Multiculturalism is possible - but, it will take a long time in the UK, purely, due to institutionalized racism. Unfortunately this may come from parents, family, TV and the rest of the media.

My children have been to school in Dubai, South London and now in Singapore.

In the Dubai and Singapore environments, whilst attending British curriculum schools, the mix of nationalities is as diverse as you could ever want. Children do not see any difference between skin colours, until they are perhaps 9 or 10 - if the difference has not been pointed out to them. They see their friends purely as that - friends.

If you ask a 3, 4, 5 or 6 year old to tell you about their latest friend, colour of skin will not come into it.

We have had best friends from India, Egypt, Iraq, Thailand, and most recently my three year old daughter has decided that she will be marrying a chinese Singaporean. (Fortunately in the chinese culture the bridegrrom's parents pay - so I am happy with that one.

Basically, adults are to blame!

BIJ, you don't seem to see that minority culture need encouraging in order for them to participate in society. The encouragement given to religion doesn't have to have anything to do with race.

As for jokes, that is just a question of individualism, I don;t find a lot fo what's on TV funny, most of it's just 'laddish' bollocks, if you ask me. Tastes are not defined by race. People often tendto socialise diferently because of the way they feel rejected by other groups rather than the other way round.

encouragement is one thing, but having prayer rooms and clubs specifically for people of these cultures/races is not really encouraging them to participate. it just serves to increase their seperation from the rest of society and traditional british culture

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hat is a very petty thing to be insulted over. i haven't noticed you started any threads over the way the french declined british beef. have you always eaten everything that people have offered you?!plus whilst the wearing of the headscarf may well impinge on their education in PE, this is a personal choice and doesn't have any influence on the standard of PE taught to other children. on that suject, i coach footballat a local school and a few of the kids wear religious headgear - but it hasn't affected them in any way whatsoever. in fact, one of the lads with the headgear is the star player.

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ah, you should have said earlier that you meant only when combined with schoo uniform. in that instance, i agree that all children shoud wear the same. however, before you seemed to suggest that the wearing of headscarbves by anyone at anytime was offensive.as for the 'blanket decision' - what about vegetarians then?? i bloody hate them the way they disregard our culture  Edited by tetley (05 Dec 2004 2:28am)

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