According to the BBC and a few members of the bloggerati a story based on the Three Little Pigs has been turned down from a government agency's annual awards because the subject matter could offend Muslims.
The digital book, the ‘Three little cowboy builders’ re-telling the classic fairy tale, was rejected by judges from Becta (the governments educational technology agency) who warned that they had "concerns about the Asian community and the use of pigs raises cultural issues".
Apparently the judges also warned that the story might "alienate parts of the workforce (building trade)".
"Is it true” the judges said, “that all builders are cowboys, builders get their work blown down, and builders are like pigs?"
The CD-Rom digital version is aimed at primary school children.
The publishers Shoo Fly Publishing describe the story / product as ‘A unique virtual POP-UP book with animation and narration. There is a lesson or two to be learnt in this darkly humorous version of The Three Little Pigs... go to school make the grade, take advice and learn a trade, or...?’
It could be worse though.
At least the story doesn’t appear to have an interactive element which would allow the children to choose names for the on-screen characters.
One can only imagine the offence caused to builders everywhere if the pigs were to be named Fred, Harry and Bill.
1 comment:
They'll huff and they'll puff and they'll blow down any imaginative ways of encouraging children to read, of helping children to become literate, of rearing young men and women who can think for themselves.
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