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From Socialist Worker, No. 109, 15 February 1969, p. 3.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
A SPECTRE is haunting Ilford.
On Friday morning and evening a group of revolutionary socialists gave out leaflets at local grammar schools, much to the consternation of teachers and headmasters.
Such is the power of the revolutionary printed word that within minutes squad cars were zooming round to Beal Grammar to rid the area of the ‘red peril’.
In the course of their duty, police officers learnt not only the names of the ‘offenders’ but that there had been a police strike and demonstration in 1919. Why not emulate their brave forefathers? they were asked.
Police officers were seen to leave the scene of the crime with furrowed brows and vague promises to visit the history section of their local library.
Meanwhile, at Wanstead Grammar School, a pale-faced teacher, alarmed by the way in which his pupils were clamouring, fighting and queueing up for revolutionary literature, asked the ‘conspirators’ if they had permission from the headmaster to distribute leaflets.
When the revolutionaries replied in the negative and thrust dozens of leaflets about Ireland and LSE into his trembling hand, he accelerated immediately into top gear and disappeared down the high road.
But that’s not the end. The virus of socialism was spreading.
At Ilford County High, International Socialists were actually greeted at the gates of the school by the headmaster himself, who paternally asked them who they were.
He retreated, shocked and stunned, when the ‘red perils’ asked him who HE was and accused him of trying to opt out of his duties as headmaster, since it was five past nine.
The revolutionaries retired to their secret dug-out, well satisfied. After all, we’ve put up with capitalist education for three centuries and just look at what one day of OUR education does.
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Last updated on 30 October 2020