D. C. Riddy

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D. C. Riddy
CBE
Born(1907-09-10)10 September 1907
Bedford, England
Died20 November 1979(1979-11-20) (aged 72)
Resting placeBedford, England
NationalityBritish
EducationBedford Modern School
Alma materSt Catharine's College, Cambridge
Occupation(s)Linguist, educationalist
SpouseConstance White (m.1933)

Donald Charles Riddy CBE (10 September 1907 – 20 November 1979) was a British linguist and educationalist.[1] After the Second World War, he was the British Controller-General of the Education Branch, Control Commission for German - British Element, tasked with assisting the de-nazification of Germany through a process of re-education.[2][3][4][5] He was later co-ordinator of the Council of Europe Modern Languages Programme[6] and, for most of his career, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Modern Languages in Schools.[7][8] He was described as a man of ‘wide administrative experience and enormous energy, for whom material difficulties were a challenge which he met with enthusiasm’.[9]

Early life[edit]

Riddy was born in Bedford on 10 September 1907, the son of Arthur John Riddy, a baker and corn dealer, and his wife Alice Jane Riddy.[10] He was educated at Bedford Modern School,[7][11] where he was a member of the cricket team,[12] and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he played rugby in the First XV.[13]

Career[edit]

Riddy was an assistant master at Felsted School between 1930 and 1940.[14] In 1934, he was responsible for rugby and carried out a revision of the Forties; Second Forty became the Cromwell Club.[citation needed] He left Felsted School to become an inspector of schools.

Riddy was the British Controller-General of the Education Branch, Control Commission for German - British Element, after the Second World War.[3][4] One of his tasks was to counter twelve years of Nazi indoctrination through a process of re-education.[2][15] The aim was to eliminate Nazi and militaristic tendencies and to encourage the development of democratic ideas.[16] Notwithstanding the stringency of the aim, Riddy's method and approach was to stress the importance of showing the German people the "benevolent attitude of the occupying power and encouraging a belief in Germany's future".[17]

After his role in Germany, Riddy was made overall co-ordinator of the Council of Europe Modern Languages Programme[6][18] and, for most of his career, was Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Modern Languages in Schools.[7] He was Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Essex between 1969 and 1970.[19]

Riddy was made CBE in 1946.[3]

Family life[edit]

In 1933, Riddy married Constance White in Bedford.[10] He died in Bedford on 20 November 1979 and was survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.[20] He was described as a man of "wide administrative experience and enormous energy, for whom material difficulties were a challenge which he met with enthusiasm".[9]

Selected works[edit]

  • What Should America Do Now In Bizonia? Reel to reel tape, 1955[21]
  • Recent Developments in Modern Language Teaching. Strasbourg, 1964[22]
  • Développements récents dans le domaine de l'enseignement des langues vivantes : 1. Résolutions adoptées par les 2e et 3e Conférences des ministres européens de l'éducation. 2. Compte rendu de trois stages du Conseil de l'Europe, présenté par D. C. Riddy. Strasbourg, 1964[23]
  • Modern Languages And The World Of Today. Published by AIDELA, Strasbourg, 1967[24]
  • Les Langues vivante et le monde moderne. AIDELA, Strasbourg, 1968[25]
  • The initial training of teachers of modern foreign languages in colleges and departments of education : report of a survey ; carried out between Jan. 1970 and March 1971 / Part 2, Courses for graduates at colleges and departments of education. 1974[26]
  • The Work Of The Council of Europe In The Field of Modern Languages. Strasbourg, 1972[27]
  • The initial training of teachers of modern foreign languages in colleges and departments of education; report of a survey. Colchester, 1974[28]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Bance, Alan (1997). The Cultural Legacy of the British Occupation in Germany. Verlag H.-D. Heinz, Akademischer Verlag Stuttgart. ISBN 9783880993556. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b Tent, James F. (1982). Mission on the Rhine. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226793580. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b c SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 13 JUNE, 1946, Issue 37598, p. 2785
  4. ^ a b Phillips, David (26 June 2015). Investigating Education in Germany. Routledge. ISBN 9781317524380. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  5. ^ Hearnden, Arthur (1978). The British in Germany. Hamilton. ISBN 9780241896372. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  6. ^ a b COUNCIL OF EUROPE, CONSEIL DE L' EUROPE, Symposium on INTENSIVE COURSES FOR MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS, York, 13 - 19 December 1971
  7. ^ a b c The Harpur Trust, 1552-1973. OCLC 903515.
  8. ^ Umstattd, James Greenleaf (1956). "Secondary Education in Europe". Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ a b Capen, Samuel Paul; Mann, Charles Riborg; Zook, George Frederick (1948). "The Educational Record". Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b "Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records at Ancestry.co.uk". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  11. ^ Bedford Modern School of the black & red. OCLC 16558393.
  12. ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  13. ^ "Janus: Photographs, prints and engravings". cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  14. ^ Phillips, David (28 June 2018). Educating the Germans: People and Policy in the British Zone of Germany, 1945–1949. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781472511539 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ Phillips, David (26 June 2015). Investigating Education in Germany. Routledge. ISBN 9781317524380. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
    - Tscharntke, Denise (2003). Re-Educating German Women. P. Lang. ISBN 9780820464800. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  16. ^ Pronay, Nicholas; Wilson, Keith Malcolm (1985). The Political re-education of Germany & her allies after World War II. ISBN 9780709920915. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  17. ^ Conditions of Surrender. 1997. ISBN 9781860641008. Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books.
  18. ^ Haigh, Anthony (1970). A Ministry of Education for Europe. ISBN 9780245503184. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  19. ^ "The Incorporated Linguist". 1976. Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ Death notice in The Times, 22 November 1979.
  21. ^ What should America do now in Bi-Zonia? : discussion. OCLC 10110393.
  22. ^ Recent developments in modern language teaching. OCLC 186136072.
  23. ^ Développements récents dans le domaine de l'enseignement des langues vivantes : 1. Résolutions adoptées par les 2e et 3e Conférences des ministres européens de l'éducation. 2. Compte rendu de trois stages du Conseil de l'Europe, présenté par D. C. Riddy. OCLC 460041098.
  24. ^ Modern languages and the world of to-day. OCLC 41623.
    - Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Council of Europe. 22 February 2001. ISBN 9780521005319. Retrieved 18 July 2015 – via Google Books.
  25. ^ Les Langues vivantes et le monde moderne. OCLC 10495115.
  26. ^ The initial training of teachers of modern foreign languages in colleges and departments of education : report of a survey ; carried out between Jan. 1970 and March 1971 / Part 2, Courses for graduates at colleges and departments of education. OCLC 896123732.
  27. ^ Michael Byram, Prof; Parmenter, Lynne (6 June 2012). The Common European Framework of Reference. Multilingual Matters. ISBN 9781847697325. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  28. ^ The initial training of teachers of modern foreign languages in colleges and departments of education; report of a survey ... OCLC 47026598.
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