‘I can say Putin is an idiot — I have that freedom. In Russia that would be dangerous'
I n life, the teacher says to the tearful teenage crowd, 'you may face a crossroads'. The scene is like every summer graduation in schools across the world: a teacher in the baggy cardigan uniform of every popular young teacher, giving his final energy to a last bit of inspiration. 'Sometimes you will have to choose to do the right thing, and sometimes to express your love you will have to sacrifice everything.'
But there was something beyond ordinary about that day. No one knew that the teacher, Pasha Talankin, was talking to himself, facing his own crossroads, terrified of his own secret plan. Or, rather, talking to every one of us who wonder: what if an accident of history put me, little me, in a situation where I had a moral choice, where to do the right thing risked not just my comfort but my life? I know enough not to flatter myself.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The hidden symptoms that reveal whether YOU are one of the millions of adults with undiagnosed dyslexia - and the next steps you must take
Sue Kershaw, as one of 11 children, said that education in her family was never much of a priority. So when she found herself struggling to spell words and understand dense textbooks while at school in the 1960s, she was left to 'figure it out' alone. The now 73-year-old says: 'I smiled and winged it – but underneath I was frustrated and lacked confidence.'
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Sunderland construction academy finished ahead of September opening
A construction skills academy has been finished ahead of its opening later this year. The Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) at Riverside Sunderland will welcome future engineers and builders in Riverside site, a 47-acre park made up of five areas on both sides of the River Wear, is being built as part of Sunderland City Council's redevelopment of the City Council said the academy would "educate, train and upskill" students and would add to "the rich history" that the city had of people making things. The HICSA is one of several projects involved in Riverside Sunderland, including City Hall, The Beam, Keel Crossing and a new footbridge across the River Wear. Councillor Kevin Johnston said the work being finished marked an "exciting milestone in the development of Riverside Sunderland".He said the site would see "hundreds of young people every year study in this transforming part of the city"."The people of Sunderland have a rich history of making things and HICSA will further build on this proud heritage, providing our young people with the skills and knowledge required to make the sustainable, eco-friendly homes of tomorrow," he Partnership North East said the building was now due to have its internal fit-out completed and be formally handed over to Sunderland College. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Essex pupils to learn in a former train carriage
Students will be welcomed aboard a new classroom that used to be a train carriage in a former decommissioned carriage was moved to a playground at Upshire Primary Foundation School in Waltham Abbey, Essex, and was being were given a sneak peek at the revamp of the first-class section ahead of its official opening at the end of teacher Ross Jones, 44, said it was originally going to be turned into a library but was instead transformed into a classroom that could also be used as a community hub around lessons. The train carriage was donated to the school just before the pandemic and has undergone extensive chairs were ripped out to make it an open learning space, and a kitchen and toilet were also Jones said pupils were accustomed to learning outside, and he hoped to also turn the carriage into a quiet area for students during said students and staff are "absolutely desperate to get on there" and added: "It's taken quite a long time and a lot of dedicated hard work."It just looks amazing. One of the things for me was that it needs to still look like a train." A student from the school, Amy said: "It's really nice to have somewhere to learn in because it's a nice open said: "I feel very thankful to the people who did this. "I really like this train, and I think it was a good choice to get said: "I think it is really good because it is really different to our normal classrooms."The headteacher said he would not be able to give the exact amount the work cost, but he said the figure was around tens of thousands of pounds. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
