Teachers - "British values" and all that

[Nikkormat]

Teachers of u75: How do you go about teaching things you do not necessarily agree with, or things you do agree with but to which you are compelled to add a nationalist slant?

Inspired by some comments on another thread regarding the obligation to teach "fundamental British values", as if they are peculiarly British and not the values of lesser peoples.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I tend to use it as an opertunity for discussion.

I say 'this is how the government defines British values' i list them and ask what people think.

I did one session where I got student to interview people and ask them what being brittish means to them.

 

[maomao]

My form group never listen to any of that shit anyway. It's usually easy to work round or not give too enthusiastic support for the crappy bits.

I'm more worried about sex ed next week.

 

[Orang Utan]

I'm more worried about sex ed next week.

So is he

 

[Orang Utan]

Teachers of u75: How do you go about teaching things you do not necessarily agree with, or things you do agree with but to which you are compelled to add a nationalist slant?

Inspired by some comments on another thread regarding the obligation to teach "fundamental British values", as if they are peculiarly British and not the values of lesser peoples.

That is some fucking bullshit. What’s uniquely British about any of that shit? This stuff makes me fume. You could take the word British out and it would be fine to teach

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I think it is often referred to as 'our values' in the material.

 

[Nikkormat]

I tend to use it as an opertunity for discussion.

I say 'this is how the government defines British values' i list them and ask what people think.

I did one session where I got student to interview people and ask them what being brittish means to them.

Cheers. The usual response from mine (British international school) is "British? Seriously?"

My form group never listen to any of that shit anyway. It's usually easy to work round or not give too enthusiastic support for the crappy bits.

I'm more worried about sex ed next week.

Sex ed is, in my experience, fine so long as you keep a straight face, and don't start any anecdotes from experience. And don't admit to being a virgin, like my old RE teacher did.

That is some fucking bullshit. What’s uniquely British about any of that shit? This stuff makes me fume. You could take the word British out and it would be fine to teach

Right on. As Shippou-Sensei says above though, it's good for a discussion point with some groups.

We have an inspection coming up soon, and it was asked last time, so I'm expecting it again maybe with more vigor, given the current direction in the UK.

 

[maomao]

Sex ed is, in my experience, fine so long as you keep a straight face, and don't start any anecdotes from experience. And don't admit to being a virgin, like my old RE teacher did.

It's all long term relationships and family planning so no condoms on bananas or anything.

And luckily I lost my virginity a couple of years ago.

 

[Orang Utan]

My biology teacher taught us sex ed and brought an old cap of hers as an example of contraception to show the class. She only told us this after it had been passed around.

 

[Steel Icarus]

I get them to talk about what being British means to them, then about whether these things are inherently British or more universal, then present the Fundamental British Values as things the government has decided on, then get then to come up with four or five things as a class they'd have as their values.

Obviously pointing out one of the gov's values is tolerance of other people's beliefs, so it's written into their Value judgements for the class to decide for themselves

 

[chilango]

Used to make up some bullshit link between lesson content and 'british values' in my planning and then just ignore it (like everything else on my plans TBF)

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Yep. Recognise that.

Scheme of learning says student led exploration of promoted topic.
Actual class is me having to let them work on the assignment that was supposed to finish last week as only two people actually did the work at home like I asked.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I have to resist the temptation to point out ways in which prime minister Boris Johnson has demonstrated that he shares none of the 'British values'.

 

[Steel Icarus]

It gets really interesting when you cover PREVENT and get a debate going with the students about the fact "extremism" is defined by the government as "vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values"

 

[Argonia]

I didn't become a teacher because I refused to teach the regime's ghastly curriculum to a bunch of kids who can see it's a crock of shit a fucking mile off.

 

[Argonia]

I tend to use it as an opertunity for discussion.

I say 'this is how the government defines British values' i list them and ask what people think.

I did one session where I got student to interview people and ask them what being brittish means to them.

That sounds dangerously like genuine teaching. We couldn't possibly have an outbreak of that in our schools could we.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

That sounds dangerously like genuine teaching. We couldn't possibly have an outbreak of that in our schools could we.

Don't worry it rarely goes to plan.
To misquote socrates
'The unexamined life is normal living'

 

[SpookyFrank]

I didn't become a teacher because I refused to teach the regime's ghastly curriculum to a bunch of kids who can see it's a crock of shit a fucking mile off.

Yeah most teachers just don't bother tbh.

 

[Argonia]

G

Yeah most teachers just don't bother tbh.

Glad to hear it. Very glad.

 

[spanglechick]

I mean… I don’t?

We have a “british values” blurb on display somewhere in reception, iirc - but when I teach those values (eg - that prejudice against whatever protected characteristic is wrong) I don’t then say “and this is a British value”, because that would be fucking pointless and weird. There’s little to disagree with on the actual “British values” list. It’s standard pro- democracy, rule of law, cultural liberalism stuff. Nothing about flags or monarchy or being C of E or whatever. So when Prevent talks about flagging students who are strongly anti “British Values” that means they’re pro white supremacy, or blowing up doctors who do abortions or women having the vote etc.

It’s not a bad concept (although largely unnecessary), it’s just the labelling it as “British” that’s fucking ignorant. But you can teach the values themselves without any nationalism being invoked.

 

[Argonia]

Interesting. Maybe I should have done my PGCE after all. You sound like fun colleagues.

 

[Edie]

Christ if you ever wanted an example of why state education is a bad idea.

 

[Argonia]

Christ if you ever wanted an example of why state education is a bad idea.

What's the alternative?

 

[bimble]

It's all long term relationships and family planning so no condoms on bananas or anything.

And luckily I lost my virginity a couple of years ago.

What do you mean its all long term relationships? You will teach them how to have one of those? Is it going to be on zoom?

 

[Edie]

What's the alternative?

Why do I need to give an alternative to point out state indoctrination is shit

 

[Steel Icarus]

Christ if you ever wanted an example of why state education is a bad idea.

What? What's the example here? The concept, or the fact that every teacher on this thread has stated they ignore it or present akternatives?

 

[Argonia]

Why do I need to give an alternative to point out state indoctrination is shit

You don't. But there are many alternatives from private independent schools to places like Summerhill set up by A.S.Neill with a completely different pedagogical approach.

 

[maomao]

What do you mean its all long term relationships? You will teach them how to have one of those? Is it going to be on zoom?

Why would it be on Zoom? Schools have been open since March. They don't even wear masks anymore.

Anyway, there are four sex ed units for y10 this year and I am alternating with their main form teacher as I'm a trainee. She's going to do some of the more embarrassing stuff, consent and family planning, for their sake (so the new middle aged man isn't launching straight into the abortions lesson) but I've got LTRs and parenting. Citizenship is centrally planned and I haven't actually looked at the lesson yet but I've previously done citizenship without reading the lesson plans first anyway. It'll probably be bollocks.

 

[maomao]

That sounds dangerously like genuine teaching. We couldn't possibly have an outbreak of that in our schools could we.

There's tonnes of genuine teaching in schools. In fact much more than at the shit school I went to in the 80s.

 

[Edie]

What? What's the example here? The concept, or the fact that every teacher on this thread has stated they ignore it or present akternatives?

The fact you are expected to peddle that embarrassing bullshit of course