Baljeet Ghale, the first ethnic minority president of the National Union of Teachers, believes that ordering schools to teach “British values” merely incites racism. During the NUT’s annual conference in Harrogate last week, she said that plans to put Britishness on the curriculum risked encouraging the "shadow of racism." Conference Professor Gus John said attempts to teach British values would be "fatuous", whilst further claiming that all schools must assume that they are institutionally racist.  

Ghale pointed out during her conference speech; ‘Education Secretary Alan Johnson had described the "values we hold very dear in Britain" as "free speech, tolerance, and respect for the rule of law." Aren’t these values commonly shared by just about every nation on earth?

Once upon a time cool Britannia was the buzzword. A Brit oozed class in every sense of the word; the dress sense, poise, manners and sheer class, all through clever marketing and PR. This is a legacy still prevalent all around the globe. Years ago I remember flicking through a mainstream British newspaper and spotting a larger than normal animation depicting Mohamed Al-Fayed as a trembling dog being put to the task then home Secretary Jack Straw, who had refused to grant him British nationality. Despite his status as a giant in the world of commerce and enterprise, the caricature perfectly portrayed the degrading lengths Al Fayed was prepared to go to in his pursuit of seeking acknowledgement and acceptance into British public life.

This, remember is a man who has spent the best years of his life serving the interests of the UK. Through his investments he has contributed heavily to the government tax coffers and employed countless citizens of this great country. A man who for years was seemingly obsessed with Britishness, wearing a kilt for a photo shoot and emulating the lives of the elite and upper classes at every opportunity, Al Fayed had failed to convince the powers that be that he was a credit to the UK, though criminals and vagabonds have been accepted with open arms and prospered. Events since the death of Diana mean that the hunt for the Holy Grail will forever remain just that, a quest. Al Fayed embodied Britishness.

I didn’t have the opportunity to study beyond school so I only have a core number of teachers who I can aspire to. Baljeet Ghale was my English teacher and along with my head of history I’d like to say that she has been significant in influencing my future. My best assignment in English was about Racism in Sport and I got to study about Brian Close of Yorkshire cricket club and his derogatory comments regarding Asians representing Yorkshire. My love for the subject, nurtured and honed by the brilliant Ghale ensured I achieved top marks. Baljeet Ghale did for English what Ruud Gullit did for sexy football.

Yet the first black President of the NUT is in the line of fire for having the temerity to claim that Britishness lessons are racist. Have I missed something here because I really need someone to educate me on exactly what British values are. Would I be unpatriotic for claiming that more than general consensus around the world see being British as a means of getting pissed up to the nines in a far away land, mooning at a coach full of senior citizens, vomiting in the backstreets of a foreign nation, and after leaving a foreign cell, bitching about not having caviar after being squeezed in to a 2x2 cell with an inmate called Martha. To top it all off this inexcusable behaviour is nothing to do with the individual, and everything to do with the booze.

We live in a society where one refers to a fellow human as ‘fuckawallah’ and ‘Poppadum’ on national and international TV. Should we be surprised then, when confused citizens of the world use reality TV and Faliraki yobs as reliable yardsticks when measuring British manners and values?

In a democracy it is impossible to disagree when Ghale says that the British should not have the stranglehold on tolerance and free speech. In light of failures galore, both home and abroad, should it not be more important to look into what the British can and are offering the rest of the ‘uncultured’ world.

For the sake of enlightenment, can someone please define British values, as the far right racist British National Party are also claiming to representing true British values. Is it being, proud, white and not surrendering to the IRA? Maybe it is time I took a test.

The government thinks that a meaningless certificate will make an honest/ upright / God fearing (Delete as appropriate) citizen of all ethnic settlers and visitors to the UK. White English colleagues I have spoken to have been baffled by the governments ‘absolute nonsense’ stance on Ghale’s comments and yet some old timers have bravely replied; “When in Rome…”, an opinion which could also be reversed.

The government needs to take a stance on the real issues at home involving crime, education, poverty, child poverty and unemployment. I agree with the mindset calling for the promotion and teaching of human rights, equality, freedom of expression, democracy without the added tag of "Britishness". The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 states: ‘Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.’

I have to agree with Ghale all the way and as she profoundly sized up; "If the current government was marked with an Ofsted grading it would be given a notice to improve.” The government and media are focussed their own biased version of British ideals, values being from those of the individuals it is hoping to integrate. I sometimes feel a hypocrite for telling my students to be model citizens when the appalling reality is an altogether different matter. It is not unpatriotic to oppose Britishness tests. There’s a fine line here and this is about forcefully projecting your will over another. In a democracy this is deplorable. Also the values of being a resident of the UK are not in any way restricted or monopolised by the British. These are values of all major civilisations and must be encouraged and promoted as such.