-
I found your blog very interesting. If we really teaching British values shouldn't these be included:
How to make the perfect cup of tea.
How to queue properly.
How to tut at people who do not queue properly.
How to never complain about bad service/food when we are out.
Saying sorry- especially when it is not your fault.
Talking about the weather.
The art of cooking the perfect Sunday lunch.
-
Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 5 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
I've been thinking about this a lot over the past few days. Britishness seems to be one of those things that is hard to define but you know it when you see it. Glitter, your suggestions are spot on! But I also think that it is easier to see it through the eyes of a child. For example, many traditional British songs are learnt in childhood. ( the hokey kokey; she'll be coming round the mountain; daisy, daisy). There's a whole wealth of songs and rhymes (many of them with an a interesting and historical backstory). And then there's the language. English is a hugely rich language with so many weird and wonderful words and phrases.
How Mrs O will interpret this new emphasis on 'British values', remains to be seen. As many others have said, the values themselves are not inherently British. But I am pleased in a way that there is now a focus on Britishness, as I have worried that with all the multi-cultural things we do with the children, there's a danger of missing out on our own culture. And possibly confusing children.
-
Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 2 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Some excellent suggestions to add to our planning list thank you guys!
I do worry how individual Ofsted inspectors will translate it ... we have a member on the Facebook group who was told by an inspector that her house was 'too British' a while ago and she needed more diversification for the children ... will that type of comment be considered appropriate in the future?? ... not that I think for one moment it was appropriate when it was made!!
Keep the ideas coming ...
-
The worrying part for me is not 'teaching' anything without scientific or historical fact.
I understand that this is a knee jerk reaction due to the Brmingham schools , but
I had a wonderful Noahs Ark mini theme going on a while ago - one lo goes to church every week an had been telling us about it , another is animal mad! We had a gorgeous display , we had fun , the children learned lots about lots - every development area - it was one of the favourit things Ive done for a while. Is there any scientific fact or historical fact ? No. Id need to teach it as 'just a story' - but it isn't to millions of ' British' 'Christians' , its a lot more than that. if I cant 'teach' the children about Noahs Ark for example , or Holi , or any of the other wonderful world festivals - then how is that promoting British values? Surely the wonderfully diverse society we live in IS British!
-
Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 3 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Originally Posted by
sarah707
Some excellent suggestions to add to our planning list thank you guys!
I do worry how individual Ofsted inspectors will translate it ... we have a member on the Facebook group who was told by an inspector that her house was 'too British' a while ago and she needed more diversification for the children ... will that type of comment be considered appropriate in the future?? ... not that I think for one moment it was appropriate when it was made!!
Keep the ideas coming ...
Well that will be fun...planning British values!!!!!!!!!!!...off to add another column to my planning sheet!
and decorating our settings so they reflect other cultures...but that's it Sarah...maybe it is a question of how the inspectors view our settings and their experience of cultures?
Great ideas I agree ...are we not though mentioning things that are really 'cultural'?
for instance cooking the perfect Sunday roast...queueing....very British I know but often forgotten when the British are abroad???
Calling preserve jam...or teaching please and thank you ...saying sorry or pardon...which I think is a question of manners rather than values and apply in most cultures
Never complain...yes British people are reluctant to do so...they do so too politely I think!
But these are part of the culture as much as some Europeans kiss each other on both cheeks when they greet or the French take to the street to demonstrate
There a difference I think.... Gove mentioned liberty ...democracy and respect following the Trojan Horse affair
so how do we evidence liberty and democracy in our practice?
I read that the govt has been asked to define British values as they are blurred...personally I don't think so
I believe British culture has well defined customs as have others but I wait to see how British values will be translated in the EYFS or the inspection framework....we are in for a very long period of individual interpretations when it comes to inspections!
Off to think if I can redecorate each room in my setting to reflect other cultures...should I put 'rest time' for children as 'siesta' in my planning?
Great discussion!
-
Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Originally Posted by
sing-low
For example, many traditional British songs are learnt in childhood. ( the hokey kokey; she'll be coming round the mountain; daisy, daisy). There's a whole wealth of songs and rhymes (many of them with an a interesting and historical backstory). And then there's the language. English is a hugely rich language with so many weird and wonderful words and phrases.
Sorry to put a spanner in the works, but "She'll be coming round the mountain" is actually a traditional American song.
Perhaps in line with other government educational strategies we should remove it and other American classics, and make sure we only focus on British children's classics?
-
Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
Maza liked this post
-
Originally Posted by
Jiorjiina
Sorry to put a spanner in the works, but "She'll be coming round the mountain" is actually
a traditional American song. Perhaps in line with other government educational strategies we should remove it and other American classics, and make sure we only focus on British children's classics?
Oops, sorry. In my defense, I spent three years of my childhood in America.
-
Wow I got 8/10 & that's after doing a whole day on a safeguarding course :-)
-
It might be easier/clearer if we think about which values are NOT 'British'...
-
10 out of 10!! Not bad considering I guessed at least three of them lol
-
8 out of 10. Not to bad. Above average.
-
Originally Posted by
Maza
It might be easier/clearer if we think about which values are NOT 'British'...
It might be clearer if they just put a Dept for Education cover on the latest Tory Party manifesto having taken a big crayon and crossed out the uncomfortable bits about scr3w1ng the poor and bombing the civilian populace of anywhere with an oil reserve.
-
Originally Posted by
bunyip
It might be clearer if they just put a Dept for Education cover on the latest Tory Party manifesto having taken a big crayon and crossed out the uncomfortable bits about scr3w1ng the poor and bombing the civilian populace of anywhere with an oil reserve.
Exactly. Very British to 'beat about the bush' and not say exactly what they mean in fear of offending someone.
-
-
Latest news on teaching British values ...creationism and another consultation looming on the horizon
Teaching nursery children British values is 'dangerous' and implies we are 'morally superior'
-
-
Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Originally Posted by
bunyip
Yup. Some Tory think-tank has come up with this one as a vote-winner. It's a jolly good sound-bite (like the way Cameron keeps throwing the phrase "hard-working families" into every interview) but impossible to pin down. One could have a mass-debate (fnarr, fnarr) over whether such a thing as national values exists (except maybe within mid-European dicatatorships of the 1930's-1940's.) If they do, then they are very changeable. Within my lifetime, "British values" includes hanging up signs saying "No dogs, no Irish, no blacks" in the windows of pubs and rented houses.
The British Empire was built on plundering the equatorial countries for natural resources and slavery.
Anyone remember "Victorian family values"? The only difference being this plays on some un-historic notion of British-ness and patriotism, and so is a direct appeal to all the neo-fascists they've lost to the UK Intolerence Party in the last couple of years. I suspect and hope this one may go the same way.
I remember ' family values' ... Was a John Major govt initiative.... And now we know he was getting jiggy with Edwina salmonella in eggs Curry!
It's just a knee jerk reaction, a back of a fag packet down the boozer idea... Like most of the rubbish which comes out of govts!
Getting off my soap box now
Wibble x
wobbling my way through life....
The bats have left the bell tower.....
-
Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Originally Posted by
WibbleWobble
I remember ' family values' ... Was a John Major govt initiative.... And now we know he was getting jiggy with Edwina salmonella in eggs Curry!
It's just a knee jerk reaction, a back of a fag packet down the boozer idea... Like most of the rubbish which comes out of govts!
Getting off my soap box now
Wibble x
wobbling my way through life....
A very good reminder and as usual the whole thing turns to be political...yesterday the PM was on TV talking about how much he is behind families etc etc etc
Sorry this is a slight deviation from the topic ...but pertinent
I think that most people do not mind been engaged in this discussion on what we should or not...teach as values....with the very politicians who...while imposing their vision on us ...do the opposite themselves...and we could mention a few of them but let them remain unnamed
This is a prime example
Boris fails the character test for social conservatives
I suppose we will have to wait and see what questions are asked in the consultation when it is open and whether those who consult actually listen to us and engage positively but it looks like it is business as usual at the DfE
Bookmarks