Something on a lighter note today. This is a song I wrote about my time as a teacher in a secondary school.
This is a song about Dylan
Not the folk singer of renown
This is a different Dylan
A boy from a Black Country town.
Dylan was a pupil
At Pool Hayes Community School
Dylan was the kind of kid
Who didn’t always follow the rules.
Oh Dylan, Sorry I have to say
When you’re at school you must follow the rules
Or you’ll be sent home today
Oh Dylan, Oh Dylan, Oh Dylan, Oh
Dylan’s attendance was excellent
He was very rarely away
He loved being at school with his mates
He loved to have fun and play
One day Dylan came to school
In a pair of blue suede shoes
The school rules said if your shoes weren’t black
Your entrance would be refused.
Oh Dylan, Sorry I have to say
Blue shoes are not acceptable
And you must go home today
Oh Dylan, Oh Dylan, Oh Dylan, Oh
But Dylan did not want to go home
He pleaded with me at the gate
He knew a way to solve the shoe problem
It wasn’t yet too late.
Please could he phone his Grandfather
With whom he shared a flat.
Then he was sure a solution
Could be found in seconds flat.
“Grandad, it’s Dylan
You know that pair of shoes
The ones in the bottom of the wardrobe
The ones that you don’t use?
Please Grandad Bring those shoes to school.
You know they will send me home
If I don’t follow the rules
Please Grandad, please grandad, please grandad, please.
So Dylan had to sit and wait
Til his Grandad came to school
With a pair of shoes acceptable
To the inflexible school rules.
It took Grandad quite a while
Cause he had to come on the bus
But he didn’t want Dylan
To be in trouble or causing fuss.
Oh Grandad, hurry on your way
If only I can wear your shoes
I can stay at school today
Oh Grandad, Oh grandad, Oh Grandad, Oh
Now Dylan had quite tiny feet
They suited him just fine
Whilst Grandad had much bigger feet
A generous size 9
So when Dylan put on Grandad’s shoes
He looked like CoCo the clown.
But Dylan didn’t give a stuff
He wasn’t feeling down
He knew it didn’t matter
If he looked like a fool
Now that his shoes were black
He was following school rules
Oh Dylan, I’m very pleased to say
Your black shoes now follow the rules
You can stay at school today
Oh Dylan, Oh Dylan, Oh Dylan, Oh
This is a song for the children
All the ones we have let down
We make them follow stupid rules
We make them look like clowns
Well look at the world we’re leaving them
Look at our legacy
We pretend that we know what we’re doing
Well, you could’ve fooled me.
Oh Dylan, please accept my apology
For making you wear those oversized shoes
You’re a better man than me.
Oh Dylan, it’s plain for all to see
You look really good in your blue suede shoes
You look much better than me.
Oh Dylan, Oh Dylan, Oh Dylan, Oh
andyjukes 
Yes, we have stupid rules. If we have rules we should know exactly why we have them and be able to explain them to anyone who wants to buck them. In the case of Dylan could they not have let him attend until he got black shoes that fit him? Could they not have a bunch of black shoes of different sizes in the office for borrowing for a day? If the administration was so stubborn on the black shoes could they not have made alternatives so the stupidity would not be compounded? All it takes is a little imagination and the will to exercise it.
“We don’t need no edu-kai-shun. We don’t need no thought con-trowel. No dark sar-cause-sum in the claus-room. Teacher leave them kids alone.” Having been a teacher myself I can see the need for rules but arbitrary? not so much.
LikeLike