Please excuse my somewhat distant perspective, but after having
researched the BBC and British popular culture for my Ph.D., I sincerely
feel that notions of Britishness merged with constructs of whiteness do
enough damage upon the psyche of children already....
Darrell M. Newton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
The Department of Communication and Theater Arts
Salisbury University
269 Fulton Hall
Salisbury, MD 21801
(410) 677-5060 Office
(410) 543-6229 Department
http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~dmnewton/
>>> [log in to unmask] 01/26/07 5:36 AM >>>
Hello all,
Please see below. Comment?
26 January 2007
'TEACH BRITISHNESS TO KIDS'
By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent
CLASSES in "Britishness" should be taught in our schools alongside
ethnic minority history, a report recommended yesterday. It said there
must be citizenship lessons on UK culture, the Empire and core values.
And it warned teachers were currently concentrating too much on
diversity and were at risk of marginalising white children.
Education Secretary Alan Johnson said: "More can be done to strengthen
the
curriculum so pupils learn about why British values of tolerance and
respect prevail.
"The values children learn at school will shape the kind of country
Britain becomes."
The report by Sir Keith Ajegbo into school citizenship classes was
commissioned after the 7/7 bombings amid fears of splits between white
communities and ethnic minorities.
But Steve Sinnott, of the National Union of Teachers, said simply
changing the curriculum was not enough. He warned: "All disadvantaged
groups should be targeted, including white working class and
African-Caribbean youngsters, with extra resources."
Regards
Tracey Hylton
BEM Network
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