Teacher suspended for letting students protest

by Sunny Hundal    
February 7, 2011 at 5:09 pm

The Guardian reports that a teacher has been suspended after one parent complained she had encouraged pupils to miss school to join the recent demonstrations against education cuts and tuition fee rises.

Sue Caldwell, who works at Friern Barnet school in north London, is understood to have been suspended from her post. She denies the allegation against her.
…
Caldwell is believed to be the first teacher to be suspended for allegations of this nature.

Unbelievable.

As Matthew McGregor says on Twitter:

I’m sure those who were v upset over that teacher being suspended for speaking at tory conference will be outraged by this too

But it was perfectly ok for Katherine Birbalsingh to slam the entire education system at the Conservative party conference apparently.
The Daily Mail was ecstatic:

In the most passionate moment yet at the Tory autumn conference, Katharine Birbalsingh attacked a state system which she said was ‘broken as it keeps poor children poor’.

The former Marxist confessed she had voted Tory for the first time at the general election, saying that teachers were too ‘blinded by leftist ideology’ and refused to admit they were failing children.

The deputy headmistress was so successful at her job that her own school failed soon after, thanks to applications falling off a cliff. Oh well, at least she can get by, blogging for the Telegraph.

So let’s get this straight: when a teacher allegedly allows students to protest against government policy, if they feel strongly about it, she gets suspended.

But if she generalises about the entire education system while praising Tory party policy, she should be defended to the hilt for “SPEAKING THE TRUTH!!!1!“.

Update: To clarify, the comparison with KB is on the basis of how the right-wing media defended her actions after (implying there was nothing wrong with bringing politics into the class-rooms, and the problem lay with teachers being ‘Marxists’) than with what she actually said.

Osborne discriminates against the poor, to turn UK into a tax haven

by Richard Murphy    
February 7, 2011 at 4:10 pm

The government has announced a further development in its plan to turn the UK into a tax haven.

As the FT reports this morning, multi-millionaire foreigners who are prepared to invest their money in Britain will find it easier to make a home in the UK under government plans to relax immigration rules for the ­super-rich.

Under the plans:
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State multiculturalism: replace it with what?

by Dave Osler    
February 7, 2011 at 2:21 pm

I’m not quite sure whether David Cameron put his own name forward as a founding signatory of Unite Against Fascism, or Unite Against Fascism actively set out to secure his autograph. Either way, many will now be asking which of the two is being more opportunist in maintaining what has always looked suspiciously like a business relationship.

Two days ago, UAF played a leading role in organising a counter-demonstration against an English Defence League march through Luton. More or less simultaneously, the prime minister delivered a speech slamming something called ‘state multiculturalism’. The UAF lot surely won’t have liked that.
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Watch: ‘There is an alternative’ say unions

by Newswire    
February 7, 2011 at 11:44 am

The PCS union have sent out a video message to all their members covering their vision of how Britain’s debt and deficit can be tackled.

The video also features footage from the UKuncut protests.

Big Society is in tatters at Pickles’ favourite council

by Guest    
February 7, 2011 at 11:20 am

contribution by Andy Slaughter MP

Conservative-run Hammersmith & Fulham Council, known as “Cameron’s favourite Council”, was described as the “apple of his eye” by Eric Pickles two weeks ago in Parliament.

Its Cabinet is meeting today to rubber-stamp the sale of four major community hubs in the face of opposition from tens of thousands of local residents.

This is an act of cultural vandalism by the Council.
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Five Tory ‘cuts’ that will actually cost us money

by Guest    
February 7, 2011 at 9:30 am

contribution by Jon Stone

Back in October I outlined five irregularities that support the idea that the Tories’ cuts are ideologically motivated, rather than a necessity.

But a lot of these ideological changes that are being packaged as ‘necessary cuts’ are actually going to cost the country money, or not save anything at all. Here are five of the most high profile ones.
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Berlusconi opens his government to fascists

by Claude Carpentieri    
February 7, 2011 at 9:02 am

His conduct in government and a series of unfortunate remarks may have suggested otherwise but, until yesterday, Italian PM Berlusconi was at least able to reject accusations of flirting with fascism on the grounds that his allies were either former or reformed fascists who more or less turned their back on Mussolini

Well, not anymore.

With his never ending scandals denting his popular support and the Italian right looking increasingly divided, Berlusconi is desperate for any vote he can grab.

This is why he announced on Saturday that the unashamedly far-right party La Destra (The Right) have now joined his coalition and that one of their top dogs will soon be offered a ministerial post.

La Destra is Italy’s direct equivalent of the BNP, except even more fascist. Though no doubt a very small party, tallying just over 680,000 votes (2,2%) at the 2009 European Parliament election, the group are the country’s most outspoken apologists for the country’s fascist past.

And indeed theirs is vintage stuff: from their fascist-era typeface adorning their literature to their continuous references to christianity, “action” and “traditional values”, all the way to their überfascist official slogan of “Dio, Patria e Famiglia” (“God, Nation and Family“), one thing you can’t accuse La Destra of is lack of coherence.

However, how the “god” and “family” bits are going to sit next to a Prime Minister known for his penchant for orgies, libertine parties and underage prostitutes, no-one has yet managed to explain.

Why Lefties need to change our language

by Owen Jones    
February 6, 2011 at 10:16 pm

Most people don’t spend much time thinking about the radical left – we’re far too marginalised – but if they did, what image would come to mind?

I’d suggest something like this: a middle-aged pub bore, who takes himself way too seriously, no sense of humour, prodding the air with his finger as he mumbles about something not terribly relevant, in language you don’t really understand. As he sits in his duffle coat, ranting at anyone who will listen, you do your best to avoid making eye contact. It’ll only encourage him.

I’m exaggerating for dramatic purposes, but there’s no denying my basic point.
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Three problems with David Cameron’s speech on multiculturalism

by Sunny Hundal    
February 6, 2011 at 2:16 pm

I think the biggest problem with Cameron’s speech yesterday that it missed a vital opportunity to start a more mature and intelligent dialogue on integration and counter-terrorism, rather than continuing the hectoring tone reminiscent of Tony Blair’s government.

My objections can be divided into three areas.

First, it was striking how much it was simply about pandering to the Daily Mail crowd through strawmen, than saying anything new.
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Mayday! Our bank holiday is under threat!

by Guest    
February 6, 2011 at 9:13 am

contribution by Paul Sellers

I was saddened to read in the Guardian that some people within Government are still briefing in favour of moving the May Day bank holiday to October.

It is strongly rumoured that this proposal will be in the new DCMS tourism strategy, which the culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has scheduled for publication early this month.
continue reading… »

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