DfE says no more anti-capitalist teaching in England.

[Pickman's model]

Not explicitly in itself but there's plenty of anti capitalist talk around their circles and they also want to have a people's assembly to deal with climate change hence the stuff about elections.

Anti-capitalism not of course in itself a left-wing thing. There's lots of anti-cap talk in far right circles.

 

[Chilli.s]

report someone to Prevent

The training for Prevent makes it quite clear that it could be a right pain in the arse and a way of alienating yourself from your boss. Better to report the small incidences of neglect/abuse/coercion individually and let someone higher up make the big call.

Prevent guidelines could make anything from selling poppies to bob a job week into a terrorist incident.

All the professionals I know take this sort of thing seriously anyway without a special training event and fancy label.

 

[Sprocket.]

I surmise it will be okay to teach about those nasty Soviet communist invaders beating the poor peaceful Nazis?

 

[maomao]

That maybe so as far as individual members go, but as it doesn't classify itself as anti capitalist as an organisation, then I'm not sure how this ban would apply.

It's not just capitalism. Here's the full list:

• promoting non-democratic political systems rather than those based on democracy, whether for political or religious reasons or otherwise
• teaching that requirements of English civil or criminal law may be disregarded whether for political or religious reasons or otherwise
• engaging in or encouraging active or persistent harassment or intimidation of individuals in support of their cause
• promoting divisive or victim narratives that are harmful to British society
• selecting and presenting information to make unsubstantiated accusations against state institutions

4 is so vague it could be used on just about anyone complaining about anything.

 

[tim]

Don't worry folks! Toby Young and his Free Speech Union will put an end to this nonsense.

 

[quimcunx]

promoting divisive or victim narratives that are harmful to British society

BLM? Refugee charities?

 

[maomao]

promoting divisive or victim narratives that are harmful to British society

BLM? Refugee charities?

That one's aimed at BLM and possibly decolonisation efforts already underway in some schools.

 

[brogdale]

These populists don't seem to have much faith in the popularity of their own ideology.

#snowflakes

 

[teuchter]

Seems to be a bit of a mismatch between what the actual guidance is, and how it is being reported.

It only relates to resources or visits from currently active external organisations doesn't it? It doesn't outlaw the teaching of anything in a historical context.

 

[Dogsauce]

• teaching that requirements of English civil or criminal law may be disregarded whether for political or religious reasons or otherwise

yeah, the law can only be disregarded by the government, not the people. Know your place.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

promoting divisive or victim narratives that are harmful to British society

BLM? Refugee charities?

Definitely no external visits allowed from Tories, then.

 

[chilango]

Aside from any day to day implications in the classroom this further normalises the defining of "anti-capitalism" as extremism. That has wider implications for us all.

 

[The39thStep]

I suspect the actual impact of this in the classroom is going to be negligible tbh. Its a headline attention seeking policy that is directed at elements of those who left school 30/40 years ago.

 

[quimcunx]

Seems to be a bit of a mismatch between what the actual guidance is, and how it is being reported.

It only relates to resources or visits from currently active external organisations doesn't it? It doesn't outlaw the teaching of anything in a historical context.

We havent sent anyone out to schools for a few years for capacity reasons and I'm not sure what was in our school packs but the tories would certainly like us banned and not giving talks in schools. I could see them using this to prevent that.

 

[brogdale]

Seems to be a bit of a mismatch between what the actual guidance is, and how it is being reported.

It only relates to resources or visits from currently active external organisations doesn't it? It doesn't outlaw the teaching of anything in a historical context.

You think it's OK to compel A level GovPol teachers to deliver the spec which contains modular components on Socialism and Anarchism without access to materials/resources produced from direct sources, whilst it's perfectly legal to flood the Conservatism/Liberalism components with party materials?

Interesting take.

 

[brogdale]

I suspect the actual impact of this in the classroom is going to be negligible tbh. Its a headline attention seeking policy that is directed at elements of those who left school 30/40 years ago.

As someone who, long ago, taught politics to secondary school kids, I'd respectfully disagree with that.

 

[rubbershoes]

promoting divisive or victim narratives that are harmful to British society

BLM? Refugee charities?

ACAB

 

[maomao]

yeah, the law can only be disregarded by the government, not the people. Know your place.

They've specified English law though so they must have thought about it.

 

[NoXion]

Fucking ridiculous to say that it's extremist to oppose a system which self-admittedly values property over human lives. On the bright side though, they must be getting worried. Good.

 

[Serge Forward]

Occasionally the ACG, AF/ACF were asked into schools at the request of students and teachers to do presentations on anrchism, so that would be illegal/unlawful now

 

[brogdale]

Occasionally the ACG, AF/ACF were asked into schools at the request of students and teachers to do presentations on anrchism, so that would be illegal/unlawful now

Exactly that.

 

[Pickman's model]

Fucking ridiculous to say that it's extremist to oppose a system which self-admittedly values property over human lives. On the bright side though, they must be getting worried. Good.

Or from another pov to take on these arguments and allow the system to justify itself

 

[brogdale]

Perhaps a compromise will be reached where the views of these 'extremist' groups can be aired in the classroom but only delivered by actors' voices?

 

[AmateurAgitator]

Fucking ridiculous to say that it's extremist to oppose a system which self-admittedly values property over human lives. On the bright side though, they must be getting worried. Good.

A system that causes 20,000,000 unnecessary deaths per year worldwide. Ofcourse, they don't want kids learning that.

 

[NoXion]

A system that causes 20,000,000 unnecessary deaths per year worldwide. Ofcourse, they don't want kids learning that.

I'm pretty sure that could still be taught. Even when I was younger, I didn't need explicitly anti-capitalist rhetoric to go alongside the brute facts of profit-lead devastation of peoples and environments.

 

[two sheds]

I'm pretty sure that could still be taught. Even when I was younger, I didn't need explicitly anti-capitalist rhetoric to go alongside the brute facts of profit-lead devastation of peoples and environments.

Yes that's good, they've said nothing about teaching about the evils of profit.

A couple in that list look like you'd see in totalitarian states though

 

[teuchter]

You think it's OK to compel A level GovPol teachers to deliver the spec which contains modular components on Socialism and Anarchism without access to materials/resources produced from direct sources, whilst it's perfectly legal to flood the Conservatism/Liberalism components with party materials?

Interesting take.

I didn't say anything about anything being OK or not. It was a comment on the scope of the guidelines compared to how it's being reported.

 

[A380]

Original German.

I think "Begging for Bakunin" is just crying out to be the title of something, though.

Sure, but that invariably means porn.

 

[Badgers]

Any book burning planned yet?

Could provide some much needed warmth for families in the post Covid/Brexit era.

 

[Pickman's model]

Any book burning planned yet?

Could provide some much needed warmth for families in the post Covid/Brexit era.

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations reported burned by pupils in Bromsgrove while various economics textbooks thrown on the pyre in Thames Ditton by teenagers clutching the penguin portable marx