Harry and Meg didn’t need to go to America to see service with a smile
While couple seek the ‘last word’ on Royal split, with tell-all Oprah interview, the Queen quietly practises the values that they preach
EVER since their departure from the UK, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been at pains to teach us to demonstrate “empathy and kindness” in all that we do.
As the pandemic took hold, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began preaching about how we should treat one another from their waterfront mansion in Canada.
In a post shared on their Sussex Royal Instagram account back in March, the couple wrote “How we approach each other and our communities with empathy and kindness is indisputably important right now.
“Over the coming weeks, this will be our guiding principle.”
Their sentiments were noble, and I am sure well-meaning. But over the past year, since their move to an £11m Californian home, it’s apparent it is one thing to preach, and another to practise.
Hot on the heels of the news the couple were to sit down for a tell-all chat to Oprah Winfrey, so “Meghan could have the final word” over their departure from the UK, the monarchy felt their remaining patronages were no longer compatible with the couple’s Stateside life.
Apparently, Her Majesty had
been blindsided by her grandson and his wife’s plans to give a potentially explosive TV interview.
And while the Queen was understanding, it was claimed other family members and senior royal aides were furious.
Her Majesty issued a statement confirming the patronages were to be removed but emphasising Harry and Meghan remained “much-loved members of the royal family”.
The grace with which the monarch spoke was there for all to see and the emotion was evident – to everyone but the Sussexes and their PR flunkies, it seems.
Within minutes – at 4.30am their time – the couple responded.
Their riposte, written in a language you’d expect from a testy teen, was utterly lacking the “empathy and kindness” they said we all needed to show. It also failed to pay respect to the Queen.
God forbid it showed any understanding of the situation they created after deciding they wanted out of public life to pursue their desire to make millions in the States.
“As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to
the UK and around the world,” the couple said.
“We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
Like many of you, I was baffled by what they meant by their “duty and service to the UK”.
Whereas other royal family members have been at the forefront, speaking to our frontline workers, Harry and Meghan have been living in their Montecito mansion.
As they look forward to welcoming a brother or sister for Archie, it would have taken nothing for them to pay tribute to Harry’s grandparents’ life of service to their country.
A simple statement, not a sniping swipe, would have done. Service is not merely jumping on a carefully choreographed Zoom call to spout bland soundbites at star-struck onlookers.
Such actions, by comparison to Harry’s grandparents, father, and even more recently, his brother William are becoming ludicrous.
Eighteen months, Harry and Meghan lasted before wanting out.
Her Majesty has been at it every day for 68 years.
It makes you wonder how the couple dare lecture the Queen about duty.
Service is not merely jumping on a carefully choreographed Zoom call...
THERE has been criticism that studying works of Welsh and English literature at GCSE is not given the same priority as for studying language.
Authors, poets and actors have joined teachers and other education experts in being vocal in their views that not making literature a core subject for schools to teach means that some learners don’t study the subject through to 16.
Discussing great works of literature in the classroom with their teachers helps open up new ways of thinking and a greater appreciation of the inventiveness of language for learners, they argue.
We’re not only talking about studying literature in books. There is a wonderful opportunity to exploit the vast and growing range of multimedia tools at our disposal to ignite learners’ enthusiasm for literature.
We’ve listened to all these views, and many others, as we build a series of proposals for qualifications to meet the needs of the Welsh Government’s new curriculum for Wales. And we agree.
We’ve noted that in some schools, GCSE literature is now offered only as an optional subject.
Given the focus on preparing for qualifications in years 10 and 11, it appears some learners are not studying literature beyond the age of 14.
In 2018, for example, there were 14% fewer entries for GCSE English literature than GCSE English language and 32% fewer entries for GCSE Welsh literature than GCSE Welsh language.
As a result, we feel that many learners are missing out on the chance to study great literature in several different formats, including written texts and through film and television drama in both English and Welsh.
That is a great pity.
It’s why we’re proposing a shakeup of how Welsh and English are taught up to 16 in our consultation, Qualified for the Future.
In our proposals and work with experts we want to find out if creating combined language and literature GCSEs will help to secure equity of provision for learners within and across schools.
We believe these new GCSEs will offer greater flexibility for learners to have more choice about which other qualifications they want to study
Although there is undeniable support for literature to be a core subject for schools through to GCSE level in Wales, we want to consider whether it is possible – or indeed desirable – to combine the study of language and literature.
We’ve studied this and found that it is a common approach in other countries – for example in New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland and New South Wales in Australia – to combine language and literature in qualifications taken at 16 and post-16 into single qualifications.
By doing so it has been found that it strengthens their reading ability, leading to these countries returning strong performances in PISA international reading assessments compared with learners in Wales.
PISA is the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) programme for International Student Assessment.
PISA measures 15-year-olds’ ability to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges.
We want to hear what teachers and the public think of these proposals, which is why we’re asking for everyone to have your say through our Qualified For The Future consultation.
■ The Qualified For The Future consultation is open until April 9 and includes proposals for GCSEs in maths, humanities, expressive arts, science and technology, and health and wellbeing as well as language, literature and communications. The consultation document and details of how to respond can be found on the Qualifications Wales website – Qualifications Wales / Qualified for the future – have your say
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