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.

No, I’ve achieved some actual things in life, since birth. I use my pride allocation for those things.

Can you explain why you’re proud to be British? I’m glad that I’m British-but I’m only proud of things that I had some say in.

“But sometimes at school, we only hear about other cultures — which is great because learning about different countries is interesting and important. But it can feel like being British doesn’t count as a culture, just because it’s the majority.
I think culture should be for everyone — not just for people from other countries or backgrounds. Being British is still a culture, and it matters too. It’s part of who I am.”

School was ridiculous, but having read her speech I’m not a fan. Sounds a bit like she (or her parents) were spoiling for a fight.

“But sometimes at school, we only hear about other cultures.”

So which is it? “Sometimes” or “Only”? They have opposite meanings here. If she’d said “we only hear about other cultures” I’d say yes you’re right to be annoyed about that. But that would mean you don’t learn about British history. You never discuss the royal family. You never listen to British/Western music. You never discuss British poltiics. You never learn about or discuss Christianity. You never practice Western art. Really? Or does she actually mean “Sometimes”? As in, we sometimes learn about British/Western culture, and sometimes about other culture. Well, yes I think that’s a good thing.

Anyway, the school took the bait which was stupid. But I wonder if that was actually her intention all along.

No it hasn’t. We still have the flag in many places. It’s just mners who want it removed.

I wouldn’t let my 12 year old speak at a political rally like that, or be in the media like she has been. I think it’s too young, so I judge the dad here for that personally as he has made it happen or allowed it to happen.

He could do the interviews and read the speech.

Alongside all that, you could also be proud of being British.

Guess you were just born from two random people of no importance on a meaningless little island of no particular significance on a meaningless little planet shaped by nothing in a meaningless little universe.

I’m not British.

I can tell you at length why I’m proud to be American, but it won’t be welcome around these parts lol

Yep. By the sounds of it the school was wrong, but it does all come across as a bit purposeful. You can easily imagine the family being given centre stage seats at a Tory/Reform rally at some point in the near future.

Personally I don’t have strong feelings about the dress. Maybe they’d been told verbally no flags? Who knows? And for all we know there could be more to it, there could have been a behaviour incident but the school don’t want to say so publicly because she’s young and it wouldn’t be fair. I mean presumably she’s staying at the school so they’ve all got to find a way to get along for next term.

In my experience schools like to keep the children in and going to lessons as much as possible so to send her home seems either a very strong reaction or there is more to it.

I feel sorry for the girl because if anyone who Googles her now, this is what will come up, and she’s only 12.

Or the school could be run be a bunch of leftists useful idiots who think everyone’s culture is valid and should be celebrated as long as it’s nothing to do with those evil colonialists the British.

If the school knew about her family’s political leanings, they were even more stupid to send her home and play straight into her dad’s hands. If they’d just let her be (and pretended that there wasn’t time for the speech or whatever) I doubt the other kids would have thought anything of it, and the dad wouldn’t have got the fight he was allegedly spoiling for.

I think the point of the day is that for one day, everyone’s culture is valid and celebrated, isn’t it? Whose culture isn’t valid, anyway?

My kid’s school does it, and I actually love seeing all the different clothes. Some kids take a flag wrapped round their shoulders. I only see who is there at drop off, no idea if there’s union Jacks or whatever.

So you’re not proud of a close relative say, if your sibling won a gold medal you wouldn’t be proud of them. Pride can, by definition relate to your own achievements or those close to you. I would argue if you feel an affinity to your community, to your country you can be proud of them too.

Unfortunately, the school didn’t seem to think British culture was valid for inclusion -that’s the whole point

The pride the pp don’t feel isn’t relevant to this anyway. They are probably ok with other nationalities feeling pride.

It’s only the girl in the Union Jack dress they agree should be go. The other students are ok to celebrate.

Precisely and you should see the comments On the local rags Facebook page.

Sorry I misinterpreted your point.

Unfortunately, the school didn’t seem to think British culture was valid for inclusion -that’s the whole point.

Yes, so many on the Left agree and promote this attitude. It really is getting the wider Left and the Labour Party a bad name. 😂
I only hope that Kemi and the team are sharp enough to profit from it. Rather than Nigel & Co!

Another reason her feather is a dick.

Do you accept that the Union and St George’s flags have been appropriated by…unsavory individuals?

I am beyond horrified by this

And now we've got a whole generation of kids growing up thinking that it's normal

My ancestors were absolutely delighted to come here. If I had to show up wearing something representing a culture, I'd obviously need something British. I mean, would that not be allowed?

I remember complaining about Tony Blair's attitude towards this. He seemed to think that people in my history and in my past were more important than my own history.

Sadly, there's a lot of things where I think the damage can be traced back to Tony Blair! 😂

But honestly, if this has happened in any other school over the years, it's a real shame that nobody reported it. No wonder we have so much problematic division. And what a terrible situation for people who are here to escape their country or their parents country - to then be told that their kids ought to be wearing something that the school has deemed representative.

And then to completely leave out some children because, what, their culture isn't interesting enough?

I always thought culture day was a disaster waiting to happen. I know some workplaces do it but thank God I've never encountered that. Now I suspect the disaster may have happened ages ago and people just felt they had to keep quiet about It.

It’s bonkers. I really don’t understand what they expected white British students to wear…if not something like this?

So has any other natinal falg really though.
No neo nazi and far far right group marches with foreign flags, do they

I don't know why we're such a self-hating nation. As someone said upthread, you don't see France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium castigating themselves in this way every chance they get. They fly their flags with pride, and shock horror, they have right wing elements in their country as well.