"The compromised values of multicultural Britain means teachers are afraid to risk offending students from diverse religious backgrounds." Dawkins re. science as now taught in the UK. Is the UK's educational system being turned backwards by immigration?

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• Dawkins is a scientist and a popular one at that. He's written many excellent books, levelled at the layman, on evolutionary theory etc.. He does TV programmes too and these address science and atheism; much of his work takes the form of an argument for atheism. He does teach at Oxford University but he does not have any role in the government or the education system, aside from being a voice that receptive thnkers in the public will listen to. It sounded, from your answer, as if you don't know who he is or what powers he holds here in the UK, so there is a precis.
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  Now, the UK has, as you observed, gone way overboard to accommodate it's endless flow of immigrants. We have bent over so backward to avoid offending anyone that it is compromising the educational values we had. Many schools in big cities are so multicultural in their spread of pupils that science lessons for example (and as observed by Dawkins in a recent programme / study he did), are suffering as teachers dare not

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  by Who Is She on November 7th, 2009

• teach anything that might offend extremely devout religiously raised children. I know that in the bible belt of the US there is some compromise of science teaching (evolutionary theory being seen as an affront to creationist Christians), but the UK was very mature in it's approach before. We are not all that religious anymore but everyone can believe what they want. In science lessons you were taught science and in RE (Religious Education) lessons you were taught about religion. Neither subject was oppressed in favour of the other. Now teachers wrapped up in politically correct red tape and could lose their job if they accidenatlly offend little Mohammed in class. So, they shy away from fully examining evolutionary theory or anything too British, (our songs, traditions and history are quoshed and our flag is considered inflamatory). English know as much about Diwali in England now as Guy Fawkes night and its origins. Dawkins went into classrooms and saw how the lack of hard

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  by Who Is She on November 7th, 2009

• science was leading to huge gaps in kids knowledge. It saddened him greatly and interviewing the teachers and finding out that they 'can't' teach our beliefs and values anymore, and are cutting large, potentially controversial, chunks of science teaching, as they have been advised to do, led to him making the observation in my question. We had some clear and valuable science teaching before but now it is very badly compromised by political correctness and fear of reprisals from immigramts who want nothing to do with our ways of thinking and our open-minded (get all the facts and decide for yourself) way of teaching. the full picture is blocked out now and it's tragic.

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  by Who Is She on November 7th, 2009

• Why, exactly, is the Muslim minority kowtowed to this much? What hold is there?
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  I know that there are a couple of Muslim nutters out there who would, if the started in the USA, be shut down. In fact, one of them IS from the US and had to go to the UK to really fire up. He was not able to spread his hate here.
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  I have heard that normal Muslims over there are actually afraid because they are in more danger than non Muslims. The nutters are saying to kill all Muslims who do not tow their line.

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  by Arisztid on November 8th, 2009

• Why does the UK subjugate itself to any and every one of our immigrant groups? Good question. It's political correctness gone mad I'm afraid. I remember during the last football world cup (a very big deal in Europe), some kid put a UK flag up outside her window and was told to take it down 'in case it offends someone'. There are other countries flags out here during the world cup but the idea has spread that patriotism of any kind (for our country) is bad and so our own flag is not tolerated so much. Teachers were recently asked about history teaching in schools and A LOT of them went on record saying they consider patriotism to be a form of brainwashing. So, rather than teach new British people to take pride in their new citizenship (and their British born kids) as a unifying factor for all, they are allowed to be splintered. Multiculturalism is embraced at the UK's expense instead of in harmony. History is being taught now by cutting out details of the wars we won and so on. It's a bad slippery slope we are on now and it teaches nothing.

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  by Who Is She on November 8th, 2009

• We had that happen re the American flag recently: an apartment block said that all flags, including the American one, had to come down because they might "offend" someone. This has happened, to my knowledge, in two apartment complexes. Luckily, restricting displaying the American flag is against the law.
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  The UK government sounds like it has gone insane. American government is not too sane itself but the UK government seems to have kowtowed to the PC police even more than we have.
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  Patriotism a form of brainwashing? More proof that parts of the UK is going insane.
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  I can see how this is going to lead to lack of integration of the many ethnicities/religions present in Britain.

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  by Arisztid on November 8th, 2009

• The lack of integration here is astonishing. There are many households where English simply is not spoken at all. English language teaching in schools is being dumbed down in favour of the kids just being able to 'express themselves' randomly, (rap was encouraged in English lessons at one point to make the black kids feel more included). I was recently trying to find my way around an Indian area of London and the street names were clearly displayed in some Indian language but some of the English street signs were nowhere to be found so I had trouble identifying what street I was on. I now live in the South of France quite a bit as well as London and much of the expat community there say they have left the UK as they feel they don't belong or feel safe anymore, (but they feel OK in France, a foreign country). Insane - You got that right. The UK's fucked if something doesn't give. That said a slow-moving backlash is coming in now but it's too soft so who knows if it will do much.

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  by Who Is She on November 8th, 2009

• We have some of that but nowhere near like the UK these days. It is the responsibility of the governments to allow, or disallow, this sort of thing.
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  I have the following belief about immigration: if you are going to immigrate to whatever country, speak the language and learn the history. My parents spoke English long before escaping Romania and never expected to have a "Little Romania" over here or to be catered to. They were also bloody grateful to get out of there as I am to be American, not Romanian. Gypsies in Romania have a BAD lot these days.

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  by Arisztid on November 8th, 2009

• I've only been to Romania a couple of times (once for the eclipse and once on a science expedition to study wolves), but one of my best friends is Romanian. I know him from France; there are quite a few Romanians in Nice and as you say, they don't attempt ro set up a little Romania there. This guy's so clued up he not only speaks flawless English and French but he's actually taking the time to learn some Arabic now, (might help him when being attacked down there I guess). I'm off to bed now but nice talking to you again. Take care.

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  by Who Is She on November 8th, 2009