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Teaching Tagging in School?, by Daniel Silk on Feb 21, 2008 12:57:59 GMT 1, www.stuff.co.nz/northland/4408465a22379.html
School denies lesson promotes tagging
The Bay Chronicle | Thursday, 21 February 2008
Kerikeri High School’s art department is in the firing line after a student went home saying she had learned how to write her name ‘in graffiti’ during art class at school.
Alexander Gramse says he was shocked to hear this about his daughter’s first day at Kerikeri High School and he complained to the school.
"We find teaching and encouraging 11-year-old children how to write graffiti completely unacceptable and inappropriate," he says.
The school says the lesson was for students to design a stylised name tag.
Deputy principal Mike Clent said the art teacher mentioned ‘tagging’ as an art genre and this was legitimate: "I accept that graffiti is an acceptable art genre, albeit not to everyone’s taste," he says in a letter to Mr Gramse.
He acknowledged Mr Gramse’s concerns and said he appreciated his point of view.
"As a school we deplore the mindless vandalism and damage inflicted by taggers. Indeed we are too often the victims of it ourselves during weekends and dark nights. We neither condone nor accept it and do everything in our power to prevent it.
"I have worked closely with the Kerikeri police over the last few years to identify tags and their taggers and I certainly do not want to see our students encouraged to be vandals. I can assure you that tagging is not taught and is not acceptable at Kerikeri High School."
Principal Elizabeth Forgie says the intention of the art class was to make the children feel comfortable and express themselves – it was not about the meaning of art.
Mr Gramse says he believes that Kerikeri High School is, overall, an excellent school.
"But they just have got this one very wrong. We fail to understand that the school does not see the connection between teaching the tools for a crime like tagging, and the scourge graffiti has become for the community."
Graffiti is recognised as an art form in the art world though graffiti artists try to distance themselves from street taggers who, they claim, are debasing their art form through vandalism and gang culture.
One work by acclaimed British exponent Banksy, sprayed on a wall in London’s Portobello Rd, sold for £200,000 in an online auction on eBay, after 69 bids.
Graffiti derives from the Greek graphein – to write. Graffiti (s. graffito), meaning a drawing or scribbling on a flat surface, originally referred to marks found on ancient Roman
www.stuff.co.nz/northland/4408465a22379.htmlSchool denies lesson promotes tagging The Bay Chronicle | Thursday, 21 February 2008 Kerikeri High School’s art department is in the firing line after a student went home saying she had learned how to write her name ‘in graffiti’ during art class at school. Alexander Gramse says he was shocked to hear this about his daughter’s first day at Kerikeri High School and he complained to the school. "We find teaching and encouraging 11-year-old children how to write graffiti completely unacceptable and inappropriate," he says. The school says the lesson was for students to design a stylised name tag. Deputy principal Mike Clent said the art teacher mentioned ‘tagging’ as an art genre and this was legitimate: "I accept that graffiti is an acceptable art genre, albeit not to everyone’s taste," he says in a letter to Mr Gramse. He acknowledged Mr Gramse’s concerns and said he appreciated his point of view. "As a school we deplore the mindless vandalism and damage inflicted by taggers. Indeed we are too often the victims of it ourselves during weekends and dark nights. We neither condone nor accept it and do everything in our power to prevent it. "I have worked closely with the Kerikeri police over the last few years to identify tags and their taggers and I certainly do not want to see our students encouraged to be vandals. I can assure you that tagging is not taught and is not acceptable at Kerikeri High School." Principal Elizabeth Forgie says the intention of the art class was to make the children feel comfortable and express themselves – it was not about the meaning of art. Mr Gramse says he believes that Kerikeri High School is, overall, an excellent school. "But they just have got this one very wrong. We fail to understand that the school does not see the connection between teaching the tools for a crime like tagging, and the scourge graffiti has become for the community." Graffiti is recognised as an art form in the art world though graffiti artists try to distance themselves from street taggers who, they claim, are debasing their art form through vandalism and gang culture. One work by acclaimed British exponent Banksy, sprayed on a wall in London’s Portobello Rd, sold for £200,000 in an online auction on eBay, after 69 bids. Graffiti derives from the Greek graphein – to write. Graffiti (s. graffito), meaning a drawing or scribbling on a flat surface, originally referred to marks found on ancient Roman
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marshman
New Member
Posts • 389
Likes • 12
November 2006
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Teaching Tagging in School?, by marshman on Feb 21, 2008 14:08:09 GMT 1, Interesting.
I have a teacher friend in a comprehensive in Kent who as part of a school project got the kids to tag the furniture and the walls of her classroom which was really tatty with lots of rubbish writing on the walls.
Obvisiouly the head had a few issues with the principle of the idea on a similar basis to this article, but since the work has been done all the people who use the room have so much more respect for the space and there is hardly any "rubbish" tagged on the walls anymore. Will see if I can get some pictures.
Interesting.
I have a teacher friend in a comprehensive in Kent who as part of a school project got the kids to tag the furniture and the walls of her classroom which was really tatty with lots of rubbish writing on the walls.
Obvisiouly the head had a few issues with the principle of the idea on a similar basis to this article, but since the work has been done all the people who use the room have so much more respect for the space and there is hardly any "rubbish" tagged on the walls anymore. Will see if I can get some pictures.
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alcat82
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Posts • 76
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April 2007
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Teaching Tagging in School?, by alcat82 on Feb 21, 2008 14:18:46 GMT 1, We had a fairly young art teacher who for a term got us to look into grafitti art and make up our own tags. Everyone thought he was 'cool' but the other art teachers certainly didnt and he left after a couple of years. Personally i found it a really interesting exercise but it didn't make me want to go out and start scrawling all over the place.
We had a fairly young art teacher who for a term got us to look into grafitti art and make up our own tags. Everyone thought he was 'cool' but the other art teachers certainly didnt and he left after a couple of years. Personally i found it a really interesting exercise but it didn't make me want to go out and start scrawling all over the place.
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marshman
New Member
Posts • 389
Likes • 12
November 2006
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Teaching Tagging in School?, by marshman on Feb 21, 2008 14:38:09 GMT 1, I think you are right, for some people they are going to graf and this won't stop or start them, for others who might fancy it this could be a good release.
I am toying with getting my friend's pupils to tag the side of my huge transit (its the one that Goldie put the rude words on as part of his exhibition and Leonard St), but having had a word in my shell from Mr Plod about the C word on it from Goldies' efforts I am not sure if it would attract the wrong kind of attention!
I think you are right, for some people they are going to graf and this won't stop or start them, for others who might fancy it this could be a good release.
I am toying with getting my friend's pupils to tag the side of my huge transit (its the one that Goldie put the rude words on as part of his exhibition and Leonard St), but having had a word in my shell from Mr Plod about the C word on it from Goldies' efforts I am not sure if it would attract the wrong kind of attention!
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flypitcher
New Member
Posts • 189
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January 2008
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Teaching Tagging in School?, by flypitcher on Feb 21, 2008 22:01:45 GMT 1, Teach CHESS.
Teach CHESS.
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Teaching Tagging in School?, by daley on Feb 22, 2008 12:15:28 GMT 1, When I was younger my local pub encouraged people to write on the walls. 'A pint o cider and a black n red marker please'. ;D
When I was younger my local pub encouraged people to write on the walls. 'A pint o cider and a black n red marker please'. ;D
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