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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be shocked at this

108 replies

Stilllookingforthestars · 31/03/2017 16:58

This (honestly!) isn't a rehash of all the BREXIT arguments of late. However, at school today a teacher said to a group of eleven year olds (in the context of discussing a text) 'well, there are always going to be silly, racist people around, there are in this country, that's led to us leaving europe'

(I know we aren't leaving Europe) But anyway, AIBU to think this is totally inappropriate?

OP posts:
user1480267413 · 31/03/2017 18:13

Imperial - in your opinion!!

TheHiphopopotamus · 31/03/2017 18:13

No I wouldn't be happy with a Brexit person teaching esp if there are children not born here in the class

Jesus Christ. And they say people who voted Leave are thick Hmm

Do you think the only people who voted to leave are white, national front skinhead types?

Original poster
Stilllookingforthestars · 31/03/2017 18:15

Stephen Crabbe doesn't mention skin colour as far as I can see.

The Hindu Times and the huffington post are hardly impartial!

And none of them mention why people voted leave; they just talk at length at why they assume people voted leave which is not the same thing.

OP posts:
Natsku · 31/03/2017 18:17

Would you be happy with UKIP, BNP, EDL, PETA or any extreme view being presented in schools?

I think having a limit at views that promote hate speech and illegal actions is wise of course.

whoputthecatout · 31/03/2017 18:17

TheHiphopopotamus: yes, I think many of them do. Apparently all leavers are racist, geriatrics or oiks. Except they are not.

That teacher showed a level of silly simplistic shallow thinking. A pity - teachers are supposed to be intelligent and fair-minded.

And no, I didn't vote leave.

itsmine · 31/03/2017 18:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HubrisComicGhoul · 31/03/2017 18:25

Not all leave voters are racist by a long shot, but I would assume that the vast majority of racists voted to leave and given how close the vote was, i think it would be safe to assume that they tipped the balance.

This is why I believe that we are leaving the EU for racist reasons. I don't think the teacher was wrong as such, but I think the point should have been expressed in a different way. So ultimately I think YANBU to be upset with the comment.

BewtySkoolDropowt · 31/03/2017 18:25

But she didn't say that all brexiters are racist, did she? At least, not from what we know.

I think it's fair to sat that enough racists voted for leave to push it through. The margin was very narrow, and if all the people voting based on racial prejudice had abstained we would be looking at a different result, I'm sure.

BoneyBackJefferson · 31/03/2017 18:26

Natsku

So you are Ok with painting one group as a stereotype but not another?

Hateloggingin · 31/03/2017 18:26

Why has PETA been lumped in with UKI, BNP etc? Confused

BoneyBackJefferson · 31/03/2017 18:30

Hateloggingin

They have extreme views, leading to physical assault of those that disagree with them. (amongst other things).

Crumbs1 · 31/03/2017 18:34

Whilst not every leave voter did so for racist reasons, a lot of xenophobic, ill educated and unquestionably gullible people did. Therefore teacher had a point and has a right to challenge racism in all its forms.

BoneyBackJefferson · 31/03/2017 18:36

Crumbs1

In what way was the teacher challenging "racism in all its forms."

Original poster
Stilllookingforthestars · 31/03/2017 18:38

In all honesty, I think the teacher just assumed 'remain voters are good; leave voters are bad' but I do feel that a lack of recognition for the fact that things are far more nuanced than this is a poor show, really.

OP posts:
MorrisZapp · 31/03/2017 18:41

That's bloody appalling. Complain, complain, complain.

Teachers absolutely shouldn't be teaching their political beliefs as fact.

Olympiathequeen · 31/03/2017 18:47

Of course it's not appropriate. She is their to teach facts not her own personal agenda

Bluntness100 · 31/03/2017 18:50

To be fair the teacher was partially right, immigration made a lot of uninformed people think if they voted out we could do something about it. I'm not sure that's racism as such, more the influx of immigrants concerned a lot of people and they mistakenly thought this was the answer. Obviously it's not, and obviously they didn't know that just thought they did. Were they silly, at the time yes clearly. Will history say it was silly, I don't know. We will need to wait and see. They voted for what was behind the closed door and it's not been opened yet.

So I understand what the teacher was trying to say. I do think they expressed it clumsily.

unlucky83 · 31/03/2017 19:02

YANBU -I would definitely mention it to the head.
Ling I voted leave - mainly because I didn't like where the EU parliament is going, I don't think it is democratic - something needed to change. There has been talk about changing it from within for many years - and it just hasn't happened. I am hoping it will change and in certain circumstances would have no problem with being part of the EU again. But not in its current form.
bluntness People with concerns about immigration - I can understand. I am aware that the population of the UK has expanded massively in the last 15 or so years. The population density of England is one of the highest in the EU.
We had no control over EU immigration - had no idea of the numbers - even ignoring the cost of increased infrastructure and facilities housing, healthcare and education, policing etc etc - just not knowing the numbers makes forward planning almost impossible - you can't wave a magic wand and suddenly a new school filled with qualified teachers -or a staffed GP surgery - suddenly appear. It takes years. And we are a popular destination - high NMW, free healthcare and education...our police have a reputation of being fair etc. And the disparities between the EU member states economies is a big problem too.

At least with immigration from outwith the EU we do have an idea of the numbers arriving and a degree of control.

I don't think that makes me - or anyone else who can see that uncontrolled immigration can be a problem - a racist.
No doubt there are people who voted Brexit for racist reasons - no doubt there are people who voted remain for purely selfish reasons (for a cheap polish builder or a cheap cleaner - or worried about the impact on their buy to lets or their holiday home in France )... but it really isn't that straight forward. And no way should a teacher be expressing political views - especially such narrow minded and blinkered ones- to the children they teach.
I used to work in an (inner city) primary school - a child swore in front of me and I told them off - during which I said something like only stupid people swear - and I got pulled up on that -because their parents probably swore and so I was basically telling them I thought their parents were stupid... This is the same...
A reasoned argument explaining both sides - fine. A biased view point based on prejudice and ignorance - unless you are trying to teach critical thinking - not fine.
As others have said you would (rightly) take issue with a teacher expressing views shared by the BNP/EDL ...or strict religious views.... or sexist views....

Natsku · 31/03/2017 19:02

So you are Ok with painting one group as a stereotype but not another?

I'm ok with teachers giving their own opinions, stated clearly as opinion so long as its not hate speech or advocating illegal actions.

foxyloxy78 · 31/03/2017 19:04

Personal opinion should not be given.

Wando1986 · 31/03/2017 19:10

I'm more concerned about the state of MN users who assume that the majority of people that voted leave did so because of immigration. I didn't realise everyone who voted completed a survey at the same time Hmm

Making those assumptions makes you as silly as those that did vote Leave because they read a bloody dodgy tour bus advertisement or because their new Romanian neighbour does their head in.

You are no better than anyone else who voted either side of the field, please stop thinking you are.

Seryph · 31/03/2017 19:12

Agree with pp, the teacher didn't say all Leave voters, and if the racist ones hadn't voted we wouldn't be leaving.
Depressingly she was correct, there have been, and always will be daft racist sods in the world, and they do exist in our country today, some of them are dangerous and people should be aware of how the actions of these people can effect everyone else.

ohidoliketobebesidethecoast · 31/03/2017 19:19

YANBU op, of course she's allowed an opinion in her personal life but in her professional capacity as a teacher she shouldn't be expressing views like that.
This ^

What she said is not fact, its opinion. Whether posters think she's right is beside the point -she made a subjective statement, to children who should not be having to work out which things she says are education, and which are her personal view.

Sallysadlyseescertainty · 31/03/2017 19:22

YABU. It would be disingenuous to brush over the fact that Britain is a racist, xenophobic nation

ShatnersWig · 31/03/2017 19:32

YABU. She wasn't incorrect. If those who voted leave for purely xenophobic reasons not voted, it would probably have been 52% Remain and 48% Leave.

But then Farage would have done his call for a revote because it was too close.

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