On Sunday, I read that the Department for Education (DfE) issued some guidance on Thursday for school leaders and teachers involved in setting the curriculum categorised anti-capitalism as an “extreme political stance.”
According to the current UK government, it equates to “extreme political stances”, along with opposition to freedom of speech, antisemitism, desire to abolish or overthrow democracy, and endorsement of illegal activity.
I must say reading this piece of news on a Sunday morning in England was not something I ever expected. I moved here in 2009, to then join the BBC World Service, and always regarded England as a place of delightful and precious thinking, culture and literacy. To think that progressive ideas could now be banned from school, while I'm myself supposed to start teaching journalism again very soon makes me despair.
The horror of a global pandemic and of the profound consequences of the climate crisis have shown that, on the contrary, it is high time to at least rethink capitalism to make it compatible with life again... At least!
Two years ago, I was in London participating in a conference on the 200 years of the birth of German philosopher and economist Karl Marx (1818 - 1883), with remarkable British researchers, interested in socialism and anti-capitalist ideas, including Rachel Holmes, author of Eleanor Marx: A Life (2014) and Sylvia Pankhurst Natural Born Rebel (released this year), Clive Coleman and Jason Barker.
See here: https://www.bl.uk/events/karl-marx-imagined-and-the-young-karl-marx-screening
For over a decade, I had been the main researcher involved in the making of a film that became The Young Karl Marx, produced by JBA Productions and directed by Raoul Peck.
Trailer:
Born in Rhineland-Palatinate, Marx spent most of his working life in exile, fleeing an imperial regime banning socialist ideas, and finding refuge in England for more than 25 years.
And Marx is buried in Highgate, North London. The event to discuss his life and legacy in Britain was hosted at the British Library, in the heart of London. The film was also shown in highly artistic venues such as the ICA in London and the Watershed in Bristol.
Socialism and criticism of capitalism are entirely part of British history, and part of a healthy functioning society. It is outrageous to read a list that put anti-capitalist ideas next to crimes and denial of genocide. What could come next? Criticism of colonialism maybe? A few months ago only, the British terrorism police listed the ecological protest movement Extinction Rebellion as an “extremist ideology”. How far could this go?
Obviously, these sorts of guidance are highly worrisome. No country should be able, in 2020, the age of ever-flowing internet access and high achievement regarding the improvement of literacy to associate largely praised political ideas with some sort of crime.
The only comfort is that many already spoke to decry this measure.
The former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell said "the measures effectively outlawed reference in schools to key events in British history, and that it symbolised growing 'authoritarianism' within the governing Conservative party."
The economist and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said that the guidance showed “how easy it is to lose a country, to slip surreptitiously into totalitarianism”. He added: “Imagine an educational system that banned schools from enlisting into their curricula teaching resources dedicated to the writings of British writers like William Morris, Iris Murdoch, Thomas Paine even. Well, you don’t have to. Boris Johnson’s government has just instructed schools to do exactly that.”
The writer and activist Tariq Ali said the new guidance was a sign of “moral and political bankruptcy”.
Among many other thinkers, researchers, authors and journalists, I on the contrary believe we should teach all forms of political economy and even to young people. Growing up in France, I did have my first classes of civic education at the age of 10, and the first in sociology and history of economy from 13. Learning about ideas, learning critical thinking is indeed the only way to prevent citizens from being unable to make strong decisions when it comes to voting.
