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| What does the future hold for integration and multiculturalism? | |
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| Louise Casey may be right that “huge progress” has been made in achieving social integration in recent years (Opinion, 5 December). But policies relating to integration have not improved much. In the early 1980s, the Commission for Racial Equality, of which I was chairman, defined integration in a multicultural society “as a way of describing how different people, with different religions, languages and attitudes, can establish sufficient common ground to enable them to live together (without trying to become the same as each other), in justice and peace”. Integration, so defined, is incompatible with multiculturalism, if that is thought to encourage separate development, separate schools, separate housing and – “surely not”, we wrote at the time – separate laws. The key words in that definition are “common ground” and “justice”. Values, British or other, are slippery things to instil in schools or elsewhere. Our laws are not. Political correctness, if it allows people to break the law, is itself unlawful. So are certain forms of discrimination. | Louise Casey may be right that “huge progress” has been made in achieving social integration in recent years (Opinion, 5 December). But policies relating to integration have not improved much. In the early 1980s, the Commission for Racial Equality, of which I was chairman, defined integration in a multicultural society “as a way of describing how different people, with different religions, languages and attitudes, can establish sufficient common ground to enable them to live together (without trying to become the same as each other), in justice and peace”. Integration, so defined, is incompatible with multiculturalism, if that is thought to encourage separate development, separate schools, separate housing and – “surely not”, we wrote at the time – separate laws. The key words in that definition are “common ground” and “justice”. Values, British or other, are slippery things to instil in schools or elsewhere. Our laws are not. Political correctness, if it allows people to break the law, is itself unlawful. So are certain forms of discrimination. |
| What everyone needs to understand is that they are free to believe in actions that are unlawful but if they, or institutions such as schools, act in accordance with those unlawful beliefs, or incite others to do that, they may be prosecuted or closed down. What need to be avoided are policymakers who preach integration and then, as in England’s school system these days, practise disintegration by encouraging the creation of as many separate types of school as possible.Sir Peter NewsamThornton le Dale, North Yorkshire | What everyone needs to understand is that they are free to believe in actions that are unlawful but if they, or institutions such as schools, act in accordance with those unlawful beliefs, or incite others to do that, they may be prosecuted or closed down. What need to be avoided are policymakers who preach integration and then, as in England’s school system these days, practise disintegration by encouraging the creation of as many separate types of school as possible.Sir Peter NewsamThornton le Dale, North Yorkshire |
| • Just a week before the Department for Education’s consultation on increasing selection and expanding grammar schools is due to close, Louise Casey’s review rightly calls for government to work “with schools providers and local communities to promote more integrated schools and opportunities for pupils to mix with others from different backgrounds”. | • Just a week before the Department for Education’s consultation on increasing selection and expanding grammar schools is due to close, Louise Casey’s review rightly calls for government to work “with schools providers and local communities to promote more integrated schools and opportunities for pupils to mix with others from different backgrounds”. |
| Her review doesn’t seem to have looked at the evidence of the current impact of grammar schools on opportunities and integration. If she had looked at Buckinghamshire, where there is educational selection at 11 across the whole county, all the evidence is that it divides communities on the basis of social class and ethnicity. Evidence collected over several years shows that Buckinghamshire’s 11-plus test contains clear and substantial bias against children from certain ethnic groups, in particular children of Pakistani and black Caribbean heritage. Quite simply, they don’t pass the selection test. Results from 2014 and 2015 show that in both years, children from Pakistani backgrounds performed significantly worse in the exam than the majority of other children, and were only half as likely to pass it as children described as “white British”. | Her review doesn’t seem to have looked at the evidence of the current impact of grammar schools on opportunities and integration. If she had looked at Buckinghamshire, where there is educational selection at 11 across the whole county, all the evidence is that it divides communities on the basis of social class and ethnicity. Evidence collected over several years shows that Buckinghamshire’s 11-plus test contains clear and substantial bias against children from certain ethnic groups, in particular children of Pakistani and black Caribbean heritage. Quite simply, they don’t pass the selection test. Results from 2014 and 2015 show that in both years, children from Pakistani backgrounds performed significantly worse in the exam than the majority of other children, and were only half as likely to pass it as children described as “white British”. |
| The result in schools is that children are effectively separated at 11, unable to “mix with others from different backgrounds”. Opportunity and integration could be significantly increased if we had real community schools, where all children could be educated together. Will Louise Casey’s recommendations be taken into account as the DfE reviews its consultation responses?Katy SimmonsBurnham, Buckinghamshire | The result in schools is that children are effectively separated at 11, unable to “mix with others from different backgrounds”. Opportunity and integration could be significantly increased if we had real community schools, where all children could be educated together. Will Louise Casey’s recommendations be taken into account as the DfE reviews its consultation responses?Katy SimmonsBurnham, Buckinghamshire |
| • Louise Casey is certainly right in highlighting what she terms “first generation in every generation” (Casey raises alarm over lack of social cohesion , 5 December). Quote from father of four children – oldest son about 18 – when we lived in a very mixed community in a Yorkshire town: “My son will go out to Pakistan next week and decide which of his cousins he wants to marry – I don’t know whom he will chose. In three weeks we shall fly out for the wedding.” | • Louise Casey is certainly right in highlighting what she terms “first generation in every generation” (Casey raises alarm over lack of social cohesion , 5 December). Quote from father of four children – oldest son about 18 – when we lived in a very mixed community in a Yorkshire town: “My son will go out to Pakistan next week and decide which of his cousins he wants to marry – I don’t know whom he will chose. In three weeks we shall fly out for the wedding.” |
| Poor bride, who had doubtless never been to the UK, joining a family where the mother had moved, over the years we had known her, from wearing bright coloured Punjabi clothes to being clad totally in black and wearing a full face veil, in fact far less “integrated” than when she had arrived.Maureen PantonMalvern, Worcestershire | Poor bride, who had doubtless never been to the UK, joining a family where the mother had moved, over the years we had known her, from wearing bright coloured Punjabi clothes to being clad totally in black and wearing a full face veil, in fact far less “integrated” than when she had arrived.Maureen PantonMalvern, Worcestershire |
| • Louise Casey argues that one measure to “improve the integration of communities in Britain” would be “attaching more weight to British values, laws and history in our schools”. The teaching of British history could clearly be an important element in promoting integration and mutual understanding between cultures. After an introductory year on the struggle of British people to acquire legal, political and economic rights, I would suggest a year each on the British in Africa, the Caribbean, India and Ireland. Thus everyone could understand the extent to which we are already integrated in a common history.Professor Robert MooreTreffynnon, Flintshire | • Louise Casey argues that one measure to “improve the integration of communities in Britain” would be “attaching more weight to British values, laws and history in our schools”. The teaching of British history could clearly be an important element in promoting integration and mutual understanding between cultures. After an introductory year on the struggle of British people to acquire legal, political and economic rights, I would suggest a year each on the British in Africa, the Caribbean, India and Ireland. Thus everyone could understand the extent to which we are already integrated in a common history.Professor Robert MooreTreffynnon, Flintshire |
| • Alan Travis (Pace of change has overtaken flawed study, 6 December), commenting on the Casey review, suggests that “it is odd her inquiry focuses almost totally on Britain’s Muslim community”, whereas this was entirely expected by many of us who heard of the setting up of the commission and Casey’s appointment to lead it. While many of us have repeatedly highlighted not only the persistence of inequality, but the likely undermining of the ties that bind us together by the cuts to in-work benefits, the decimation of affordable housing, and the wholesale cleansing of poor people from parts of London; David Cameron instead commissioned Casey to produce this stilted review which posits the problem of “integration” at the feet of Muslim communities. | • Alan Travis (Pace of change has overtaken flawed study, 6 December), commenting on the Casey review, suggests that “it is odd her inquiry focuses almost totally on Britain’s Muslim community”, whereas this was entirely expected by many of us who heard of the setting up of the commission and Casey’s appointment to lead it. While many of us have repeatedly highlighted not only the persistence of inequality, but the likely undermining of the ties that bind us together by the cuts to in-work benefits, the decimation of affordable housing, and the wholesale cleansing of poor people from parts of London; David Cameron instead commissioned Casey to produce this stilted review which posits the problem of “integration” at the feet of Muslim communities. |
| Like a bad Hollywood movie, the temptation is to ignore this review with the hope that denying it the oxygen of publicity will see it disappear in to the ether. However, the lesson from Casey’s leadership of the troubled families agenda (which the government’s own study shows has achieved nothing) is that it will lead to ill-thought-through initiatives and policies that will at best be irrelevant to creating communities where everyone believes they belong, and at worst will further stigmatise and isolate. Casey may well believe she is championing the cause of Muslim women, but it is very likely that this review will do nothing for their families who are just about managing.Jabeer ButtDeputy chief executive, Race Equality Foundation | Like a bad Hollywood movie, the temptation is to ignore this review with the hope that denying it the oxygen of publicity will see it disappear in to the ether. However, the lesson from Casey’s leadership of the troubled families agenda (which the government’s own study shows has achieved nothing) is that it will lead to ill-thought-through initiatives and policies that will at best be irrelevant to creating communities where everyone believes they belong, and at worst will further stigmatise and isolate. Casey may well believe she is championing the cause of Muslim women, but it is very likely that this review will do nothing for their families who are just about managing.Jabeer ButtDeputy chief executive, Race Equality Foundation |
| • The Casey review shows alarming levels of segregation and social exclusion in Britain. Surely this is in part due to the government’s encouragement of and funding for faith schools and grammar schools. Why are they still pursuing such divisive policies?Judy RobertsPorthaethwy, Ynys Môn | • The Casey review shows alarming levels of segregation and social exclusion in Britain. Surely this is in part due to the government’s encouragement of and funding for faith schools and grammar schools. Why are they still pursuing such divisive policies?Judy RobertsPorthaethwy, Ynys Môn |
| • Dame Louise Casey is the latest establishment figure to bandy about the term “British values” – without stating what the hell she means. She spectacularly fails to understand that many in the Muslim community shrink back to traditions because they are constantly the target of ignorant ivory-tower nonsense like hers. | • Dame Louise Casey is the latest establishment figure to bandy about the term “British values” – without stating what the hell she means. She spectacularly fails to understand that many in the Muslim community shrink back to traditions because they are constantly the target of ignorant ivory-tower nonsense like hers. |
| Can I help? As a black person who – despite being a British citizen – was publicly insulted in the immediate aftermath of the 23 June referendum, I have a view on this. | Can I help? As a black person who – despite being a British citizen – was publicly insulted in the immediate aftermath of the 23 June referendum, I have a view on this. |
| British values currently seem to involve kneejerk short-termism, bigotry, populist rhetoric and socially-sheltered ignoramuses shooting their mouths off. | British values currently seem to involve kneejerk short-termism, bigotry, populist rhetoric and socially-sheltered ignoramuses shooting their mouths off. |
| In which case, Dame Louise Casey perfectly personifies British values.Amanda BakerEdinburgh | In which case, Dame Louise Casey perfectly personifies British values.Amanda BakerEdinburgh |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |
| • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters |