Schools that are dominated by pupils from a single cultural, racial or religious background must teach ‘pluralistic’ British values, under a new government strategy, it was reported on 6 March.
A strategy due to be unveiled later in March, drawn up by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid, seeks to address the need to tackle ‘racially divided’ communities, which was one of the Tory party’s manifesto pledges.
The strategy includes measures to improve opportunities for people from immigrant communities to learn English and to encourage women to enter the workplace.
Under the plans, schools with pupils from a single cultural, racial or religious background will be required to ensure that they are taught ‘pluralistic’ British values. Mrs May’s official spokesman said that the strategy was designed to ‘help people in more isolated communities to engage with the wider world’.
Last year, a Bradford ‘super-head’ said that legislation is needed to stop one ethnicity taking over schools. Sir Nick Weller called it ‘unhealthy’ for a city like Bradford to have two communities living ‘separate lives’ and for the children to be educated at different schools.
This comes after Amanda Spielman told a conference of Church of England educators that ‘the right values’ are instilled in schools (see article).
