Yesterday My Beloved and I had a heated discussion with our Miss 9's teacher over her changing two words of a poem our girl was to read as part of the ANZAC ceremony.
Our argument was that A: it is copyright protected so what right did she have to change it. B: she was asking or daughter to also breach copyright and therefore teaching her to have no respect for other people's work and the law.
I will leave out the argument over religion because this was never about that, although it did offend me that it is ok to not mention God so as not to offend non Christians but Christians are ok to offend.
No one was ever going to win this one. Yesterday I was frustrated, angry and downright affronted by what I perceived to be a blatant disregard for the sacrifices of our ANZAC's, ex-servicemen and current servicemen. I was astounded and upset that copyright seemed to mean nothing to a teacher or the school and they think nothing of editing out what they don't want the kids to know for one reason or another.
But I am not a teacher. I do not know why they deem it necessary to modify what I shall loosely call history. I mean history from the perspective of anything not written or recorded in any form within the last week. Once it has happened it has happened, come what may it is unchangeable. But history is written by the victor and by those who have the power to get away with deleting what doesn't suit their needs.
In this case it was two words 'Worship God' because not everyone worships God. That is true. But this man did. This man meant it when he wrote it and it was therefore covered by moral copyright as set down by the Berne Convention in which Australia is a signatory, as well as the standard meaning of copyright.
What she changed it too was also accurate 'Be free'. But it was not what he wrote.
According the the Department of Education representative I spoke to, each year they pay an exorbitant fee to the government to be able to breach copyright laws where they deem the information would not be fully understood by students. She agreed with me it was wrong, but it was within the schools legal right to do so.
She said I could have pursued it under the moral copyright but how would the Department police what was being changed and by whom?
So today, ANZAC Day. A day in which we dedicate to the honour and memory of all those who serve and served I feel sad.
Just as there was no winner in war there is no winner in this argument.
All it has done is put a greater divide between myself and my daughters teacher and no doubt the Principal.
A divide that time may smooth off the ragged wounded edges but will not erase the clear line of difference between us. Trust and Respect are easily crushed and very hard to repair.
My daughter needs to be able to trust and respect her teacher and have faith in her to be teaching her the truth. I now know that sometimes that will not be the case. She needs to know that I trust and respect he teacher, because without it it may undermine her trust in her own perception and values, possibly leading to a vast array of issues.
So I have several options before me.
Nod and smile and grit my teeth and hope the occasional (I hope it is occasional) modification of facts does not raise a child in ignorance and misinformation.
I can request that anytime the school edits or modifies in some way any works presented to the students that my daughter be given both the original source and the modification, so that she can choose for herself and see for herself the facts.
Or I can do my best at home to counter the politically correct madness we are now forced into and let her know that her teacher is not deliberately falsifying history but is under the direction of the education system, so she too is in fact a victim of circumstance. Where I can help her to know and understand the accurate facts even if it is uncomfortable and unpopular. I don't lie to my children and I won't be a party to her being lied too.
That is the one I am going to take, even though everything in me screams to go with the second option all I can see coming from that one is more division and angst between the school, my daughter and my beloved and I. Not an environment I want for my daughter. I want my daughter to have a pleasant happy experience at school. Her happiness is my main concern.
So where to from here? I can go an apologise for my outburst to her teacher and let her know I understand why she did what she did even if I have no respect for it and let the matter end there. Or I can do nothing. Say nothing. Pretend it didn't happen.
No doubt I will go an apologise for my outburst and assure her that as far as possible she will have my support. It will then be up to her to choose where we go from here.
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