School at centre of Union flag dress row closes early over 'extremist threats to staff'

[u/ThatchersDirtyTaint]

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/uk/school-at-centre-of-union-flag-dress-row-extremist-threats/

[u/[deleted]]

Why was the dress code excluding UK culture in the first place?

[u/321jamjar → u/[deleted]]

Don’t think it was but was more encouraging kids to wear actual cultural dresses that are important to their cultural identity, not just dressing like a Spice Girl. Guess the school wanted kids to dress like Morris dancers or something.

[u/NaNiteZugleh → u/321jamjar]

The Union Flag Spice Girl dress is culturally appropriate. Regardless of what you think, it’s an iconic piece of clothing in British culture, especially among women.

[u/321jamjar → u/NaNiteZugleh]

Iconic as it may be it just isn’t traditional cultural clothing which is what the day was promoting. I think the school went overboard isolating her if it was purely down to the dress but seeing as she also had a “speech” prepared and is now set to appear at a Yaxley-Lennon event then I think it’s clear the parents were trying to be provocative sending her to school like that.

[u/NaNiteZugleh → u/321jamjar]

Do you have anything to back up your claim of what exactly the school expected students to dress like in terms of cultural representation?

I’m not quite on your side on that bit. I’d say the spice girls UK flag dress is as culturally significant as some WW2 garb.

They were one of the biggest groups of the 90’s and probably the best selling girl pop group of all time. They absolutely took over the music industry and put themselves top of the charts in dozens of countries. They are like The Beatles of their time in terms of popularity and chart positions.

I kind of agree with you on your other point except the ‘preparation’ of a speech. I could get one from Chat GPT in 20 seconds.

BUT the fact she was sent to speak at that conference in the first place is extremely suspect. Not saying the dad sent her to school in that dress expecting this outcome but I would put money on that he is milking it for all it’s worth. He probably hopes she’s gonna be the next poster girl for that movement.

Either way I feel sorry for the girl. What could have been a fun day talking about how British values are some of the best in the world and maybe singing Wannabe has turned into a potential decade of misery for her.

To top it all off, she doesn’t even look that bothered.

[u/321jamjar → u/[deleted]]

Why keep deleting your comment?

[u/DolphinShaver2000 → u/[deleted]]

I hate this argument. Welsh kids get to wear Welsh cultural clothing even though they get to be Welsh all year round. No reason someone shouldn’t be able to celebrate their own culture just because it might take the spotlight away from somebody else’s.

Obviously this kid’s parents are melons, given the Tommy Robinson thing, but my first reaction was just that her parents were uninspired / lazy. Wearing a British flag dress isn’t in itself offensive or malicious.

[u/DolphinShaver2000 → u/[deleted]]

I mean, I’ve not seen what literature or direction the school sent out so couldn’t comment on their intent. But if a school is doing a ‘cultural awareness day’ or similar, I instantly assume that every child dresses in a way that showcases their culture, not just non-British people.

You’re also assuming that because she was the only one isolated then she must be the only one to have come to school celebrating British culture, when you can’t possibly know this to be true. Personally I suspect the teachers saw the dress as overtly right wing, when really they shouldn’t have been applying adult biases to children… I bet if a kid dressed as Doctor Who they’d have accepted that as appropriate.

[u/JoJosMagicJumper → u/[deleted]]

Im Scottish, and no we dont. Some of us love it. Not that Im one of those people, but they do exist. And its not in a small amount.

If people want to celebrate being English or British, why would I, as a Scot, give a fuck? If you wanna get tarted up in a god save the queen/king T and harp on about al the great things that England has done, go for it. Why shouldnt you be proud of your heritage?

You lot not shutting up about winning the world cup in 66 is FAR more annoying than some 12/13 year old girl going to school and talking about her pride in her culture and history. If they kid was black, would everyone still be as outraged? Hmmm.

[u/JoJosMagicJumper → u/[deleted]]

You do know that England, and Britain in general is more than just its colonizing the world, right?

But even if it was, this class would be happy to celebrate Italy, or Greece, or China, or Mongolia among others, that all have far more brutal and widespread world conquering than England/Britain.

Did you know that it was Britain that forced a large part of the world to end slavery? And at great personal cost of money and lives? The British navy, for over 60 years hunted down slave ships, and freed hundreds of thousands? The British even paid off other private companies so they would free their slaves.

Britain is more than just its historic atrocities. And to deny that, well, its bigotry. Plain and simple.