have always maintained that they never actually stopped their pupils singing the song as it was.
Since then every few years it comes back, and unfortunately there is now a small basis for the story. When teaching children colours, or phonics (now compulsory in English schooling, thanks Michael Gove, you're a journalist not an educator) it makes sense to use simple rhymes they already know to teach them such things. Baa Baa all the colours of the rainbow sheep teaches them about colours, Baa Baa little sheep teaches them a slightly altered melody (which helps somehow with phonics) It is not the only nursery rhyme which is altered in this fashion, but it is of course the only one they can pretend has racial connotations. In point of fact my mother, who is a PGCE lecturer of ten years and a primary school teacher of fifteen, teaches an entire half module on how to alter nursery rhymes to provide multiple lessons from one basic melody.
*pant *pant
Discussion value: Have you ever experienced instances of mass hysteria over something you know to be false? Have you found it impossible to convince people, even with proof, that what they believe is a lie? And I don't mean classic 'conspiracy theories' like 9/11, I mean something that is all but accepted as common sense, apart from the few actually intelligent people who bothered to do the research (ie. you.)
