No, The Kid’s Aren’t Alright…

Bafta-nominated Adam Deacon, 28, star of Kidulthood, was due to give a talk at Woodbridge High School in Redbridge.

Deacon grew up on a Hackney council estate and is seen as a role model after becoming an acclaimed writer, director, actor and rapper.

Perfect! Just what the kiddiewinks need as a role model, eh? You can keep your bank managers, your scientists, your front-line firefighters/nurses/policemen. What sort of role model are they?

No, it’s got to be someone who’s achieved fame…

He said: "I got a call from my manager saying the headteacher had seen the type of films that I make and cancelled without doing any research into what I'm about.

"Anyone who knows anything about me will know that I've only ever been about positivity and motivating the youth. I do school talks on a monthly basis all around London. We've only ever had a good feedback from the students and the teachers."

So, how did the pupils take this?

Angry pupils used the BlackBerry Messenger service and Twitter to claim a protest was taking place.

You say ‘protest’, I say ‘riot’…

One pupil who identified herself as Zoe, 12, claimed she saw 50 children taking part outside the school. She said: "They were running around and getting into big groups. Someone from year six threw a brick and smashed a window and people were running around screaming and shouting."

Hard to tell it was anything other than a normal school day there, really…

The head went into damage-limitation mode:

Headteacher Andrew Beaumont denied any protests had taken place. He said: "Woodbridge High School can confirm that a visit by the actor Adam Deacon had been arranged by a member of staff at very short notice this week but unfortunately I had to cancel the visit.

"This was to ensure the correct checks and procedures were followed as is the case when any external speaker visits the school. As a result some pupils at the school were disappointed."

In the comments, we see just how that ‘disappointment’ manifests itself.

What these comments show (assuming they are from genuine pupils) is the massive entitlement and arrogance of today’s generation:

I think that people are being really unfair to the Woodbridge students ! People are tarnishing us with the same brush , not all of the students have been protesting . I dont think that its really the teachers fault . The teachers had no idea when and where the protests were going to happen and there was over a thousand students against under 15 teachers . All of the stories about bricks being thrown through windows are lies ! Our head-teacher has a reason to deny the protests because there are too many stories to believe ! Although , i do think that the students of Woodbridge are doing it because the opportunity is there. Its not really for other people to comment about since they obviously dont know what happened .

- Woodbridge Student, London, 19/01/2012 20:58

*gets popcorn*

The actions carried out by the school were totally unfair and unjust, yes I do agree maybe some aspect of his films do play negativity but HELLO he's an actor, Woodbridge should of done previous research of the charity work he does and the speeches he does on a monthly basis! Poor planning by Woodbridge not a surprise... I can confirm that there WERE disturbances by outraged pupils and these were shown by the bricks thrown in windows, fire alarms going off and the teachers getting trampled! I do feel for Adam as now he will be p***** as ever but the fact that there was a buzz around school that Adam was coming and that's all what I could hear from every corridor. It was really exciting for students, given that we have exams and all. But the problem is that there is poor communication within Woodbridge, the lack of communication disappoints many of us sixth formers. Adam will never come to Woodbridge and nor will any external speaker. The only external visitor that we will get is Ofsted.

- Woodbridge sixth form student, London, 19/01/2012 17:53

And what a tough job they are going to have to avoid putting this school in special measures...

Mr Andrew Beaumont, Head teacher at Wood bridge high school canceled the appearance from Adam Deacon due to thinking he was a BAD role model because of the films he has been in and produced. Well I myself think he is a brilliant role model. Our school has been rioting for two days now. Mr Beaumont lies about there has not been riot and protesting because there has and there are many pictures and videos on internet site such as; Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry Messenger. He also lied about not locking the pupils in their form rooms which he did. When the fire alarm went off, he did not let the children out of the building,he made us all stay in our form rooms, the school could of been burning down for all he cared.

- Woodbridge Rioter, Woodford, 19/01/2012 17:50

I’m not going to do the (sic) thing, because, frankly, it’s too much effort when the commenters are this ill-educated. Luckily, it isn’t all in txt-speak…

I was there and can confirm that Andrew Beaumont's statement is completely false. Mass protest and anarchy gripped the school and forced all lessons to be cancelled and the students to be held in their form rooms until the end of the school day. Mr Beaumont's dealing of the situation was completely insufficient and his cancellation of Adam Deacon's visit unjust and misinformed.

- Woodbidge Rioter, Woodford, 19/01/2012 15:06

A day without any lessons! Think how that could harm their futures…

/sarc

Luckily, there are saner heads on this thread:

These protests are absolutely ridiculous. Obviously there was a poor communication from the staff to the students about Adam Deacons appearance, but the reaction from the students is preposterous.

The students are no longer rioting about Adam Deacon, but the fact that they now can, and will push it to see how far they can go.

Most of these students caught up in the protests obviously have no understanding of the importance of there education, and no care for it. They would quite happily quit school now and enter a life of endless benefits.

- Woodbridge Sixth Form Student, Woodford, 19/01/2012 19:24

Yes, no doubt that’s all they can hope for. I mean, would you offer any of these monstrously entitled slobs a job?

They were running around and getting into big groups. Someone from year six threw a brick and smashed a window and people were running around screaming and shouting."

Well people do wonder what has happened to Redbridge, once a massive jewish area, very clean and well behaved kids, now gone, and down the pan like the rest of East London!

- Ed, London, 19/01/2012 11:08

How very true. And it throws new light on those youth unemployment figures, doesn’t it?