Is it worth the £50million cost to commemorate a war that started 100 years ago?
/// In a major speech in November setting out his ambitions for the centenary, David Cameron revealed two pupils and a teacher from every state secondary school will be given the chance to visit the great battlefields, such as the Somme, Verdun and Fromelles, and take part in remembrance ceremonies on the Western Front. ///
How will the pupils be selected, will it be on a certain achievement basis, showing no attention to ethnicity?
I ask this because in equality photos such as this one, pupils of Far Eastern origin always seem to be missing from such photo shoots, how can that be fair?
The answer to question one for me is probably
Question 2 I have no idea
I've had a thought about the photo though: maybe there were no Far Eastern pupils available?
You seem quite keen to celebrate a war that started nearly 75 years ago!
Given the obsessive cycle of commemorations of WWII events - I think 100 years since WWI is a genuine anniversary that probably is worth marking in some way.
It was hugely important in so many ways - in many respects it marked the begining of the death of colonialism and the British empire, the begining of modern warefare (at least in Europe) and set the stage for the events of the 20th century.
Well done, aog, standing up for the representation of our oriental friends. I expect selection will be on a random basis, but by all means write to the authorities insisting that those of "Far Eastern origin" be included.
The remembering of which war would you prefer we spend such educational and cultural money on ? Or do you think that none justifies it? How does it compare with the cost of a state or near state funeral? Or funding of the arts?
aog , do you agree that the Great War marked the beginning of the death of the British Empire? Or of colonialism ? Or of one but not the other, and, if so , which?
// pupils of Far Eastern origin always seem to be missing from such photo shoots,//
Do they? Why on earth would anyone think to examine pictures closely enough to reach that conclusion? It wouldn’t occur to me. However, now you’ve said it, the child in the centre of that picture could be of Asian origin, don’t you think?
naomi, some of us are so alive to racial discrimination, so in favour of ensuring that all races are depicted fairly, in good and bad, and so sensitive to that, that we search every newspaper, every article and every picture therein for evidence of any racial bias. Nothing wrong, but all good, in that.
the end of the first world war saw the end of most of the monarchy in Europe, but it was the end of WW2 that saw the end of the British Empire, and British Colonialism, But there were much colonialism taking place in the 19th century by other countries apart from Britain, Germany's for example was divided up after WW1.
/// Any Jews there, aog? I think we should be told! ///
You are just being ridiculous now.
Do you not agree that if photo shoots are so composed to show the diverse ethnicity of our country, all who are not distinctly white European, should be equally portrayed?