Nearly half of Britain’s young people are too frightened of being ostracised to challenge beliefs in ‘white privilege’, a new survey from Policy Exchange shows. The Mail on Sunday has more.
It reveals that 59 per cent of school leavers have been taught ‘critical race theory’ – the premise by American academics that racism shapes Western life and white people enjoy advantages because of their colour.
But 40% of the 18-20-year-olds taught about ‘white privilege’ and similar concepts said they were afraid of being outed for their beliefs if they disagreed.
Some even said they worried about being expelled, according to research by the think tank the Policy Exchange.
Critics of the notion of ‘white privilege’ suggest it ignores the achievements of people from diverse backgrounds such as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is Hindu and whose parents are of Indian descent.
Reacting to the study Dr Samir Shah, a member of the Government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, said: “School children should be able to say what they think without feeling an inability to do so.
“It is incumbent on teachers, lecturers and parents to allow to children to voice their own feelings without fear of favour and that is quite central in my mind to what makes a liberal democracy – that there is no constraint on what you say within the law.”
Dr Shah, called for balance to be provided in classrooms and warned against presenting only one side of the debate around ‘white privilege’ and critical race theory.
He added: “This thought-provoking report is a stark warning against such complacency.
“Views which remain on the fringe in society as a whole, are held by a significant number, or even a majority, by voters in this age category.
“But what makes the survey disturbing is that these new attitudes challenge the very foundations of liberal thought: free speech, tolerance, debate, and democracy.”
The poll took a sample from 1,542 18 – 20 year-old British young people between April 14th and May 6th 2022.
It also revealed that 42 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 24 believe that schools should: “Teach students that Britain was founded on racism and remains structurally racist today.”
Last night Toby Young of the Free Speech Union said: “Schools should not be teaching these politically contentious theories as if they were indisputably true.
“It leaves children feeling ashamed of their country and fearful that if they say something positive about Britain they will be accused of racism and targeted for cancellation.
“We passed a law in 1996 making it illegal to politically indoctrinate children. They can be taught about political issues, but only if they’re given a balanced presentation of opposing views.
“Unfortunately, that law is more honoured in the breach than the observance.”
Stop Press: The Sunday Express also covers the report and I’ve also given a quote to the paper: “The Government needs to urgently address this problem or we’ll end up with another generation of Britain-hating, statue-toppling, pink-haired eco-loons.”
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It’s undoubtedly hard to challenge authority as it promotes pernicious lies and demands obeisance. Challenge will invite retribution, perhaps severe, but if the tide of this culture war is to be turned brave men and women need to speak the truth loudly and clearly to tyrants.
What makes you think this isn’t exactly what the Government wants? I see little evidence to the contrary.
The fear is justified for young people.
I lost half my university friends last year for the sins of posting a comment on social media where I politely criticised my old school’s statement kowtowing to BLM and critical race theory, sharing a Douglas Murray article from the Spectator, and posting a Thomas Sowell quote criticising the idea of collective guilt. This combined with my lockdown scepticism, despite being a practising doctor who was as much on the ‘frontline’ as was possible, and my refusal to (and I quote) “seek forgiveness” for having the temerity to question the original accusation that I was racist led to a chain of former friends abandoning me.
Sad, I’ve had a couple of ‘friends’ quietly disconnect without any confrontation. Didn’t feel great but in my view fair-weather friends aren’t worth having.
“led to a chain of former friends abandoning me.”
My view on this is F. ’em. I too have lost former friends. As far as I’m concerned the loss is theirs.
I have adopted a very simple attitude to life in general these days – no compromise. In the past I have been criticised for my lack of compromise. It has hardened significantly these days.
Sadly we have a funeral to attend next week and an instructions has been issued:
“wear what you want but no black.”
Bloody insulting. The correct pronouncement would be “wear what you want.” Do NOT seek to impose.
Funeral or not I resent ANYBODY telling me what to wear. I can go along with this because my black suit has lost its shape but I follow hux’s rules nowadays and nobody else’s.
They weren’t friends, just acquaintances. Friends might disagree with you but they respect your right to hold different opinions to them.
You’re better off without such shallow individuals cluttering up your life.
If they’re that shallow they were never your friends in the first place. You’ll find much better friends among the sane.
If they abandoned you out of fear or because they have a different opinion, then they weren’t real friends.
That is what is most painful; the revelation that people you thought were friends were no such thing.
Be true to yourself
I always found it amusing when Dawn Butler or Diane Abbott, as Members of Parliament, bleating on about systemic racism. If the country is systemically racist how are you sitting on those benches.?
Those two never leave home without their cards.
Race cards that is.
Win the minds of the young so they do your bidding ! Obvious tyrannical manoeuvre !
But many Asian people have a better record in education and career achievements than white people. So this idea that white people keep black people down is FALSE. This is all part of the War on the West. It is the destruction of western values, mainly from within. When you hear stuff like “being on time”, or “giving correct answers to maths questions” is actually racism then you realise there is something sinister going on. When people say that classical music is racist because it was mostly composed by “dead white people” then you are not dealing with rational people. If we attacked everyone in Africa for being black or everyone in India for being brown then the absurdity would be obvious. But apparently it is acceptable to always attack whiteness, Diversity only ever means one thing————Less white people.