Yorkshire Parkin Cake And Tea Under Investigation

[naomi24]

//Leeds City Council has launched an educational research project into tea produced in Yorkshire and Yorkshire parkin cakes over links to colonialism and the slave trade.//

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/yorkshire-tea-parkin-cakes-slave-trade-b1888049.html

Meanwhile, cuts in expenditure will, among other things, result in job losses, cuts to health care and the closure of some care homes.

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/what-leeds-city-council-cutting-19929645

Good to see they have their priorities right.

[Mamyalynne]

I would hope so Sanmac, everything needs context, unless of course we don't teach children anything.

[naomi24]

//Will there be a teaching "module" that explains to the children the very real fact that black leaders, war-lords, rulers, etc sold, on the African continent, their own people and conquered tribes into slavery?//

No, sanmac, there won't. You can bet your boots - and more - on it!

[sanmac]

Naomi, let's face it, you are most likely to be correct; however, I shall still, vainly I suspect, hope that ML's approach might be adopted.

[sp1814]

Excellent idea.

Too many people don't know about links to slavery. Educate, educate, educate.

That's the answer.

[naomi24]

Sigh. ^Another one with his priorities right. Close the care homes and spend the money instead in education about something that was abolished a couple of hundred years ago. That’s sensible!

[douglas9401]

I suppose in fairness that's what history lessons are more or less.

Those who don't learn from it are doomed to be lied to.

Same as it ever was.

[naomi24]

Not at a cost to more urgent - and more important - issues, Douglas. That’s not fair at all.

[Theland]

Teachers have a darned cheek deciding what to teach our kids in the history lessons.
Teacher left wing bias is a real danger.

[sp1814]

naomi24

I don't think council budgets work like that.

There will be an allocation for parks, housing, eduction, parking, housing etc.

This money for this project will come from the education budget. Councils have separate budgets for each area of responsibility. If savings were made in say education, that money wouldn't be available for social care as the budget would've been agreed during the previous spending review:

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/local-government-funding-england

Also - are you sure that parkin cake and tea are 'under investigation'? Surely 'being researched' is more appropriate.

[Mamyalynne]

Teachers individually do not decide what to teach.

[naomi24]

SP, Councils juggle budgets and personally I would rather see this money go towards the youth centre that’s being closed.

I used the heading from the article which said that parkin cake and tea are 'under investigation' - that page has since been updated with other news.

[sp1814]

naomi24

That's not how it works (see my link).

Councils have budgets allocated fro council tax, business rates and central Government. Funds are allocated to specific areas. Councils cannot move money from one budget to another. It simply doesn't work like that.

Regarding youth clubs - they're funded by local government children’s services budgets and central Government's Early Intervention grant, not the education budget.

And again, you can't rob Peter to pay Paul.

Education is important and it's vital to have an honest conversation about imperialism no matter how uncomfortable it can make some people.

[fcc]

Hope that honest conversation includes Robert Mugabe,Idi Amin,
and how people have starved since the white farms have been taken over.

[naomi24]

SP, read your link. It tells you councils must run balanced budgets and they allocate funds.

It’s not a case if people feeling uncomfortable - the history of my country doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable. I think we were bloody brilliant!

I’ve no objection to teaching history - in fact in my opinion it’s imperative - but I don’t agree with promoting one area specifically. Certainly we can and should learn from history but we should also do the sensible thing and acknowledge that it’s in the past.

[sanmac]

"...no matter how uncomfortable it can make some people." Yes, it might make some black people left feeling uncomfortable to learn that their ancestors were deeply involved in the slave-trade. They were, in essence, the wholesalers; the white people were the retailers; and the "goods" that the black people were selling off were people of their own colour.

[sp1814]

naomi24

"but I don’t agree with promoting one area specifically."

Isn't this simply filling in a missing part of history? I think if kids are taught about the industrial revolution, the British Empire, 18th century trade etc, then these holes should be filled in.

There needs to be a frank conversation about British history. Not by ignoring or demonising imperialists but understanding how and why we are where we are.

You wrote:

"It tells you councils must run balanced budgets and they allocate funds"

Yes...but within streams. The education budget must be balanced, the street cleaning budget must be balanced, the education budget must be balanced, but these are different budgets. If the eduction budget isn't balanced, councils can't simply take funds from another.

[sp1814]

sanmac / fcc

Indeed.

All these should be taught instead of being ignored.

I mean - look at the horror stories which kids didn't know. African leaders' collusion with slavers like Thomas Thistlewood who raped thousands of black female slaves at his Jamaican plantation

...and forced slaves to defecate into the mouths of those who had tried to escape, whom he then gagged.

I didn't know what 'gagged' meant in this context. He made slaves defacate into other slaves mouths, then bound them!!!

All these stories should be told.

[Spicerack]

They don't need to be learning that kind of nonsense, SP.
If you had kids you'd understand.

[royfromaus]

I mean - look at the horror stories which kids didn't know. African leaders' collusion with slavers like Thomas Thistlewood who raped thousands of black female slaves at his Jamaican plantation
_____________________

The part of the black Africans was nicely downplayed there...that's how history should be taught.
Naughty African leaders!

[sp1814]

Spicerack

Nonsense?

Hmm…

royfromaus- you make a good point there. There are articles I’ve read online which deal with the collective amnesia that African nations have concerning their forefather’s involvement in slavery.

However what I’ve noticed amongst some people is the moment slavery is mentioned they talk up one aspect (African involvement) whilst simultaneously downplaying the role of Europeans.

I suppose no-one wants to admit the failings of the past.

But surely education rather than obsfuscation is the answer?