leanderman
Street Party: July 2
It will all pass. The bigger picture demands that you vote remain. As do I!
Brixton features in 4 page feature in Qantas flight magazine
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It will all pass. The bigger picture demands that you vote remain. As do I!
Rushy
basically a scrotum
Decided, more like
. Are you even 40 yet?
Winot
I wholeheartedley agree with your viewpoint
This is spot on I think:
I wish the immigration debate could be refocused on the real culprit - lack of public spending.
Rushy
basically a scrotum
Alright. Don't rub it in.
Spare a thought for the rest of us sprites when you start speaking like an octanuptelian.
Manter
Lunch Mob
I don't even know what one of those is. But still, I have years to learnAlright. Don't rub it in.
Spare a thought for the rest of us sprites when you start speaking like an octanuptelian.
footballerslegs
Well-Known Member
I've had friends - people I have known and considered like-minded (whatever that means) for years and years - say the same to me and Mr F about sending their kids to local Brixton schools, particularly the bit about being in the minority. My kids are mixed race. I can't find that face palm picture to illustrate my point - but the fact that they don't get how offensive this is (on lots of levels) is truly outstanding.
clandestino
no llevar papel
That's terrible. We've raised our kids in the area and - shock horror - it's been fine.
What's FSM?
Nanker Phelge
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
Same here.
My kid was raised and schooled in Brixton. Often the only white kid in his class. It's not done him any harm.
He has a diverse friendship group and got to experience lots of other cultures through going to b'day parties and religious celebrations with his pals.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
To quote Hendos post #8
post #11
Given the articles posted above by me #337 which is critical of the role of tourism in local economies I would say Hendo does not recognise aspects of how gentrification works.
And I agree with isvicthere? #168
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clandestino
no llevar papel
Yes, same here. I feel like our kids are lucky - I had no experience of other cultures growing up. Our kids don't bat an eyelid at other cultures/colours/creeds etc, because they've been friends from the very start and so they understand that there's no difference really, they're all into the same stuff, laugh at the same things, that's why they're friends. I think it's fantastic.
clandestino
no llevar papel
Also I'm *shocked* that FSM means free school meals, and that that is alarming for a parent. There were kids with meal tickets at my school when I was growing up and we didn't care, we just accepted that they were poorer and so deserved a free meal. For one term, I had free meal tickets and no one cared. And I went to a selective grammar school in Kent - it wasn't fee-paying but you had to pass the eleven plus to get in. These days, I imagine some parents would be quite smug about their kids going to a school like that, because it was a great school, but no one felt like that back in the day. It was simply a case of you passed the eleven plus this is where you went, end of story, and there was no class snobbery at our school.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Its what people like me who are critical of gentrification can be accused of by those who support it here. (Or whilst being critical of it see the upsides.
)It has come up at Brixton Reclaim meetings. If one wants to talk about race then some of the Afro-Caribbean community see Brixton as belonging to them, they fought for it , and its being taken away from them to be replaced by wealthy whites. I would say this is not a majority view. It is a view I can understand. The riot - or Uprising as Afro-Carribbean community say- in 81 led to the "inner city" problem being taken seriously.
My view is that Brixton is a diverse/ multicultural place due to immigration. That what underpins this is that it was affordable to live in and run a small business in.
My opposition to gentrification is that this affordability is going. This will eventually lead to a loss of the multicultural diversity of Brixton. My view is what needs "reclaiming" is the a City that can change but not exclude on monetary terms.
After all there have been different migrations to Brixton. The Afro-Caribbean one in the 1950s, the white squatters in 70s, the North Africans fleeing war in 80s, South Americans etc etc.
With the onward march of gentrification this will be lost.
Different people came to Brixton and mixed. People did not feel they were pushing others out. Not saying it was perfect but Brixton is a good example of how a diverse multicultural society can work- and its being destroyed by market forces.
So no I do not agree with comparing whats happening here to Newham.
The class issue here also crosses racial lines. I have heard Black and White Brixtonians - working class- complain of losing say Brixton Village for example.
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Land, buildings as investment vehicles, be they homes or business. London has always had population churn with it's attendant Benefits or problems. Depending on your perspective. But the price of putting a roof over your head in a rich industrial society, that is a new thing. Not unique to London, or the UK of course.
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We nearly moved to Cambridgeshire when I was a kid growing up in Thornton Heath. House prices and commuting to work made that not a thing. I could've been living in Peterborough
I have now nicked a housing association flat of a Bristol resident. That isn't really the problem though. The natural moving of people.
Admittedly a Bristol born person might beg to differ are if they have been on the waiting list. Hmm.
I have now nicked a housing association flat of a Bristol resident. That isn't really the problem though. The natural moving of people.
Admittedly a Bristol born person might beg to differ are if they have been on the waiting list. Hmm.
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Gramsci
Well-Known Member
I have heard a parent from around here saying they didn’t want there child to go to the local Brixton primary school as most of the children did not have English as a first language at the school.
What got me is that she was also a recent immigrant - US- married to a Brit.
She also seemed to be very liberal. Or so I thought. Behind her concern for her child was imo racist views. Having children really brings out the best in people sometimes.
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Sherman Tank
Googling doesn't make you an expert
My sister who lives in Brixton specifically got a foreign nanny for her kids so that they could learn another language from an early age, and hear it spoken around the house. I should think going to a school where other languages are spoken would further enrich their development.
SpamMisery
Pretty comfortable here right under your skin
Growing up around foreign languages is great and should be encouraged, but their concerns are more about maths, science etc lessons being delivered at a slower rate due to comprehension issues. Probably not an issue at very junior levels and of course varies considerably on the level of language skills of the children; but an entirely normal concern for a parent. Certainly not racist.
ETA. Racist in general, as opposed to in that specific example. I've no idea what their drivers were.
ETA. Racist in general, as opposed to in that specific example. I've no idea what their drivers were.
Rushy
basically a scrotum
Obviously the description of not having English as a first language does not really give much indication of the English speaking ability of those kids. They might be fluent or they might know very little.
Between about 7 and 10 I went to a local Spanish school. I was the only non Spanish speaker (barely a word when I began). It was fantastic for me because I learnt Spanish quickly and eventually communicated better in Spanish than English for a while. But because there was only one of me I didn't dictate the pace of lessons. If I struggled I could be helped for a couple of minutes during or after a lesson. I was even dropped down a school year for about 12 months whilst my language improved and until I could manage better. But if half or more of the class had been English speaking, or a variety of non Spanish languages, I really don't see how the pace and content of lessons (in Spanish) would not adjust to the ability of the class without impacting on the education of the native speaking kids. For me the priority was learning the language, not the curriculum (a year of which I skipped).
I think it's rash to dismiss as racist someone who is concerned about the effect of a high proportion of non fluent English speakers in a class, particularly whilst appearing to be liberal in all or most other senses.
Between about 7 and 10 I went to a local Spanish school. I was the only non Spanish speaker (barely a word when I began). It was fantastic for me because I learnt Spanish quickly and eventually communicated better in Spanish than English for a while. But because there was only one of me I didn't dictate the pace of lessons. If I struggled I could be helped for a couple of minutes during or after a lesson. I was even dropped down a school year for about 12 months whilst my language improved and until I could manage better. But if half or more of the class had been English speaking, or a variety of non Spanish languages, I really don't see how the pace and content of lessons (in Spanish) would not adjust to the ability of the class without impacting on the education of the native speaking kids. For me the priority was learning the language, not the curriculum (a year of which I skipped).
I think it's rash to dismiss as racist someone who is concerned about the effect of a high proportion of non fluent English speakers in a class, particularly whilst appearing to be liberal in all or most other senses.
Mr Retro
Beware hedgehogs
What a brilliant opportunity, I went to a great school but I always resent I came away with only 2 languages, neither of which have benefited me greatly: Irish and Latin
SpamMisery
Pretty comfortable here right under your skin
My French is pretty good so long as I'm in conversations where I'm required to describe the location of cats, dogs and monkeys in relation to tables.
Mr Retro
Beware hedgehogs
I guess you'll probably be able to tell people what colour they are too, so don't sell yourself short.
happyshopper
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised at the suggestion that there are schools in Brixton where "most of the children did not have English as a first language". Not that this need be a problem, although it does really require that such a school gets some extra resources.
My two children went to local state schools; they did just fine and, in particular, clearly benefited from the multi-cultural environment they provided.
My two children went to local state schools; they did just fine and, in particular, clearly benefited from the multi-cultural environment they provided.
Nanker Phelge
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
It certainly wasn't an issue 9ish years ago when I was looking at secondary schools. My son went to a lot of Spanish\Portuguese speakers, but many of them spoke very good English. I didn't experience any local schools which had high numbers of young people without good English.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I was thinking you'd say that as they've hiked ticket prices to £14 you get a free pint on the way out.
