AWARD-WINNING Black Watch playwright Gregory Burke has broken his silence over the banning of his work at a Highland school saying he admires the pupils fighting against the censorship of the acclaimed Iraq War drama.

 

Jane Esson, head teacher at Webster's High School in Kirriemuir, Angus, sparked controversy when she withdrew Burke's SQA-approved play from the higher curriculum because it contains offensive language and adult themes.

Now Burke, who wrote the play which features true stories of Scottish Black Watch soldiers in Iraq, has backed pupils, parents, politicians and a host of influential writers such as Ian Rankin and Louise Welsh calling on Esson to lift the ban.

He has signed an online petition launched by past and present pupils, which now has over 600 signatures, and retweeted the link, encouraging supporters to "end the ban on Black Watch".

The Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), a trade union for professional writers, of which Burke is a member, also backed writers' association Scottish PEN, which wrote an open letter in the Sunday Herald appealing to the head teacher to reverse her controversial decision.

Burke told the Sunday Herald: "I did add my name to the petition and I would like to thank Scottish PEN and the authors who have spoken out in support of Black Watch.

"I am also full of admiration for the determination the students have shown to study the play, despite the obstacles which are being put in their way. Hopefully, a resolution to the impasse can be found."

The WGGB said it was "more important than ever for our educators to highlight the fundamental importance of free speech and expression to a healthy society. But it is hard to set a credible example if the school itself feels the need to prevent its students from studying a piece approved by the SQA due to concerns about its content."

WGGB General Secretary Bernie Corbett added: "Education is not about being mollycoddled, it is about being exposed to facts, ideas and influences, however uncomfortable. This is the only way human minds can develop and evolve. Censorship in schools would be another battle lost in the perilous war against a new dark age."

The former Webster's High pupil behind the petition, Gary Duncan, 21, who is now a BA student at leading drama school Italia Conti in London, said he was appalled by Esson's decision because being allowed to study it back in 2011 changed his life.

He said: "When I first heard about it I was outraged. I just couldn't believe that there was someone censoring what the kids are learning.

"It just baffles me because I studied this play when I was at school and it is my favourite to this day, it changed my life.

"There is strong language and sexual references but it is real life based on true stories, it really touched me, it was so raw and emotional, which is exactly why it angers me that they've banned pupils from studying the text. It is not like it has traumatised me, if anything it has affected who I am as a person in a very positive way."

Duncan said he set up the online petition up on behalf of the pupils because they feared being singled out if their names were on the website.

Since the launch a week ago, support has been flooding in from professional actors including Game of Thrones' Daniel Portman, River City's Jordan Young and Paul James Corrigan, playwrights Zinnie Harris and Stef Smith, directors including Dundee Rep's Jemima Levick, former cast members of the play, current and former soldiers and their families, stage managers, theatre companies, acting students, teachers, and current and former pupils of Webster's.

Duncan added: "The response to the petition has been overwhelming and I am going to keep going with this because I don't want her to think that she has won.

"I think she fears that if she backs down now she will be seen as weak, but it's a bigger weakness not to admit when you are wrong. We would all respect her more if she just admits to making a bad call and back down because this isn't going to go away."

The Sunday Herald contacted Angus Council regarding the petition and Burke's comments, but a spokeswoman said the council did not wish to comment further.

Esson would not comment further on the petition, and reiterated: "The school is aware that a pupil petition has been circulated."

She attended a parent council on Tuesday to explain her actions but refused to take parents views on board and change her mind. She explained that the "explicit text and constant use of the 'c' swear word was too damaging for the pupils in a classroom setting".

One parent said: "Our comments were all knocked back and she wasn't prepared to listen to reason. She said at the end of the day, she was the head teacher and had the final say - end of story. We were left very deflated."

Despite being banned from the curriculum Esson told parents that pupils were free to take the play home for personal study and "any pupils can use it as a text for Advanced Higher if they chose to study drama at that level".