Were Royal family racist to Meghan, primary pupils are asked
PRIMARY school children are being given lessons on the Royal family, race and propaganda, as nine- and 10-yearolds are asked to consider whether the Duchess of Sussex would have as many “haters” if she were white.
Year Five pupils at a state school in Manchester have been asked to consider whether the Duchess’s treatment by the “bad media” led to her leaving her role in the family and Britain.
Worksheets posted by teachers on social media show young pupils sharing their conclusions that “people think that the Royal family have been racist to Meghan”, stating she was “treated differently” because one member “asked her if her child will be black or white”.
The lesson, at Birchfields Primary School in Fallowfield, was condemned by campaigners as “inculcating a set of cultural values in a way that is very close to indoctrination”.
Samantha Offord, the school’s head teacher, insisted the debate was “balanced, constructive and thoughtful”, allowing young people to discuss the “big” topic in a “safe and supportive environment”.
The project, part of a topic on the Royal family including the more traditional naming of kings and queens in history, came to light after two Year Five teachers posted photographs of children working on Twitter.
The lesson appeared to be based on an article posted on Buzzfeed, the news and entertainment website known for its viral listicles, in which newspaper and online articles about the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex were placed side by side to compare alleged media bias.
Dr Alka Sehgal-Cuthbert, co-ordinator and head of education at campaign group Don’t Divide Us, said the lesson as shown on social media was “incredibly one-sided” and “very partisan”. For it not to be considered “indoctrination”, she said, “there would need to be evidence that children had been encouraged to reflect on a range of issues”, with the work on show suggesting no other “possibilities have been considered”.
“It is inculcating a set of cultural values in a way that is very close to indoctrination,” Dr Sehgal-Cuthbert added.