School "Culture Day' - why didn't school see this coming?

[mids2019]

https://www.joe.co.uk/news/school-issues-statement-after-sending-girl-home-for-wearing-union-jack-dress-496690?fbclid=IwY2xjawLkEB9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmXD4szLMfsqNubbE12kCn_Noe5jb2VGlNFVU0_IUIevHxzByCQ-5GXFN8F8_aem_P-q7I_yFCq82TY-Qr8mGdw

A local school state d a huge debate by sending a girl home on school culture day for wearing a union Jack dress. The question is why the school should have naively held an event which actually least a to more division than unity?

My daughter (white British) attended a similar event, for which she paid a pound, and dressed in jeans and t shirt. I asked how she had decided upon the attire and she stated 'well I don't have a culture'. I then had to explain that she did have a culture and even the jeans and t shirt were a product of fashion changes in western liberal society. We had a discussion about all the great products of white British culture, the music,science, results of the industrial revolution, shared experience in great wars, monarchy etc.

There is a white British culture but going into detail about this obviously brings into focus cultural divide and opens up divisive areas whether white British culture benefited from colonialism and past oppression.

Of course culture day probably was meant to highlight minority cultures and act to promote dress etc. from ethnic minorities as a welcoming inclusive gesture but by allowing all pupils to think about their culture we have to define 'white British' culture and by defining 'white British' culture schools have inadvertently started a discussion they didn't intend.

This is utter nonsense. White Britons are incredibly culturally diverse with so many different traditions, languages, food, clothing and folklore unique to all our regions. Why are some people losing that knowledge? Is it the importing of the dreadful behemoth that is the American cultural vacuum which destroys everything in its path?

How has she been punished? I’m assuming (although ready to be proved wrong) that she was told she could change?

Well, quite.

I’m originally from the NE.

If I wanted to send my kid in as something related to cultural heritage, we could go with a miner. Or maybe a ship builder of some sort. Factory worker. Something like that.

Union Jack just makes a different point, doesn’t it. Intentionally makes a different point.

@Alltheprettyseahorses
I think that is unfair to Americans as they have a wonderful range diverse cultures- there is so much to draw on, ie Southern culture, heritage from the wild west and the gold rush, street culture, minority American groups throughout history, midwest, California and West coast, New York with its style and cosmopolitan communities, literally tons of awesome and diverse cultures to celebrate!

But why should it? People should be comfortable and proud of their dual heritage. It's not controversial. Why do you think schools do these culture days? It's to celebrate the different cultural origins that you seem to find racist to acknowledge.

I do not understand this. Our state school celebrates St George’s Day which also doubles up as uniform groups/scouts etc and then it separately celebrates “international day”. So there is no confusion. I guess the Welsh/Irish/Scottish come in on international day.
The schools need to clarify what is what. If there is just one “culture” day celebrated then obviously England counts too, as well as all other GB, UK as well.

Why would she need to change?

StarlightRobot - it certainly does have rich culture. Unfortunately the main export is the bland, featureless omnicause student level year zero lack of culture and that's reflected in some people's total lack of understanding of British cultural diversity.

So the question that needs to be asked is did this school already celebrate/acknowledge St George’s Day or not?

If you think only white people can be British, I’m afraid you are a racist.

Does somebody want to explain what “white British culture” is, and why/ how this is exclusively available to people with white skin?

Yes of course blame the child and the parents who did nothing wrong! The school didn't need to handle anything - they were absolute dickheads.

“She wasn’t the only kid picked out either – one child from a farming background was turned away at the gates for wearing traditional flat-cap and checked shirt.

“Another with a St Georges flag and another with a Welsh flag were not allowed in either. It was ridiculous.

That seems ridiculous if true. How??

If the school had previously had issues with the union jack or other flags being used to single out students (or used to racially abuse and or bully) I could potentially see why they took issue with her dress. But even if that was the case, there were much better ways to handle this.

By celebrating the cultures of other people who choose to live in the UK rather than their original, birth or heritage country, we absolutely are focussing on the political challenges of their cultures, as that is often the reason they come to the UK rather than staying in their own country. Sometimes that's overtly political such as restrictive regimes, but often it's either financial, sexual, or cultural in that they view the UK as a better place to live, earn, and be free. Migration is very political.

CurlewKate · Today 12:59
How has she been punished? I’m assuming (although ready to be proved wrong) that she was told she could change

Since she didn’t foresee being forbidden to wear her dress, why would she have had any other clothes to change into?

SleeplessInWherever The statement I get from the union jack dress is the explosion of creativity that was Cool Britannia, Spice Girls, Britpop, Things Can Only Get Better, the optimism of the early Blair days. That was a moment of huge cultural revolution for the UK before the disillusionment set in.

So basically what you’re saying is that it’s OK to celebrate any other culture but British, and anyone who does want to celebrate it is immediately aligned with Tommy Robinson. There was no ‘bait’. The girl wore a dress of her national flag and was sent home - as were those wearing the Welsh flag, and those trying to emulate other aspects of British culture.

I read that it was mainly the dress was inappropriate. Plus the dad seems to be a right f*in rascist. He has got Tommy Robinson involved and will be doing her speech at one of his rallies. Says it all don’t you think?

I'm wondering why, when the school made a massive mistake which it acknowledged and apologised for, people are hellbent in trying to dig up dirt on the father of an innocent, blameless little girl who has done nothing wrong. It's weird and unpleasant.

Why was the dress inappropriate?

Is it the same if spice girls or other pop stars use the Union Jack, it’s only 12 year old girls you object to?

Even if the pupil isn't normally well-behaved, the school still fucked up. She did absolutely nothing wrong here. It's ludicrous to send a pupil home for wearing the union jack on a day she was told to wear clothes that reflect her culture. I've heard some people try to justify this by saying, "Well, the union jack isn't cultural dress". But come on - would they have sent home a migrant child for wearing the flag of their home country? All hell would have broken loose. The staff have undermined their own authority with this ridiculous behaviour.

I think @GeneralPeter explained it perfectly. If you stop shouting ‘racist’ long enough to read it, you might understand.

Case in point. Why are you so invested in smearing a little girl and her father when they did nothing wrong?

Yes, it turns out her dad was correct. Good for him.

Trying to dig up dirt? Seriously?

It’s odd. The best thing to do would be to as the school has. Admit they got it wrong. And in their case apologise.