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Friday, Nov 27 2009 This
Afternoon  11°C   This
Evening 6°C   5-Day Forecast

Accused of being racist, the nine-year-old boy who aimed his fingers at a
Polish pal and said: 'Let's shoot Germans'

By Andrew Levy
Last updated at 1:25 AM on 24th September
2009

Comments (361)

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My Stories

Ker-pow: The gesture that landed Steven Cheek in trouble -
and saw him branded a racist by his head-teacher

Excited by stories of the Second World War during school classes, Steven
Cheek did what generations of young boys have done before him.

Making an imaginary gun with his fingers, the nine-year-old pointed it at a
classmate and said: 'We've got to shoot the German army.'

Moments later he found himself in front of the deputy head, who accused him
of racism because his 'victim' had been a Polish boy.

He was made to stand in front of the class and make an apology while his
mother, Jane Hennessey, was called in by the head of Purford Green Junior School
in Harlow, Essex.

She was informed that a permanent record of her son's misconduct would be
placed on file.

Miss Hennessey yesterday accused the school of overreacting. 'Steven has
always wanted to join the Army when he grows up,' she said. 'That's his burning
ambition and he loved learning about the war in class.

'In the week leading up to what happened, the school had been telling the
children about the history of the war and he had come home every night talking
about it.

'He's not a racist. He's only nine years old and he didn't single out the
Polish boy, who is one of his good friends. This just happened to be who he was
playing with. The deputy head shouted at Steven and said, "That's racism", which
is ridiculous because Steven has a Polish aunt and they were on our side during
the war.

'He didn't understand what he had done wrong. He was just playing a game like
kids always do. He came home after being told off and said, "Mum, what's
racism?" The school has overreacted and been very heavy-handed. They could have
quietly told him off instead of turning it into a big issue.'

Miss Hennessey, 37, who lives in Harlow with Steven's father Darren Cheek,
39, an electrician, said her son got carried away during a class where the war
was being discussed. He had never been in trouble before and had been bullied by
other pupils since having to make the public apology.

'Over-reaction': Steven with his mother Jane
Hennessey

'My main concern is that this will stay on his record and count against him
when he goes to secondary school.' Miss Hennessey added: 'Other teachers have
told me that they think he has been harshly treated. Everything was blown
completely out of proportion.

'This young Polish child had only started at the school in September and I
thought he and Steven got along well.

'He speaks perfect English. I don't think Steven even really knew or
understood he was Polish and from another country. Children don't see
differences between people like adults do.'

Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education pressure group, accused the
school of 'absurd political correctness'.

He said: 'It's a shame that teachers these days all too often fail to crack
down on real problems like bullying but overreact to a child with a healthy
imagination. Boys will be boys and what the teacher should have done was ask
Steven not to play in the classroom, instead of sending him to the deputy head
who then humiliated him in front of his class.'

'Heavy-handed': Steven's parents have accused his school
of blowing the incident out of proportion

The school, which has around 175 boys and girls aged between four and 11 and
was rated 'good' in its last Ofsted report, yesterday claimed Steven's class had
been learning about space, not the war, when he was reprimanded and denied he
had been accused of racism.

Headmistress Viv Perri said: 'When a pupil uses inappropriate language or
terms that could be offensive, we have a responsibility to explain to them why
their behaviour is wrong.

'We want to give all our pupils the best possible start in life which can
mean educating them about knowing right from wrong.

'The incident in question involved a short conversation with a pupil to
explain the inappropriateness of his comments and then a meeting with the parent
to explain the context.'

It was the Germans' invasion of Poland in 1939 which led Britain and its Allies to declare war
and Russia to take control of the east of the country after
signing a pact with the Nazis.

More than 3million Poles died during the Second World War - around 17 per
cent of the population.

During the war, the Nazi government set up seven extermination camps in
Poland, the most infamous being Auschwitz-Birkenau where up to 3million died,
mainly Jews.

Poland became a Communist state after 1945 under the control of the USSR and
did not embrace democracy until 1989.

Explore more:

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Comments (361)

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not debate this issue live on
our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

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The kid's only nine! I was doing exactly the same thing at
his age back in 1968 and I grew up without a shred of enmity towards the
Germans. Is the Headteacher trying to force children to be perfect? Somehow I
don't think it'll work.

- Richard, Chatham, Kent, 28/9/2009 20:56

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Rating   7

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abuse

(James, London) nailed the facts. Apparently the adult
administrators and teacher do not know or have "conveniently" forgotten WII.
Further, the adults here are in fact "guilty" of political incorrectness by
"noticing" the ethnicity of the other child and then browbeating both children
with their flawed adult judgement when neither child was even aware that either
of them was "different" from the other in any way. Thus we are carefully taught
to hate.

The Headmistress' self-serving response is a prevaricating
disservice to all; but what does one expect from spineless bureaucrats with a
dog in the fight? The adult school leaders are the ones who have shown
themselves to be racist by injecting race into a situation where none existed.

We suffer the same stupid PC malaise here in America. Cultural
sensitivity is good but truth is best. PC is too often used inappropriately.
Common sense is the cure. Spine is the rod to deliver it. Pitchforks to the
school gates! Fight on cousins!

- Pubman, L.A., USA, 27/9/2009 21:56

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rate

Rating   4

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abuse

I'm waiting for a bunch of British kids, a mixture of
Muslims, white native Britons, Poles, etc., to get together and DELIBERATELY
tease the politically correct school marms by calling each other "racist" terms
(and not really meaning them because it is a put-on)! If every kid in a school
pulled this stunt, then they could see if they would have to ALL stand on the
stage and apologize for PLAYING A GAME on the teachers.

Ridicule and
illustrating absurdity by being absurd can be an effective fight back against
this kind of idiot tyranny.

- Roger Knight, Seattle, USA, 25/9/2009 03:46

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rate

Rating   15

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abuse

its a absolute joke it was just a innocent joke made by a
little kid for gods sake

- ash, crowborough uk, 24/9/2009 23:38

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rate

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How did that headmistress get her job with so little
understanding of childrens behaviour. Harsh I know but she should be
dismissed.

- Stanley Hodges, Southam. Warwickshire, 24/9/2009
19:00

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rate

Rating   20

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abuse

Hang on a minute, he said <Quote> "We've got to
shoot the German army.' " <Unquote> ...Now surely any one of polish origin
would say 'horrah!' ....giving it was the German army that invaded poland, and
it was we the British went to war with the Germany, in defence of Poland and the
free world.
Lets not forget how many British men died fighting in that war,
and now this bright boy says exactly what boys have been saying for the last 50
yrs! .

This maddness conduct by the school is yet another example of
political correctness gone mad. Let boys be boys, ..no harm done.

- James, London, 24/9/2009 18:52

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Rating   22

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