Chris is on holiday and has asked that I keep the blog fires burning.
I was disturbed to read on the BBC site that the idea of children in schools in England being taught "core Britishness values" has now been recommended.
Note: only in English schools. Not in Scottish schools. Not in Welsh schools.
The England Project has a link to the BBC story and John says:
The British state will try to educate everybody’s children in how wonderful Britishness is. Only in England of course because in the area of education Westminster effectively has no say over the whole of Britain. That aspect of Britishness will not be taught in English schools. They will teach this in the hope of scratching back some of the ground that they have lost with their policy failures. During this education they will discuss all kinds of things but what they cannot do is instil a sense of Britishness in pupils in isolation of British institutions. They will talk about democracy. They will talk about freedom. They will talk about the institutions that we have created to frame and help protect these concepts…..and they will, at all costs, try to avoid discussing those institutions within the devolution environment. Sure they will mention the various parliaments but they will not, because they cannot afford to, discuss the real world results of those institutions. You cannot have little schoolboys and schoolgirls in England told that they are treated differently from children in Scotland and Wales.
Very disturbing.
Read the full post here.
Has anybody else heard from their MPs regarding EDM 670? Fiona and I e-mailed our MP, James Paice, several days ago and have heard nothing. Having contated him on other matters in the past, we must say this is a first - he is usually quick to reply.
Anybody else had better luck?
More soon,
Drew
UPDATE...
Sylv from Salford
When I was a kid in the 1970s, TV and schools and just about everything told us that Royalty was great. But I didn't believe that and asked some very difficult questions about the Royal family "living off the fat of the land" in discussions at school. Why? Because my parents were anti-Royal and they were a much more powerful influence on me than school or anything else.
Enough parents nowadays are discontented with the British thing to ensure that "Britishness" classes are no sweet, easily swallowed bowl of baloney. Questions will be asked by kids, and statements refuted in favour of "My Mum/Dad says..."
My daughter has left school, but if she had been facing these indoctrination classes, for that is what they are, I would have raised merry hell with the head teacher.
Having been ignored by the UK Government in our quest for democratic rule, I don't think this force-feeding of "Britishness" to children in England will be easily accomplished. In fact, I don't think it will be accomplished at all. This Government is transparent and utterly dispicable.
An occupying force, no less.
This blog is supportive of the aims of the Campaign for an English Parliament, but is in no way connected.
