Girl in Union Jack dress sent home on diversity day

valdavi

I have always had hearing loss but not severe enough to affect my speech noticeably. I didn't go to a School for the Deaf but in the 90's (when I later looked into it) at such schools, the range of qualifications at GCSE was really limited - only 3 or 4 subject taught.
I needed 9 O levels & got them, but if I had been in a special school I wouldn't have had the opportunity.And changing at secondary level would've been harder than being mainstream from the start for me.
Disability Rights groups were campaigning for inclusion - the reason being that life isn't segregated and specifically, work isn't segregated.
The resources that would be needed to support childrens' special needs in a mainstream setting was probably always under-estimated but it wasn't primarily a money saving exercise.

And that’s fine isn’t it? You were able to access education and achieve, which is what inclusion is supposed to be about

I am actually glad that I probably won’t be around in 20 years time. It horrifies me what this country is turning into.

There was a time when most of us took great pride in our country and our flag. In the late 60s and early 70s I worked in a very busy gift shop during school hols and weekends. All the Union Jack giftware just flew out of the shop. If I had a pound for every UJ tea towel I sold I would be mega rich.

Now we are hardly allowed to mention it. 😥

The fact remains that this girl was excluded from the School Celebration Day, and later an unreserved apology was been posted by the Academy for the mishandling of the 'incident. This would not have happened had the father invented or exaggerated the situation.
No doubt internal investigations are being conducted but this Culture Celebration Day seems to have been ill-conceived and poorly delivered.
I have heard of two racist accusations in local schools recently, both disproved, where the schools over-reacted and had to retract the accusations and apologise. Frightening.

I am surprised to find that infant and primary school provision has improved greatly over the last 40 years. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding Bilton School but overall, education seems to be in a better place. Just as well as quite a few prep schools are shutting down…. Another government intervention.

Primrose53

I am actually glad that I probably won’t be around in 20 years time. It horrifies me what this country is turning into.

There was a time when most of us took great pride in our country and our flag. In the late 60s and early 70s I worked in a very busy gift shop during school hols and weekends. All the Union Jack giftware just flew out of the shop. If I had a pound for every UJ tea towel I sold I would be mega rich.

Now we are hardly allowed to mention it. 😥

You can mention your flag and wave it all you like. Nobody is stopping you?

A flag is not not a costume reflecting your culture, it's well....a flag.

It says Your attire must reflect your nationality or your family heritage.

So her dress did reflect her nationality.

Actually I think the whole idea was poor. Tokenism.

I don't think the idea was poor but the way it has been executed has made things worse rather than better. I'd be interested to know though whether other clothes with flags got the thumbs down. In a world where the Iranians, Palestinians and Isreal along with Russia and Ukraine are at war, I'd have thought it would have been a good idea to have banned all flags for the day.

ronib

I am surprised to find that infant and primary school provision has improved greatly over the last 40 years. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding Bilton School but overall, education seems to be in a better place. Just as well as quite a few prep schools are shutting down…. Another government intervention.

Human nature uneducated seems happy to hype the single mistake rather than a) admit to their own failings and b) celebrate the success of others.

GN can be very depressing at times.

Why should our flags be banned because other countries are at war?

A flag is not not a costume reflecting your culture, it's well....a flag.
Culture includes symbols of our history and nationality, and I would say that a flag is a symbol of that.

How strange that we should feel we need to deny that.

🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇦🇺

I'm not denying anything.

Nothing to do with multiculturalism, being a leftie and woke, I have never felt any sense of patriotism or pride on my country.

I'm not interested in flags or borders or nationalism

I suppose I thought I was European but that was taken from me.

The costume idea at the school seems ill thought out by the school and the Dad seems manipulative.

I suppose I thought I was European but that was taken from me.

You can still write your address as I did in my books as a child - name, address, Town, County, Country, GB, Europe, The World, The Solar System, The Universe!

Allira, if you are having a day to bring people together, having flags of those at war would probably be a bone of contention. Banning those countries of having their flags would be problematic so a complete ban would be the best way forward IMO.

I do agree with this though: Culture includes symbols of our history and nationality, and I would say that a flag is a symbol of that.

Allira

Why should our flags be banned because other countries are at war?

A flag is not not a costume reflecting your culture, it's well....a flag.
Culture includes symbols of our history and nationality, and I would say that a flag is a symbol of that.

How strange that we should feel we need to deny that.

🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇦🇺

I don't think that generally anyone is denying our culture etc., Indeed for centuries we have had a view of how our our countries flags should be treated with respect. Had the child worn red, white and blue there would have been no problem. The flag does not belong to the individual it belongs to us all.

What I see is people asking for respect of our flag. Those in our armed forces, etc., will have been taught that the flag "should be displayed only in a dignified manner befitting the national emblems."

I'm not suprised that some people found turning it into a child's dress was an undignified use of our flag. The reaction from the father would also lead me to wonder if they were not concerned about the message this would send.

Was it specified that no flags were to appear?

icanhandthemback

*Allira*, if you are having a day to bring people together, having flags of those at war would probably be a bone of contention. Banning those countries of having their flags would be problematic so a complete ban would be the best way forward IMO.

I do agree with this though: ^Culture includes symbols of our history and nationality, and I would say that a flag is a symbol of that.^

Have you read the specifications of the say and the speech which this child prepared?

day not say
Or event if that makes it clearer

PoliticsNerd

Allira

Why should our flags be banned because other countries are at war?

A flag is not not a costume reflecting your culture, it's well....a flag.
Culture includes symbols of our history and nationality, and I would say that a flag is a symbol of that.

How strange that we should feel we need to deny that.

🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇦🇺

I don't think that generally anyone is denying our culture etc., Indeed for centuries we have had a view of how our our countries flags should be treated with respect. Had the child worn red, white and blue there would have been no problem. The flag does not belong to the individual it belongs to us all.

What I see is people asking for respect of our flag. Those in our armed forces, etc., will have been taught that the flag "should be displayed only in a dignified manner befitting the national emblems."

I'm not suprised that some people found turning it into a child's dress was an undignified use of our flag. The reaction from the father would also lead me to wonder if they were not concerned about the message this would send.

I'm not suprised that some people found turning it into a child's dress was an undignified use of our flag

It was nothing to do with that.

So dresses, cushions, hats, t shirts with the union flag are undignified?

Many would disagree but that was not the reason she was banned.

The letter to parents states that "We look forward to a joyful and meaningful Culture Day at Bilton School".

So, can someone please describe to me a traditional British or English costume which would be appropriate for such a day? Football kits were specifically excluded even though football, and rugby in particular, are part of our culture.

Obviously the Wellbeing and Culture Coordinator at the school was not very interested in this child's well-being as she was humiliated by the school. I'm not surprised her father is furious. Some teachers (not all) do take pleasure in humiliating children.

Allira

day not say
Or event if that makes it clearer

Yes, I did and could find little wrong with it.

Allira

The letter to parents states that "We look forward to a joyful and meaningful Culture Day at Bilton School".

So, can someone please describe to me a traditional British or English costume which would be appropriate for such a day? Football kits were specifically excluded even though football, and rugby in particular, are part of our culture.

Obviously the Wellbeing and Culture Coordinator at the school was not very interested in this child's well-being as she was humiliated by the school. I'm not surprised her father is furious. Some teachers (not all) do take pleasure in humiliating children.

Morris Dancing?

icanhandthemback

Allira

day not say
Or event if that makes it clearer

Yes, I did and could find little wrong with it.

Any suggestions? English milkmaid? Henry VIII?
Anne Boleyn - with her head tucked underneath her arm as the song goes?
Pearly Queen?

Morris Dancing is great fun to watch, especially the more vigorous versions. Dates, in England, from around the 15th century.
Fascinating to know that the name comes from 'Moors'.

Morris Dancing?

I suggested that ages ago.

Honestly, teachers must think that busy, working parents have time to whip up a costume on the machine, several I they have more than one child at the school.
Most Mums I know groaned if their child had a fancy dress competition at school.

Fascinating to know that the name comes from 'Moors'.
😂😂😂

This was relatively easy 😀

It’s unbelievable!