To not want ds singing the bloody national anthem every day at school?

[lecce]

I am reeling about this and would love some opinions.

Last night the dc and I were taking it turns to play songs on Youtube, when ds1 (7, Yr 3) announced he wanted 'Land of Hope and Glory' for his next choice . I was stunned - I didn't even know he'd heard of it. In the interrogation that followed, it transpired that his class has been singing 'God Save the Queen' every day before home time. It has no relation to their current topic, which is India, of all things... Mention has been made of 'loving our country' and that, as 'we are English' we should know these lyrics.

On Friday, those who had completed their art work early were given the lyrics of 'Land of...' (not ds - never have I been so happy about his lack of artistic talent) but, apparently, they will all be 'doing' it soon.

I absolutely do not want my children singing these nationalistic, jingoistic lyrics every day. I don't want the school promoting this kind of cheap patriotism to them, either. This is not what education is about.

Is this Gove's fault? I am a teacher (sec) and have heard nothing about this particular type of brainwashing. AIBU to kick up a stink about this?

I don't understand your problem here at all

Will you object if he's introduced to Jerusalem as well?

Of for goodness sake!!! YABU. Would you rather he sang Fuck the Police? Smack my Bitch up!?

Get real OP.

As a teacher, how do you react when a parent "kicks up a stink" without first making enquiries or expressing concerns?

What's so wrong with being patriotic? I find it's a very British thing to see patriotism as something dirty.

I would be quite happy for my dc to sing the national anthem and land of hope and glory at school.

I don't think this is a new thing. I remember learning those songs at school

I don't really understand why your reaction is so strong. I don't particularly like these songs, but they are part of our culture. This is also a very small amount of the school day it seems, they are also learning about other countries, Art and presumably Literacy, Maths and the rest.

Get a grip. It's not a big thing really.

But he's at school in England (I presume) so why is getting the children to study and sing our anthem "brainwashing"?
I think children in American schools still say the Pledge of Allegiance every day, do you object to that on principle too?
You say that singing our anthem is cheap patriotism, what constitutes non-cheap patriotism then? Why is being patriotic to your own country "cheap"? I'm afraid I doht understand either.

Pretty standard school songs really

Every school my kids have attended have sung the national anthem of whichever country we are living in at the time.

(So that makes 3 DS1 has heartily sang).

I don't see the problem?

Seems very odd to me. I would wonder about the teachers motivations and I would bring it up at school. I don't have an issue with knowing the words to God Save the Queen, but the subtext here seems a bit strange.

We live in Canada and have also lived in the States and the children did sing the Star Spangled banner and Oh Canada, but not every day, and not with the jingoism thrown in too.

Really? No one else would mind this?

Behoove You're right - I will check facts and tread carefully, rather then storming in with guns blazing.

I find it's a very British thing to see patriotism as something dirty. Yes, and that is a fantastic thing, imo, but not one to shout about .

I think children in American schools still say the Pledge of Allegiance every day, do you object to that on principle too? Yes.

I agree with you OP, singing the national anthem everyday is a bit extreme, I would go and enquire what's going on.

I think the language in the OP is overly dramatic. In my opinion you're making far too much of this.

I don't think it's fantastic, I think it's sad. Children in other countries get to enjoy the fun of patriotism. I probably wasn't being entirely fair when saying it's a British thing, it's probably mostly an English thing.

*I think children in American schools still say the Pledge of Allegiance every day, do you object to that on principle too?

Yes.*

Why?

Well it's not a Gove thing.

Is it simply a song a week? If so, over the course of a school career, that's a lot of songs and they won't all be ones you find objectionable in schools.

Christ, I'd like to see a lot more patriotism and the claiming back of the St Georges flag from the racist fuckwits.

Only in the UK is patriotism seen as a dirty thing.

And as a 45yr old, I can tell you that singing the National Anthem and Jerusalem at school, is not exactly a new thing.

It may well be his school are responding to a new drive to see schools 'promoting British values' - they are likely just doing it to please Ofsted. So I wouldn't worry.

^what Worra said.

I find it so sad that patriotism is looked upon as something bad. I'm not moved by many issues but this is one I am.

I think that a spot of patriotic pride in your own country, it's traditions and anthems should be encouraged.

Sadly our country is losing it's identity and pride through fear of accusations of jingoism as indeed the OP has already shown.

When I was little we sang it every morning in assembly.

When we moved overseas we sang that national anthem every time we had assemby (3 or 4 times a week from memory).

When I lived in 3 other countries the children sang the national anthem pretty much daily in assembly.

When I came back to the UK the children were still singing it in assembly.

I fail to see why your knickers are in a knot. You live in England, singing the national anthem is pretty normal in infants/juniors - or at least used to be, before having any national pride was frowned upon.