Schoolgirl cahrged with racism

[dot.hawkes]

If the 14 yearold schoolgirl that has just been on the news, was fingerprinted and searched etc, does that mean she was arrested? I am unclear what she has been charged with? have we been told the truth about what she asked the teacher? If she was told by her teacher to join a group of 4 other pupils and discuss a topic in class, and 3 of those pupils did not speak English and the 4th spoke English and their language, and so translated for them, why when this girl asked to join another group was she not accomodated? unless she is not telling the truth about what she asked the teacher or the manner in which she asked it. How was she supposed to do the set task if there was a problem with the language? it does seem a logical and reasonable decision she has made, to ask that she gets as much out of her lesson as possible. Working with people who do not speak your language does not seem to be of much help does it? I think she had a right to ask to have the same treatment as the other 4, in that they had 4 people able to follow the discussion and only this girl was not able to follow it, surely she had a right to discuss the topic with other people in her own school class that she was able to understand and that could understand her. I think we are not being told just how this girl approached the issue, but in essence i feel her grievance at the time was valid. Anyone have any details on way she was treated as a racist offender? By that i mean what facts are there? Suppose she had carried on saying nothing for the rest of the term and then come assessment time and she had been asked to write about her discussions in class, what could she have said? 'Sorry but the teacher made me discuss the topic with a group of foreign speaking students that i could not understand and so i have not been able to take part to the best of my ability, ?

[Dassie]

If people are allowed to settle in Britain, then they should be able to speak some English and use it, especially in a school situated in Britain. They are not tourists. If they don't attempt English then they will remain an isolated part of the community.

[suffragette]

I cannot understand why a perfectly reasonable question has been interpreted by some people as having a secret agenda.

I suppose much of this debate depends upon context. If the girl politely asked to be removed from the group because she was unable to participate in the discussion in any productive manner, that would be one thing, but if she had a rant about foreigners not speaking the Queen's English and throwing a strop that would be another.

Either way, I'm not convinced police intervention will help in this situation and may actually lead to greater divisions between the racial groups in the school, nor am I overly impressed with school disciplinary procedures which seem hysterical rather than conciliatory.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/ 6047514.stm

[kita1]

shammydodger THE FACTS:

The girl was arrested this allowed them to fingerprint her body search her and take her DNA.

She was then placed in a 'holding cell' in a juvenile unit 'a concrete room with a concrete bed and a steel toilet in the corner' (if this is not a 'cell' what is?) for more than FIVE hours.

She was then questioned by police regarding a public order offence and released WITHOUT CHARGE.

This information does NOT come from the Daily Mail. (Although I do not think any newspaper would be allowed to print lies when they directly quote a Police Statement!).

Why are you attacking dot.hawkes?

Some people that come on this site are educated, well informed people that do not only read one newspaper! If you do not listen to the media or read newspapers who do you get your information off?

'of course the people that contribute to this sitte are in a much better position to give 'clarification of the facts'' THAN WHO?

All people are doing is having a discussion on something presently in the news, that affects us all one way or another!!! I thought that this is what this site is for.

[NikkiB]

Certain people always attack the Daily Mail (isn't that in itself prejudice?) or other papers as being inaccurate. Well, if you believe they are inaccurate or just plain lying, why not contact the Press Complaints Commission? The PCC exist to right tabloid wrongs and they have the power to come down hard on transgressors of the truth. If however, newspapers are merely printing uncomfortable truths, the law will not be on your side. I will await the PCC verdict on this story as published by the Daily Mail - surely at least one sceptic will complain?

[smudge]

I agree with you NikkiB regarding The Daily Mail - same old story every time, yawn, yawn!

[Dom Tuk]

if we go back in History at the time of the Raj, the british administrators ruled over and lived in a number of Asian and African countries for eg: india. now how many of them do you think learned the language of the country they looted and oillaged from. What goes round comes round.

[kempie]

A history lesson for Dom Tuk...

http://www.gpmsdbaweb.com/_supportdocs/Folder_ Dalrymple_Stuff/Ochterlony_When%20Albion's%20s ons%20went%20native.htm

[dot.hawkes]

who the hell would try to turn my question about this case into a personal attack on me, I know now why some abers avoid news and warn people to stay out, this is a case that genuinely interested me and i don't come into news to stir up trouble, and that accusation from shammydodger is totally offensive to me and i would like an apology, i can see no grounds for that comment, there is no hidden agenda about asking the well informed people on here a totally relevant question. Shammydodger i think that you have perhaps been on this site and in this category too long, you are obviously making judgements in an ill informed and quite rude way. Your attitude was unreasonable, off-hand, dismissive, patronising and your accusations were totally off track. Why is it that the focus on the issue I was asking about has to be shifted to highlight shammydodger's opinion, i was asking for facts about a current news item, not for personal criticism from a stranger over non-existent and totally imaginary issues that they have a problem with.

[johnizere]

totally agree with you, dot.

[kita1]

Well said dot!!

I notice shammydodger has not added to the discussion about the actual question at all! Makes me wonder if he/she has some hidden agenda?

Please do not be put off by such an idiot, dot.hawkes and I do not think they should be allowed to change the subject of this important question! This subject needs airing as it affects every one of us one way or another.

The fact of the matter is that the police can take a 14 year old out of school and put the child (that is what she is technically!) into a cell for over five hours AFTER bodysearching her and DNA and fingerprinting her - all for asking to be placed in a group that speaks the same language as her!!!!

Does shammydodger agree with these FACTS? I too think he/she should apologise to dot.hawkes.