RACE WAR POLITICS

A survey of teachers and students has revealed that nearly 90% did not believe that children should be taught patriotism. They opposed plans for history and citizenship lessons aimed at fostering national identity and pride.

The report by the Institute of Education condemned British history as ‘morally ambiguous’ and said that patriotism should only be covered as a ‘controversial issue’. One teacher in the survey had said:

‘Praising patriotism excludes non-British pupils. Patriotism about being British in my experience tends to be a white preserve so divides groups along racial lines, when what we aim to do is bring pupils to an understanding of what makes us all the same.’

Michael Hand, the reports author, said:

‘The case for promoting patriotism in schools is weak. Patriotism is love of one’s country, but are countries reallly appropriate objects of love? Loving things can be bad for us, for example when the things we love are morally corrupt.

Since all national histories are at best morally ambiguous, it’s an open question whether citizens should love their countries.’

Chris McGovern, who is director of the History Curriculum Association, said:

‘We are actually causing children to be unpatriotoic by skewing the curriculum towards making children feel guilty aout their history.’

That, of couse, is the whole idea.