Sceptical

The schools have to be fully opened soon if we are to avoid causing permanent damage to children's education, their mental health and their future opportunities.

It has become quite apparent that covid-19 is a disease that disproportionately affects the elderly. The British Medical Journal reports that 0.04% of 10-19 year olds would probably require hospital care, as would 1.0% of people in their 20s, 3.4% of people aged 30-39, 4.3% aged 40-49, 8.2% aged 50-59, 11.8% in their 60s, 16.6% in their 70s, and 18.4% of those over 80.

The risk to children dying from the condition is tiny; according to some analysts they are more likely to be struck by lightning. Equally, children do not seem to be super-spreaders. The Guardian reported that schools reopening in 22 European countries had not led to a significant increase in cases of covid-19. So why is there such a delay in the schools reopening in the UK?

A report in the Spectator explains that;

According to the Education Endowment Foundation, the damage inflicted on educational equality by closing schools has undone the work not of a term but of a decade.

The longer the schools remained closed the worse that differential will become.

There is also growing concern about the effects of the mental health of children arising from the lockdown. The Independent reported that Professor Tim Kendall, NHS England‘s National Clinical Director for Mental Health, told a Royal Society of Medicine webinar that “there's no doubt” children were being hit hard by the impact of the lockdown.

According to UNESCO

School closures carry high social and economic costs for people across communities. Their impact however is particularly severe for the most vulnerable and marginalized boys and girls and their families. The resulting disruptions exacerbate already existing disparities within the education system but also in other aspects of their lives.

It is children from disadvantaged backgrounds, be they black, white, Asian, et al, who will suffer the most the longer the schools remain closed.

The schools have to be fully opened soon if we are to avoid causing permanent damage to children's education, their mental health and their future opportunities.

18th June 2020

#coronavirus #education

When “experiences” mean more than facts and empirical evidence, you begin to realise we are coming to the end of the era of Enlightenment

Boris Johnson has appointed appointment of Munira Mirza to lead a new commission into racial inequalities. She has previously been somewhat dubious about the concept of institutional racism and one occasion said it is “a perception more than a reality”.

Naturally, her appointment was met with howls of protest from the left. One vocal critic is Priyamvada Gopal. She tweeted that “Asians should not be put in charge of black lives and experiences”.

I despair. When “experiences” mean more than facts and empirical evidence, you begin to realise we are coming to the end of the era of Enlightenment. As a society we are going backwards.

17th June 2020

#racism

Racism may be a problem, but we should not be so blinkered as to exclude any other possible causes for the inequities in society.

According to figures produced by the BBC, 163 people have died in police custody in the last ten years. Of that numbers 8% were black, more than twice the proportion of black people in the UK.

It is on the basis of such figures that some have deemed the UK to be institutionally racist. Is that a fair conclusion to reach or is the situation altogether more complex?

According to the 2011 Census, the total population of England and Wales was 56.1 million. The proportions in each ethnic group were;

• White – 86.0%
• Asian -7.5%
• Black – 3.3%
• Mixed/Multiple ethnic – 2.2%
• Other ethnic groups – 1.0%.

Consider the report completed by the Ministry of Justice, Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2016(1) It was found in the period 2012/13 to 2016/17 the black community accounted for almost 9% of arrests on a charge of violence against the person, 20% of those charged with robbery and 18% on charges of possession of weapons. For all types of crime,those arrested were 80% white and approximately 8% were black.

When considering only the population in custody, the argument that black people are twice as likely to die while in custody proves to be a fallacy. Indeed, it is white men who are more likely to die in such circumstances.

The question that no one seems to ask is, if the black community comprises 3.3% of the population, why is it that that community accounts for 8% of those arrested on criminal charges?

According to the Office for National Statistics(2), the rate of unemployment in 2018 was 4%. Amongst the black community it was 9%. How does one explain the disparity?

Is the rate of unemployment and criminal offending the same for black Caribbeans as it is for Black African groups? How do those rates compare with mixed race, Asian or white communities?

How do rates of crime compare amongst people of similar socio-economic backgrounds? Referring again to the Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2016[^1] the report considered the educational achievements of those processed by the justice system;

Analysis shows that the educational attainment of those sentenced to youth justice disposals was generally much lower than the overall pupil population across all three KS4 headline attainment measures.

Furthermore the report noted that of those children sentenced to more than 12 months in custody 50% of the black children, 40% of mixed race and 40% of the white children were entitled to free school meals. A fairly even distribution across each ethnic groups.

Poverty and fatherless families may be an issue, but is the bigger problem inequality of opportunity? As noted in my earlier post Whose Lives Matter, a report completed by Nick Clegg in 2011 found that 25% of the poorest children from all ethnic groups failed to reach expected educational attainment levels by the time they left primary school, a fact that would put them at a disadvantage for the rest of their lives.

Racism may be a problem, but we should not be so blinkered as to exclude any other possible causes for the inequities in society. I remain of the view that education is the key; give the children from those disadvantaged communities the education and support they need so that they too have the opportunity to make a success of their lives, whatever their ethnic heritage.

To conclude I leave you with a quote from Nelson Mandela. His words remain as relevant today as they did when he spoke them.

Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world

15th June 2020

#racism

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Sources

(1) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/race-and-the-criminal-justice-system-2016 (2) https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/unemployment/latest

Caught between the thugs

Caught between thugs, be they the Marxist mob or the Fascist hooligans, the majority quietly enduring lockdown wearily shake their heads and wonder when this madness will ever end.

13th June 2020

#racism

We need to work for the common good, one that improves the lives of all

The outcry following the killing of George Floyd was entirely justified. It was a brutal act, and the police officers involved deserve to face years in prison. I also agree that the idea behind #blacklivesmatter was a noble one. Unfortunately Black Lives Matter UK has hijacked that sentiment; it is a Marxist organisation, with the stated aim of overthrowing capitalism and disbanding the police. I am not prepared to support that.

I am also heartily sick of hearing that as a white man I should be ashamed of my heritage. As with most people in this country, my forebears were working class. They were paid a pittance, lived in poverty, and hoped their children might survive their early years. It was those earlier generations that fought for workers rights, a fair wage, the right to vote, the right to an education and a national health service. No, I'm not ashamed of my heritage, I am proud of it.

I accept that there remain inequalities in society, a point which becomes most apparent when you see the people who hold positions of power and authority in this country. The under-representation of the ethnic minorities is there for all to see, but have you stopped to consider the socio-economic background of the people in power?

According to the report completed by the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in 2011, Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility, it was reported that 20% of children received free school meals (FSM), yet this group represented just 1% of Oxbridge students.

Another report completed for the Department of Education in 2015, Ethnicity, deprivation and educational achievement at age 16 in England, noted that among those entitled to free school meals (FSM) all ethnic minority groups achieved better exam results than White British pupils. Even for the lowest achieving minority group, Mixed White & Black Caribbean students, the odds of achieving good exam results was 1.26 times (26%) higher than for White British students.

Fifteen percent of the white children were entitled to FSM's.

Referring you back to Nick Clegg's report, just 1% of the children receiving free school meals, whether they were black, white or Asian, would make it to Oxbridge or into managerial jobs.

White privilege clearly did not help the white children in that cohort.

I am not saying that racism does not exist, it does, but I would argue the greater problem is inequality of opportunity. It is shocking that 25% of the poorest children from all ethnic groups fail to reach expected educational attainment levels by the time they leave primary school, a fact that will put them at a disadvantage for the rest of their lives. Education is the key; give the children the tools they need and they too could aspire to follow in the footsteps of Sajid Javid, Ivan Menezes, Magnus Djaba, Sam Gyimah, Rishi Sunak, Lewis Hamilton, Marvin Rees, Sadiq Khan, Valerie Amos, Sharon White, et al.

BLM UK seem intent on widening the divisions. The activities of their supporters are designed to whip up animosity, there is no nuanced discourse, simply bullying and mob rule in an attempt to force people to accept their world view.

Societies problems are so much more complicated than racism alone. I take the view that a good education and the subsequent opportunity to succeed in life would do much to heal the inequalities of society. To quote from Nick Clegg's report;

A fair society is an open society, one in which every individual is free to succeed. No one should be prevented from fulfilling their potential by the circumstances of their birth. What ought to count is how hard you work and the skills and talents you possess.

Just as our predecessors did, we need to work for the common good, one that improves the lives of all disadvantaged people, and gives them the opportunity to succeed on their chosen path, whatever their ethnic backgrounds. To that end, all lives matter.

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Source Material

Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers According to the report completed by the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in 2011, Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility, it was reported that

• 25% of children from poor backgrounds fail to meet the expected attainment, compared with just 3% from affluent backgrounds.
• Almost 20% of children receive free school meals, yet this group represent just 1% of Oxbridge students.
• Only a quarter of boys from working class backgrounds get middle class (professional or managerial) jobs.

Ethnicity, deprivation and educational achievement at age 16 in England This report completed for the Department of Education in 2015, Ethnicity, deprivation and educational achievement at age 16 in England, contains the following;

Among those entitled to free school meals (FSM) all ethnic minority groups achieve greater success than White British pupils. In 2013 relative to White British students the odds for Chinese pupils achieving 5 good GCSE's including maths and English (5EM) were 6.9 times greater, for Indian students 3.4 times greater, for Bangladeshi 3.0 times, for White other 1.6 times, for Black Caribbean 1.5 times and even for the lowest achieving minority group, Mixed White & Black Caribbean students, the odds of achieving 5EM were 1.26 times (26%) higher than for White British students.

Putting that into context, the ethnic group with the highest proportion of children entitled to FSM's was black African children at 40%, the lowest being Chinese children at 10%. Amongst Black Caribbean children the figure was just over 30%. Amongst white British children the proportion was 15%.

11th June 2020

#education #racism

Don't presume to tell me I am privileged

To say that all white people are privileged is as ridiculous as saying all black people are oppressed.

If you are black, were you're forebears enslaved, or did they benefit from the west African slave trade? Maybe they were completely untouched by it?

If you are white, did your forebears benefit from the slave trade? Or is it more likely, as was the case with my predecessors, that they were working class mill workers or farm labourers. Paid a pittance, living in squalid conditions, hoping their children would survive their early years. It was those generations who had to fight for labour rights, the right to vote, the right to a basic education. They most certainly did not benefit from the slave trade.

I don't dispute that inequality is still an issue today but the reasons are nuanced and so much more complicated than the slogans on the placards would have you believe. I have and always will be an advocate for equality of opportunity for all, and if the present campaign was designed to help all disadvantaged people, you would have my support.

We are not a homogeneous whole. We are individuals with our own stories and whatever your skin colour it is for you to choose the path you take. I and my parents before me had to study and work hard to achieve what we have. Beyond that, you don't know my history any more than I know yours. You do not know simply by looking at the colour of a person's skin what hardships they have had to endure, so please don't presume to tell me I am privileged. Don't tell me I should be ashamed of my history. Much like you, I am proud of my heritage and won't be taking the knee any time soon.

10th June 20202

#racism

Dismissing the heritage of the majority will not win any converts to your cause

I have always thought that the way to bring people of all backgrounds together and to fight inequality is to emphasise those aspects that unite us.

In 1945 Dr. Pauli Murray, a black rights activist wrote;

I intend to destroy segregation by positive and embracing methods. When my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them. Where they speak out for the privileges of a puny group, I shall shout for the rights of all mankind

If we are to heal the divisions it needs to be recognised that we are all citizens of one nation and to that extent we share a common heritage, a heritage that could be the rallying point that brings all parts of society together.

The Cenotaph and the statue of Winston Churchill are revered in the UK. They are symbols of this country's fight against the Nazi's, and defacing those monuments does nothing but deepen the divide between protesters and the wider population. Dismissing the heritage of the majority will not win any converts to your cause.

There is unfairness in society, affecting all ethnic groups, driven in good part by socio-economic factors and poor educational outcomes, and a resultant inequality of opportunity. It is that inequality that needs to be addressed; make that your cause, and I will stand at your shoulder and support you all the way.

To close, and another quote from Dr. Murray;

The lesson of history that all human rights are indivisible and that the failure to adhere to this principle jeopardizes the rights of all is particularly applicable here. A built-in hazard of an aggressive ethnocentric movement which disregards the interests of other disadvantaged groups is that it will become parochial and ultimately self-defeating in the face of hostile reactions, dwindling allies, and mounting frustrations...Only a broad movement for human rights can prevent the Black Revolution from becoming isolated and can insure ultimate success.

8th June 2020

#racism

Looking for their own personal Durham

The roads are solid. Trying to get to the local shop involves crossing the motorway. Coast bound, the traffic has ground to a halt. Cars trying to avoid the hold up are diverting onto the local roads, causing chaos. It is like a regular Bank Holiday. You wouldn't think the lockdown is still in place.

The Cummings effect there for all to see, everyone is looking for their own personal Durham.

2nd June 2020

#coronavirus

There is no nuance, there is no attempt to understand, there is no tolerance

A subject I will no doubt be referring to a lot over the next few weeks is the book I am currently reading, The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff. One paragraph struck a chord with me;

By shielding children from every possible risk we may lead them to react with exaggerated fear to situations that aren't risky at all and isolate them from the adult skills that they will one day have to master.

Primary schools have today reopened to Years 1 and 6, but according to a survey by the National Foundation for Educational Research, as many as 50% of parents will not be allowing their children to attend.

With reference to the above quotation, I am not suggesting there is no risk associated with reopening the schools, but the risk of young children contracting covid-19 is tiny, and the risk of serious ill health amongst those children is vanishingly small. I worry that the exaggerated fear prevalent amongst some parents will do little to help their children learn about risk and how to cope with it when they are themselves adults.

Of course, my opinion is one amongst many, and the parents concerned will do what they believe is right for their children. I wonder how many people with contrary opinions will however be outraged!!! by my comments? Quite a few I imagine, it is after all the norm these days. I can't remember where I read it, but at the beginning of the current crisis there was some hope that the nation would come together, that the collective response would help heal the rift caused by Brexit. For a while, there was some unanimity, but not now. The country is again split, with neither side prepared to accept that although the other may have different opinions on how problems should be solved, we all have the best interests of our society at heart. You're either with me or you're against me is the mantra by which many live their lives these days. There is no nuance, there is no attempt to understand, there is no tolerance.

Sadly I can't see that situation changing any time soon.

1st June 2020

#brexit #coronavirus #education

The cognitive distortion we see in relation to covid-19 has led to levels of anxiety out of all proportion to the risk.

I have just begun reading The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff. The book explains that Mr Lukianoff has suffered with periods of depression, and undertook Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in a bid to deal with the problem. One of the most important subjects discussed as part of the therapy is that of catastrophising. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines catastrophising in the following way;

To imagine the worst possible outcome of an action or event: to think about a situation or event as being a catastrophe or having a potentially catastrophic outcome

What CBT teaches is that the worst outcome is not the only or most likely outcome, and that one should try to think more rationally about any given issue and to consider the alternatives. To avoid catastrophising can help us deal with depression and anxiety.

In their book, Haidt and Lukianoff explain that they have noted how some students react to speeches on campuses exhibited exactly the same distortions that CBT teaches us to avoid, and question whether these cognitive distortions make students more anxious and depressed. I suspect we are seeing much the same cognitive distortions in response to covid-19 in the UK.

Covid-19 was an unknown quantity when it reached our shores. Now however, data is coming from around the world and the manner in which it spreads and who it affects is better understood. For example, the BBC reported on 20th May, that 3 children under 15 have died with covid-19. That was 0.01% of total deaths at the time. People aged aged 15-44 accounted for 1% of deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan says that children are “less capable” of spreading the virus, and are at “very low risk” of getting ill from the disease. “What we have seen in countries where schools have remained open is that there have not been big outbreaks in schools.”

The risk to the children is incredibly small, the risk to their teachers is “very low”. Yet still some councils will not allow their schools to open next Monday, while some parents say they will refuse to send their children to school until a vaccine is found. I am a father and I understand the need to protects ones family, but catastrophising has replaced rational thinking. The cognitive distortion we see in relation to covid-19 has led to levels of anxiety out of all proportion to the risk. The upshot, and the far more likely outcome for some children, will be lasting damage to their education and future prospects.

According to UNESCO;

School closures carry high social and economic costs for people across communities. Their impact however is particularly severe for the most vulnerable and marginalized boys and girls and their families. The resulting disruptions exacerbate already existing disparities within the education system but also in other aspects of their lives.

Meanwhile in this week's Spectator it is reported that Norway’s Government has calculated the harm inflicted by school closures, showing that every week out of the classroom stunts life chances and permanently lowers salaries.

It is the already disadvantaged children who will suffer most if the schools remain closed.

29th May 2020

#coronavirus #education