- Thursday, April 18, 2024
By: Keerthi Mohan
A NEW British show that has been labelled as a radical experiment has exposed the prejudice and racist views white kids have against Asians and vice versa.
Channel 4’s The Great British School Swap swaps students from schools throughout different areas across the UK.
The show had Tamworth Enterprise College, a secondary school in Tamworth, comprising of a about 95 per cent white British student population, swapping students with those from Saltley Academy, a secondary school in Birmingham with less than one percent white British students.
An early scene from the show has white students calling their Asian classmates “burkas.”
“Apparently the burkas are like trying to, like, ban bacon and get rid of bacon which if they did I wouldn’t be happy,” a pupil from Tamworth Enterprise College said.
Meanwhile, another student said she was uncomfortable with the fact that her fellow student identified as bisexual.
Lucas, who is bisexual and transgender, was told by fellow pupil Kiran: “Shall I say my honest opinion?
“I just don’t like gay people.
“I just don’t know.
“I feel weird around them.”
Racist views were voiced by students’ parents as well.
“I’ve not met many Asians in Tamworth because they’re all in Birmingham,” a parent said. “They’ve not come over yet. I’m waiting for them to come over here and try and take our jobs.”
Outraged viewers immediately took to microblogging platform Twtter to slam the scenes.
“No child picks up those words on their own! No one of any colour or religion is born racist, you are simply a product of your environment,” wrote one.
“Children are not born racist. Learnt behaviour! So important to teach equality and diversity! Can’t bear to watch,” another tweeted.
