NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE
The Kernow Branch of the Celtic League has received a message of thanks from the mother at the centre of a dispute with her childrens’ school.
Anna James and her children hit the headlines a few weeks ago when she withdrew her children from Bishop Bronescombe Church of England School near Wadebridge in Cornwall, in order to attend the ancient ‘obby ‘oss’ celebration in Padstow, against the direction of the school’s head teacher.
Mrs James, who originates from Padstow, made her stand not realising that literally hundreds of other Cornish parents supported her stand and several of them flagged the case to the Kernow Branch of the Celtic League who wrote to the school reminding them of the rights of Cornish people under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. When the school continued to refuse Mrs James permission to take her children out of school, the Branch prepared a 14 page report on the affair entitled ‘Institutional Discrimination against the Cornish’ and submitted it to the Council of Europe, the United Nations, the Church of England, the Westminster Government’s Department for Education and Department for Communities and Local Government, OfStEd, Cornwall Council as well as the school itself.
On reading a copy of the report, Mrs James contacted the Kernow Branch to inform that she had been overwhelmed with support from other Cornish people and that she was extremely grateful to the Celtic League for supporting her stand.
In her email to the Branch she said, ‘I thought I would send you guys a message as I’ve seen you have been very supportive over my fall out with the school over May Day. It is lovely to know I have wonderful support, as I felt on my own over this matter until it all went to press. Thank you for stepping in, it wasn’t easy to stand up to the school, but felt it is really important. The Head Teacher’s reply is always the same and she blames the government, yet this frustrates me as the secondary school in St Austell, not only granted May Day, they have put it down as an educational day! Last time I checked St Austell had the same government! I can’t thank you guys enough!’
The Branch continues to wait for official responses, but has informally been told that considerable handwringing over the report has occurred within the English Church over the affair.
The news even made the London right wing press in the form of the Daily Mail.
Previous Celtic League News:
Childrens Celebration Ban Stokes Controversy
Institutional Racism Report Submitted
(This report by Michael Chappell – Kernow branch)
J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League
14/05/15
(Please note that replies to correspondence received by the League and posted on CL News are usually scanned hard copies. Obviously every effort is made to ensure the scanning process is accurate but sometimes errors do occur.)
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