Friday, October 26, 2012

A damning indictment of Britains education system

I doubt he realises it, but Labour justice spokesman Sadiq Khan by criticising the knowledge people born here have against immigrants who take the citizenship tests has just acknowledged the utter failure of our education system and the political meddling therein.
Mail.
A left-wing MP has claimed that new immigrants know more about the nation’s heritage than many Britons.
Labour justice spokesman Sadiq Khan said that it ‘frustrated’ him to see newcomers obliged to sit citizenship tests when many people ‘know b***** all’ about British history.
Mr Khan, the son of Pakistani immigrants and MP for Tooting in South London, said he met many people who have gone through the citizenship ceremony who feel ‘so excited and enthused’.
But he added: ‘Then I’ll be canvassing in my area and there’ll be people who have lived in the same home for three or four or five generations who know b***** all about our country, about our heritage.
‘It frustrates me that you’ve got new citizens who have an obligation to learn about our country but we aren’t doing enough to make sure everyone shares that knowledge.’ Last night Mr Khan’s comments were criticised by Tory MPs.
Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, insisted that the test ‘unites the country and breaks down barriers’. He added: ‘If Labour want to scrap the citizenship test they should declare it openly.’
To gain citizenship or leave to remain in Britain, immigrants who speak a certain level of English must complete a test called ‘Life in the United Kingdom’, which was introduced by Labour in 2005.
Before being naturalised, they must also take part in an individual or group ceremony at their local town hall, which involves an oath of allegiance to the Queen and listening to the National Anthem.
Considering that it was the left over the past few decades who made it almost a crusade to prevent 'real' history being taught at our schools rather than social and economic history coupled with the blame game for our past it's not too surprising that people got turned off by the education system. That plus the fact that immigrants have to know these things to pass and we don't doesn't help.
Until recently there aren't any questions on British history in the test anyway and as for questions on the European Union and how to claim benefits, well that's hardly a great example on knowing our heritage is it? Though no doubt the lefties think these things are an essential part of our heritage.
No, if the left hadn't meddled with our education system so much over the last few decades people would be a lot more clued up on our heritage and our history, that plus allowing for massive uncontrolled  immigration and the divisive multicultural, politically correct policies of none integration have marginalised the UK public by constantly telling them they were either to blame or bigoted for daring to even debate the issues.
Sadiq Khan is a primary example of all that is wrong with political left wing thought when he mistakes knowledge of trivia with heritage and equates that into a pride in immigration and immigrants for knowing something about the EU and how to claim benefits.


6 annotations:

Anonymous said...

Bit bored waiting for someone this morning, so I just took the test http://www.ukcitizenshiptest.co.uk/

Proud to say I failed with 67%. I don't know who makes up immigrant groups, what % is muslim, exactly who is entitled to free prescriptions, when women could divorce, how many kids in the UK, where to find info on training, exactly who can vote and how many hours kids can work. And I don't fucking well want to know. Strangely enough none of the test questions were covered when I did my O/A levels and later computer sci degree.

But I take issue with some of the answers to questions about who pays for scroungers kids school uniform and the denial of the existence of private medicine.

Anonymous said...

From the examples that i have seen, it's not really British history, but largely English history.

I didn't know almost anything about it.

There were also very strange questions about alternative s to 999, which I didn't know existed.

But yes, when I see vox pop interviews (most recently about some elections you guys are having for policemen), I'm astounded by how little people know (or care) about what is going on now, never mind history.

That's the trouble with endless soap operas and Bruce Forsyth, not to mention Jimmy Savile fixing it for kids, dominating people's thoughts over the years.

Mrs Proudie of Barchester said...

The Left are to blame - period. We have a National Curriculum that ignores the Middle Ages after 1066 and the Constitutional struggles of the seventeenth century. The eighteenth century is also airbrushed out except for Wilberforce and slavery. It's pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Woo-hoo! Took the test – scored 46%!

What a f….g stupid test! Nothing whatsoever about British culture or history but everything about EU law, and British benefits. Mind you, British history and culture is very much skimped over in schools, unless it is to try to instil the guilt trip that political academia seem to think we should all feel.

Radical Rodent

James Higham said...

Considering that it was the left over the past few decades who made it almost a crusade to prevent 'real' history being taught at our schools rather than social and economic history coupled with the blame game for our past it's not too surprising that people got turned off by the education system. That plus the fact that immigrants have to know these things to pass and we don't doesn't help.

How do the left explain it away?

banned said...

The Coalition have promised to get back to real geography and history (and away from Lesbian issues in post-slavery Namibia) so rather than scrapping Citizenship tests they should be extended to all those wishing to be placed upon the electoral role.