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.

https://news.sky.com/story/reform-pledges-to-ban-all-flags-except-union-jack-and-st-georges-cross-on-public-buildings-13362235

These Reform people are appropriating our flag for themselves, by implication. They are trying to associate it with their party and their views alone. It is unacceptable.

Yes.

Rugby is in Warwickshire, Reform since May 2025.

OK thanks @SleeplessInWherever - it’s Reform who have chosen to make everything flag related a political fight so understandable that a school may be confused in these circumstances.

I’m not derailing either, it wasn’t me brought it up.

I did say that I think something should be done about all sexual abusers; that included grooming gangs.

What I didn’t do however was specify that there’s some sort of racial hierarchy of sexual assault.

They’re all scumbags, regardless of colour, and they should all be dealt with.

I doubt this is it, you think the school has had correspondence on this?

The school know their demographic and their catchment area.

They know the political make up of that, and the impact that has on their community.

I think something should be done about all sexual abusers. Unless you’d like to claim that white men don’t rape? Thought not

What a fantastically dishonest and unintelligent avoidance of the issue.

You know damn well the point was that people were not doing anything about that sexual abuse largely because of the ethnicity of the abusers. The journalist who very honourably and bravely broke the story was warned off doing so because he could ruin his career by being branded a racist.

For someone who claims to value critical thinking you demonstrated none with that comment.

There really is a shed load of speculation being made about this girl and her family. It is not an edifying read - and not in the was those making the speculations might assume. So much bigotry and contempt on show, it beggars belief.

What does this mean? The girl can’t wear a Union Jack dress like the spice girls?

Is it only 12 year olds you object to or anyone including pop stars

I agree. There are facts which are known and these are quite simple.

Its very noticeable that those who want to condemn the wearing of the dress or supporting the school sending her home are having to create imaginative narratives to justify their position.

Honestly the eye rolling I’m doing right now.

Reform voters usually hold particular political beliefs, particularly around immigration. This can extend to their attitudes to different cultures. Which in turn, can lead to their desire to wear a flag.

If the school is in an area where the voting population hold those views - they are aware of that.

Being aware of that doesn’t mean that they should educate the children any differently, but it really is just a case of joining the dots.

If you can’t see the links between Reform, TR, and dressing up as a flag - I can’t help you.

Speculation? The girl wore a union flag dress, and wrote a speech -allegedly all by herself-talking about her culture not being acknowledged. Her father is a Tommy Robinson supporter. He released the story to the press. He is allegedly happy for his daughter to address a Tommy Robinson rally. Where is the shed load of speculation. ( I use the allegedlies in an abundance of caution)

Didn’t finish my post. Weird how Geri and Stormzy wearing the Union Jack is Ok but otherwise it is not allowed. Tbf growing up in times of NF is was a way of excluding/ intimidating poc. The thing is the flag, football and fish and chips are seen as white British not all British. It was only when I lived abroad that I was seen as British and realised I was culturally. That I and fellow brits understood each other, language, expressions and humour, and we didn’t like other nationalities being rude about our home country even though they may have had a point. It’s only here I feel that I am not accepted as British and if I am, then I am a coconut or a banana.

I’m eye rolling back at all these posts fabricating whatever over a 12 year old wearing a dress.

When requested by the school to start with.

Obviously the 12 year old DD’s of everyone on this thread are massive Spice Girl fans….🤣

Well at the end of the day will this school or any in the county be doing a diversity day next year? I am sure the head has had a less than fantastic time given the other myriad responsibilities of the role.

I tend to agree with those that the dress was the bait and the school swallowed it hook,line and sinker. Possibly a pressured decision and the school are the only ones that know the pupil?

Exactly.

Did you get this upset over Olivia Rodriguo at Glastonbury. I’m guessing so.

You’d go for being made to change.

And to be honest, in the current climate, a responsible parent would advise their dd AGAINST wearing a flag dress….

It’s not fabrication, it’s a reality you don’t want to face.

Schools all have Prevent training, to enable them to look out for signs of extremism from either side. This dress isn’t an indicator of extremism.

Encouraging your 12 year old to speak at a TR rally however, would absolutely be flagged.

I maintain, the father is known to the school, for exactly the reason I’ve just laid out. He made a point, they responded, here we are.

Why are you so defensive of the subject? Huge fan of the Spice Girls? Massive fan of flags?

Certainly would never occur to me that "British culture" is represented by a Union Jack dress. When has anyone ever worn those besides briefly by a pop singer in the 1990s?

I vaguely remember there being a brief craze for Union Jack dresses in the late 90s after Geri wore hers.

Nope. She’s an adult. She isn’t in an educational insitutution.

Oh, I am not remotely upset.

She wore that dress in 1997, think it’s high time we all moved on tbh 😂

I never said we were perfect? Just that we don’t do culture days like this because black and white Americans don’t have a ‘home’ culture, America itself is their home culture so it is pointless. Only recent immigrants would have this, and they are a minority compared to black and white Americans.

It’s not the same as in the UK.

The Union Jack dress equals prevent now?

You’re ramping it up in each post. Do you apply that to all situations? Souvenir shops, pop stars, interior design?

If someone has a cushion are they up for prevent?