Black power

Yes, they are taking our jobs. Despite the pandemic racism that still infects the UK, we are finally moving towards equity. Although the Frenchies' way is philosophically attractive, ours has borne more fruit for minorities.

I note that parent involvement is thought to be the prime reason behind the improved life chances of minority kids. Yes, Mr and Mrs Chav, it's your fault if your kid fucks it, not the blacks down the road's.

A cautionary note needs to be struck, because the Rowntree study does show that Pakistani and Bangladeshi kids are falling behind. I note that these are generally Muslims but I draw no conclusion from it, except to wonder whether the general anti-intellectualism that seems to have come to prevail in Islamic society has taken a toll. If it has -- and let's assume it has -- what can society do to counteract that? Is it a good idea to allow faith-based schools to function? On the one hand, would the children perhaps achieve more in a more comfortable milieu? But on the other, would that same lack of faith in the value of secular education that we are allowing has led to kids' prospects' being damaged be apparent in England's madrassas? Should the government put programmes in place to reach out to Muslim kids, to make up the shortfall in attention from parents, if we conclude that it exists? I don't think there are going to be easy answers. What I think we have to recognise is that England, and countries like it, can help resolve the problems we have with Islamism by creating societies in which Muslims can function and flourish without necessarily having to surrender what matters to them. How we do that is not something I have definite answers on, because we need to look deeper at causes and effects and not simply assume that we know why some succeed and some fail because it seems obvious. Science is a good tool for overturning the obvious, so I'd hope we would see more research into what actually does work, and what doesn't.

posted by Dr Zen @ 2:00 pm