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| Britain |
| School lessons in British values |
| 2006-05-16 |
| Compulsory classes on how "core British values" of democracy, freedom of speech, fairness and responsibility have developed down the centuries could be introduced into the national curriculum as part of a drive to better integrate Muslims into society. Existing citizenship classes in secondary schools would be expanded to trace the origins of those values through key events in Britain's social and cultural history, Bill Rammell, the higher education minister, said yesterday. He announced a six-month review on how to take the proposals forward in a speech to the South Bank University. Aides to Gordon Brown immediately suggested that the Chancellor should take credit for the ideas, as they merely built on themes he had floated in January. The way that the Treasury leapt on Mr Rammell's speech is proof that if the Chancellor enters No 10 Britishness would become a central theme of his premiership. Mr Brown, keen to reposition Labour as the party of patriotism, has suggested that British people should imitate the Americans and plant a union flag "in every garden". He also wants a "Britishness day" on which British ideas and values could be celebrated. Mr Rammell began work on how to promote mutual understanding last August as part of the Government's response to the July 7 London bombings. Yesterday he also announced a review on how to improve teaching of Islam in British universities. Both reviews were designed to improve understanding of differing beliefs within a multi-cultural society. If Muslims better understood the values underpinning British society, and non Muslim Britons realised that extremist ideas were not common among mainstream Muslims, mutual respect would be enhanced, he said. At present there are three strands to compulsory citizenship classes: social and moral responsibility, which encourages pupils to act in a morally responsible way; community involvement, encouraging them to become "helpfully involved" in life in their neighbourhoods; and political literacy, teaching about public life, government institutions and democracy. Mr Rammell said he wanted to consider a fourth strand to "embed the British values of freedom, fairness, civic responsibility and democracy into the teaching of our cultural and social history". This would mean tracing the emergence of those values through British history. John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, had mixed feelings about the plan. "We do need to encourage discussion of what constitutes British values," he said. "We do not want a government-imposed national curriculum on British values." Boris Johnson, the shadow higher education minister, said Mr Rammell was missing the point and should promote more lessons on the heroes of British history. "It is not a question of teaching British values, it is a question of teaching British history. There is nothing exclusive or divisive in pointing out the fantastic achievements of the British people." |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #9 This at least starts to go down the right track. The UK needs to get over the guilt of its impearlist past. British citizens are not proud of their past, nor proud of their church. They bend over backwards to be PC to their immigrant population. If they are not willing to defend their culture they will lose it. |
| Posted by: remoteman 2006-05-16 15:06 |
| #8 I'm talking about mein kampft, to avoid confusion, not the koran (he hasn't read it, and is pretty old and tired now, but he's very much aware of the muslim threat, though). |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-05-16 12:22 |
| #7 Yes, JFM, my grandfather was given a copy by his mother right before the war (he was about 20 at the time), and his mind was pretty clear about it, though he was in the armistice army (he was a professional soldier, chasseurs alpins/mountain troops), and didn't take arms until 1942 and the invasion of the french free zone. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-05-16 12:20 |
| #6 Hope this doesn't happen here, the ACLU will demand equal time for the study of Muzzie culture. Could be a good idea. While investigating the backgrounds from people who joined Free France or the resistance in june and July 1940 (ie ven before the tiny ray of hope given by Battle of Britain) I found that many of them had read Mein Kampf. So provided the teaching is not given by Muslims it would be a good idea to have people read the Coran and Muhammad's life. |
| Posted by: JFM 2006-05-16 10:37 |
| #5 If they'd just made the reading of Kipling compulsory... |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-05-16 08:41 |
| #4 Better if they start teaching such things in the primary grades. Given the dropout rate, those who most desperately need to be taught such things won't be there anymore. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-05-16 07:37 |
| #3 British culture. British history. Makes as much sense as Europe Day. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-05-16 07:26 |
| #2 Hope this doesn't happen here, the ACLU will demand equal time for the study of Muzzie culture. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-05-16 07:01 |
| #1 If you Brits want to maintain your culture, forget the training classes. Declare open season on all Muzzies. Round them up and ship them out. Better than polo. Better than fox hunts. |
| Posted by: SOP35/Rat 2006-05-16 01:28 |