英著名私立學校音樂教師欲教學生朝鮮歌曲
朝鮮歷來是西方國家的“眼中釘”，但英國有這麼一位就職於著名學校的音樂老師不僅不敵視朝鮮，反而欲在自己的課程內容中加入朝鮮音樂的部分。
英國著名私立學校達利奇學院的音樂老師萊斯莉•拉庫（Lesley Larkum）同時是一名共產主義者，還曾在共產主義集會上發表講話。
現年49歲的拉庫是英國馬列主義共產黨成員，曾經到訪朝鮮，是朝鮮前領導人金正日的支持者。她此前領導過一個名爲“天鵝絨的拳頭”（Velvet Fist）的女性社會主義合唱團，該合唱團曾在一次朝鮮建國紀念活動上演奏朝鮮國歌《愛國歌》。
“我在學校表演和教授阿根廷音樂。我打算擴大麴目，把朝鮮音樂涵蓋進去。其中有一些歌是政治性的，有一些不是。我想我的學生會喜歡它們。”拉庫說。
It is one of the country’s most exclusive public schools, where parents pay fees of up to £36,000 a year so that their sons can follow in the footsteps of old boys such as P. G. Wodehouse, Ernest Shackleton and Nigel Farage.
But pupils arriving at Dulwich College may be surprised to discover that a music teacher at this bastion of the Establishment is a card-carrying communist who hopes to teach her pupils the songs of North Korea.
Lesley Larkum, Head of Strings at the school founded in 1619, has visited North Korea – where millions have starved to death while the ruling dynasty lives in luxury and threatens the West with nuclear weapons – and has spoken at communist rallies in London.
The 49-year-old is a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) as well as being a cheerleader for Kim Jong Un’s reviled regime. Ms Larkum, who once led a women’s socialist choir called Velvet Fist, has even played the country’s national anthem, known as Aegukka or Patriotic Song, at events to celebrate the founding of North Korea by the ‘Great Leader’ Kim Il Sung in 1948.
Speaking for the first time about her remarkable double life, Ms Larkum told The Mail on Sunday that she hoped to educate her pupils about North Korea’s music – most of which champions communism and sings the praises of the country’s ruthless leaders.
Citizens risk imprisonment for tuning in to Western radio stations, and must instead listen to state- controlled numbers such as We Shall Hold Bayonets More Firmly, while marching songs on the country’s official website include Raise Your Weapons To Wave.
Ms Larkum said: ‘I have performed and taught Argentinian music here. I would love to expand that repertoire to include North Korean music. Some of it is political, some of it isn’t. I think my pupils would love it.
‘I don’t think the school would mind at all. I haven’t made a secret of my views – Dulwich College is all about broadening young minds and teaching them about other cultures, whatever their views. '
I don’t think my views are relevant to my day job. I’m Head of Strings, for goodness sake. But North Korean politics are fascinating.’
She says she has ‘sympathy’ with North Korea and disagrees with the West’s stance on the country, which was named as part of the Axis of Evil by former U S President George W. Bush.
Britain has an arms embargo against North Korea, as well as a ban on exporting luxury goods there, asset freezes on its financial institutions and travel bars on the regime’s key figures.
Ms Larkum said: ‘I certainly believe the West should leave North Korea alone. What have they ever done to us? I don’t think we should ever interfere with any other country.’
Ms Larkum, who lives in a £400,000 flat near the school in South-East London, is no typical communist.
Yesterday, as half-term began in the private sector, she flew out for a week’s holiday to enjoy a different sort of party – on the island of Ibiza.
Dulwich College did not respond to requests for comment.
