Friday, 06 Dec 2013

A reflection on my experiences in P6  by Heather

Reflecting on my own experiences I realised that I can pin point exactly when the relationship between Protestants and Catholics became about difference and that sectarianism is a bad thing.

My best friends and I went to different schools so on entering Primary 1 and the exciting world of education we did so with a wee bit of trepidation because our best buds would not be there to hold hands or provide support. This must have been explained in an easily understood way because it seemed irrelevant.  We did other things that were different too like the churches we went to or the football teams we supported but I supported a different team from all of my friends anyway. We were the best of pals and these differences just gave us things to talk about and new friends to play with.  I had friends at school and outside school some were the same and some were different. 

In Primary 6, as a member of the school netball team we regularly played different schools in the area. We were used to visiting other schools and other schools coming to us.  Being in the netball team was a big deal because P6s don’t get on the team there was only a few of us in the squad.  One day when our playground was being resurfaced we had to use another local school for netball practice.  This was exciting as this was the school my friends went to and in particular my best friend.  I was excited about playing netball at their school.

We had the final preparatory chat that accompanies any trip out of school we were ambassadors for our school, good conduct on and off the court, thank our host for allowing us to play there etc. We walk to the school, only a matter of minutes away. Enter the school. Go and get changed and get out in the netball court to play our favourite game.  As we reach the end of practice I see my best friend standing at her class room window. She waved to me and I enthusiastically wave back.  I remember this so clearly. I have a strong image of her at the window.  I remember a huge beaming smile too because what happened next wiped the smile clean from my face.  My full name, Christian and surname, was being shouted from across the court in the dulcet tones of our coach.  I was removed from the court and told to sit at the side-line, in fact no, go and get changed NOW!  I did so…confused. 

I was not spoken to that day, but remember being marched back to school in a confused silence.  The next day to my horror I was called to the "heedies" office to discuss my gesturing to a pupil of another school.  EH? What? Gesture? What’s a gesture? What gesture did I do? When? Oh, when I waved to my friend. 

I was suspended from netball for 2 weeks because I waved to my friend.  My gesture was inappropriate and disruptive and then other words that I don’t remember but I know that I did not understand what was described to me  as a sectarian act.  In my wee P6 brain I could not understand it. I waved to my friend; my best friend. Why was I not allowed to play netball? What is sectarian? 

The explanation of sectarianism fell to my parents.  Their description went along the lines of some people are not nice or friendly to people of different religions or who go to different schools.  I could not relate and still cannot relate my behaviour on that today to the explanation or punishment that I was given. 

My parents and I also discussed how I and we would deal with it.  I know my parents contacted the school but I do not recollect the outcome.

I chose not to play netball for my school again, in my own act of defiance against the institution that labelled me as someone who would not like someone who simply went to a different school.

That is the day that sectarianism became real to me. I was 10 years old and in Primary 6.