The times are changing, but not in Dover!

By Paula James

THE stick-in-the-muds of the district are at it again.

Once more any suggestion of change is being met with shock and horror and dark mutterings about old ways being the best.

I am referring to the Archbishop of York's extremely sensible suggestion that a second look is taken at daily school assemblies and the mild remark that maybe, just maybe, children would benefit from better quality if less frequent worship.

Predictably a number of head teachers in and around the town have taken against the idea. Those of Sandwich secondary, the girls' grammar and St. Edmunds joined in a chorus of disapproval.

One exception was Neil Slater at the boys grammar who admitted his own daily assemblies were indeed not always acts of worship.

Blessed by so many schools so obstinately against change it is small wonder Dovorians educated in them grow up to set their faces implacably against hauling Dover into the 20th century let alone the 21st which is almost upon us.

I suspect if they had their way the front page of the Express would still be given over to small, for sale advertisements and the reporters would be using quill pens instead of word processors.

As for me - I'd have been run out of town or had my hands chopped off publicly in Market Square!