- Joined
- Jul 30, 2001
- Messages
- 633
Source
WE'RE DITCHING BC TO BE POLITE
10:30 - 22 March 2002
THE row over schools changing the traditional Christian "BC" dating system has deepened with the education authority hitting back at claims the move is "lunacy".
The new method of dating which replaces the familiar BC and AD in some school lessons is not an issue of "political correctness" but of politeness, says the education authority.
Acting director of education at Gloucestershire County Council Margaret Davies said it was common practice for BC (Before Christ) to be replaced by BCE (Before Common Era) and AD (Anno Domini) to be replaced by CE (Common Era).
Her comments follow a complaint by Gloucester mother Kathryn Doe, who said her 11-year-old son was being "robbed of his birthright" as Christianity was taking a back seat in schools.
Mrs Doe was upset that the move seemed to undermine the teaching of Christianity in schools and she raised the matter with Abbeymead councillor Andrew Gravells who described the move as "political correctness to the point of lunacy".
Replying to Coun Gravells, Mrs Davies said: "It has become common practice over the past decade for the use of BC and AD to be discontinued in many schools - and by publishers.
"This is not an issue of political correctness but rather of politeness.
"Nobody is trying to discount, or minimise, the fact that the Gregorian calendar is based upon the Christian heritage of Britain.
"However, the AD and BC are dropped out of consideration to the number of pupils, and parents, of other religions including Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus."
Mrs Davies said BCE and CE were thought to be more accurate as it was generally considered true that Christ was born around 4 BCE.
"This cessation of the use of BC and AD is in no way meant as a diminution of Christianity and its beliefs but is rather an ecumenical recognition that there are also many adherents to other religious systems and beliefs and these are increasingly represented within our schools."
Mrs Doe, 51, from Abbeymead, was upset that her son's city centre school ditched the terms AD and BC for dates in its religious education lessons.
She believed the decision to move from AD and BC - and the fact her son had never been taught the Lord's Prayer in school - threatened her ability to raise her son as a Christian.
The Government has dismissed as "nonsense" any suggestion that the dating system was being replaced.
The Department for Education and Skills said children in schools had been made aware of other dating systems.
"Schools are free to use those in addition to the normal BC and AD dates," it said.
"We are certainly not replacing BC and AD and it is nonsense to suggest that."
======================
Source
SHOULD WE BAN CHRISTMAS NOW, ASKS 'PC' ROW CRITIC
10:30 - 25 March 2002
A LEADING Conservative councillor has complained about history being rewritten in Gloucestershire schools by the replacement of BC and AD with BCE and CE.
County councillor Andrew Gravells is to question the council's cabinet over reports that schools have abandoned the use of BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno domini).
Instead, some schools are teaching children to use the terms BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).
Coun Gravells said he wondered if the logical extension of the change is to abandon the use of words like Christmas and Easter - or even to ban nativity plays.
He said: "Substituting the terms AD and BC with CE and BCE is political correctness taken to the point of insanity.
"The entire western world uses the Gregorian calendar based on the birth of Jesus Christ.
"Regardless of religious conviction, it is the way the world measures the passing of time.
"Dates are being made politically correct and history rewritten."
Coun Gravells had written to the acting director of education Margaret Davies after a city mother contacted him to say she feared her son's faith was being undermined by the date changes.
Mrs Davies replied that any changes to dating was not out of political correctness, but out of "politeness" to other faiths.
Coun Gravells has now tabled questions to Coun Charmian Sheppard, cabinet portfolio holder for education, to be answered at the county council meeting on Wednesday.
He has asked Mrs Sheppard if she thinks it would be "polite" to see nativity plays banned in schools
======================
Source
AD AND BC ARE SIMPLY NOT PC
10:30 - 25 March 2002
County tells schools to ditch dates
Education bosses at Shire Hall are being accused of going political correctness barmy.
Instead, the county council wants schools to replace Gregorian calendar dates with new PC alternatives.
BC, or Before Christ, becomes BCE - Before Common Era. AD, or Anno Domini, changes to CE - Common Era.
The move has been condemned by county councillor Andrew Gravells (Con, Barnwood) after a complaint from a parent.
Mother Kathryn Doe, 51, from Abbeymead, was upset that her 11-year-old son's school had abandoned the terms in religious education lessons.
Coun Gravells, who plans to oppose the change at a meeting of the full county council on Wednesday, said: "Substituting the terms is political correctness taken to the point of insanity.
"The entire western world uses the Gregorian calendar based on the birth of Christ. Regardless of religion, it's the way the world measures the passing of time."
The county's acting director of education Margaret Davies defended the change.
She said: "This isn't an issue of political correctness but rather of politeness.
"It's become common practice over the past decade for the use of BC and AD to be discontinued in many schools."
Coun Charmian Sheppard (Lib Dem, St Peter's), county council cabinet spokesman for education, agreed.
She said: "Given that schools are of multicultural faith these days it's not so much a lessening of using Christian terms but using all terms. It's thought also to be more accurate.
"Nobody is trying to discount or minimise the fact that the Gregorian calendar is based on Britain's Christian heritage.
"AD and BC are dropped out of consideration to pupils and parents of other religions. There is no diminution of Christianity in our schools."
n What do you think? Write to the Editor at 1 Clarence Parade, Cheltenham, GL50 3NY, send an e-mail to [email protected] or fax a letter to 01242 271803.
======================
Source
CHRISTIAN WORLD 'NOT HURT BY DATES SWITCH'
10:30 - 29 March 2002
THE Christian heritage of Britain is not being diminished just because one-in-five Gloucestershire secondary schools no longer use the terms BC and AD for writing dates.
And education portfolio holder Charmian Sheppard said she was happy for schools to decide whether to use BC and AD or the more neutral terms, BCE (Before Common Era) or CE (Common Era).And education portfolio holder Charmian Sheppard said she was happy for schools to decide whether to use BC and AD or the more neutral terms, BCE (Before Common Era) or CE (Common Era).
Coun Sheppard was responding to Tory councillor Andrew Gravells who said it was "political correctness to the point of lunacy" for Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (AD) to be abandoned in schools.
Coun Gravells was following up concerns of a constituent of his who feared the Christian heritage of the country was being undermined by the switch.
But at a meeting of Gloucestershire County Council yesterday, Coun Sheppard said she did not agree with Coun Gravells' comment about political correctness.
She said: "I am happy for individual schools to decide, depending on their circumstances.
"History is not being rewritten and the use of terminology by a small proportion of schools is in no way diminishing the Christian heritage of this country."
A survey of 40 schools by the county council found 100% of primary schools used AD and BC with 10% also using BCE and CE.
Of secondary schools, 80% use AD and BC, sometimes in conjunction with CE and BCE. And 20% used CE/BCE only.
Coun Sheppard added: "Schools do refer to the Gregorian calendar as being based on the birth of Christ. Those who do use CE/BCE also explain this - along with the fact that other religions and cultures use different systems.
"This is reflected in the fact that in most secondary schools which used both systems, it is the religious education department which makes use of CE/BCE."
Coun Sheppard dismissed Coun Gravells' question that an extension of political correctness could see words such as Christmas and Easter abandoned - and even the end of nativity plays.
She said: "There has been no suggestion for the abandonment of such terms and activities - other than the suggestion by Coun Gravells."
[Emp edit: Fixing 3 big links]
WE'RE DITCHING BC TO BE POLITE
10:30 - 22 March 2002
THE row over schools changing the traditional Christian "BC" dating system has deepened with the education authority hitting back at claims the move is "lunacy".
The new method of dating which replaces the familiar BC and AD in some school lessons is not an issue of "political correctness" but of politeness, says the education authority.
Acting director of education at Gloucestershire County Council Margaret Davies said it was common practice for BC (Before Christ) to be replaced by BCE (Before Common Era) and AD (Anno Domini) to be replaced by CE (Common Era).
Her comments follow a complaint by Gloucester mother Kathryn Doe, who said her 11-year-old son was being "robbed of his birthright" as Christianity was taking a back seat in schools.
Mrs Doe was upset that the move seemed to undermine the teaching of Christianity in schools and she raised the matter with Abbeymead councillor Andrew Gravells who described the move as "political correctness to the point of lunacy".
Replying to Coun Gravells, Mrs Davies said: "It has become common practice over the past decade for the use of BC and AD to be discontinued in many schools - and by publishers.
"This is not an issue of political correctness but rather of politeness.
"Nobody is trying to discount, or minimise, the fact that the Gregorian calendar is based upon the Christian heritage of Britain.
"However, the AD and BC are dropped out of consideration to the number of pupils, and parents, of other religions including Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus."
Mrs Davies said BCE and CE were thought to be more accurate as it was generally considered true that Christ was born around 4 BCE.
"This cessation of the use of BC and AD is in no way meant as a diminution of Christianity and its beliefs but is rather an ecumenical recognition that there are also many adherents to other religious systems and beliefs and these are increasingly represented within our schools."
Mrs Doe, 51, from Abbeymead, was upset that her son's city centre school ditched the terms AD and BC for dates in its religious education lessons.
She believed the decision to move from AD and BC - and the fact her son had never been taught the Lord's Prayer in school - threatened her ability to raise her son as a Christian.
The Government has dismissed as "nonsense" any suggestion that the dating system was being replaced.
The Department for Education and Skills said children in schools had been made aware of other dating systems.
"Schools are free to use those in addition to the normal BC and AD dates," it said.
"We are certainly not replacing BC and AD and it is nonsense to suggest that."
======================
Source
SHOULD WE BAN CHRISTMAS NOW, ASKS 'PC' ROW CRITIC
10:30 - 25 March 2002
A LEADING Conservative councillor has complained about history being rewritten in Gloucestershire schools by the replacement of BC and AD with BCE and CE.
County councillor Andrew Gravells is to question the council's cabinet over reports that schools have abandoned the use of BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno domini).
Instead, some schools are teaching children to use the terms BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).
Coun Gravells said he wondered if the logical extension of the change is to abandon the use of words like Christmas and Easter - or even to ban nativity plays.
He said: "Substituting the terms AD and BC with CE and BCE is political correctness taken to the point of insanity.
"The entire western world uses the Gregorian calendar based on the birth of Jesus Christ.
"Regardless of religious conviction, it is the way the world measures the passing of time.
"Dates are being made politically correct and history rewritten."
Coun Gravells had written to the acting director of education Margaret Davies after a city mother contacted him to say she feared her son's faith was being undermined by the date changes.
Mrs Davies replied that any changes to dating was not out of political correctness, but out of "politeness" to other faiths.
Coun Gravells has now tabled questions to Coun Charmian Sheppard, cabinet portfolio holder for education, to be answered at the county council meeting on Wednesday.
He has asked Mrs Sheppard if she thinks it would be "polite" to see nativity plays banned in schools
======================
Source
AD AND BC ARE SIMPLY NOT PC
10:30 - 25 March 2002
County tells schools to ditch dates
Education bosses at Shire Hall are being accused of going political correctness barmy.
Instead, the county council wants schools to replace Gregorian calendar dates with new PC alternatives.
BC, or Before Christ, becomes BCE - Before Common Era. AD, or Anno Domini, changes to CE - Common Era.
The move has been condemned by county councillor Andrew Gravells (Con, Barnwood) after a complaint from a parent.
Mother Kathryn Doe, 51, from Abbeymead, was upset that her 11-year-old son's school had abandoned the terms in religious education lessons.
Coun Gravells, who plans to oppose the change at a meeting of the full county council on Wednesday, said: "Substituting the terms is political correctness taken to the point of insanity.
"The entire western world uses the Gregorian calendar based on the birth of Christ. Regardless of religion, it's the way the world measures the passing of time."
The county's acting director of education Margaret Davies defended the change.
She said: "This isn't an issue of political correctness but rather of politeness.
"It's become common practice over the past decade for the use of BC and AD to be discontinued in many schools."
Coun Charmian Sheppard (Lib Dem, St Peter's), county council cabinet spokesman for education, agreed.
She said: "Given that schools are of multicultural faith these days it's not so much a lessening of using Christian terms but using all terms. It's thought also to be more accurate.
"Nobody is trying to discount or minimise the fact that the Gregorian calendar is based on Britain's Christian heritage.
"AD and BC are dropped out of consideration to pupils and parents of other religions. There is no diminution of Christianity in our schools."
n What do you think? Write to the Editor at 1 Clarence Parade, Cheltenham, GL50 3NY, send an e-mail to [email protected] or fax a letter to 01242 271803.
======================
Source
CHRISTIAN WORLD 'NOT HURT BY DATES SWITCH'
10:30 - 29 March 2002
THE Christian heritage of Britain is not being diminished just because one-in-five Gloucestershire secondary schools no longer use the terms BC and AD for writing dates.
And education portfolio holder Charmian Sheppard said she was happy for schools to decide whether to use BC and AD or the more neutral terms, BCE (Before Common Era) or CE (Common Era).And education portfolio holder Charmian Sheppard said she was happy for schools to decide whether to use BC and AD or the more neutral terms, BCE (Before Common Era) or CE (Common Era).
Coun Sheppard was responding to Tory councillor Andrew Gravells who said it was "political correctness to the point of lunacy" for Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (AD) to be abandoned in schools.
Coun Gravells was following up concerns of a constituent of his who feared the Christian heritage of the country was being undermined by the switch.
But at a meeting of Gloucestershire County Council yesterday, Coun Sheppard said she did not agree with Coun Gravells' comment about political correctness.
She said: "I am happy for individual schools to decide, depending on their circumstances.
"History is not being rewritten and the use of terminology by a small proportion of schools is in no way diminishing the Christian heritage of this country."
A survey of 40 schools by the county council found 100% of primary schools used AD and BC with 10% also using BCE and CE.
Of secondary schools, 80% use AD and BC, sometimes in conjunction with CE and BCE. And 20% used CE/BCE only.
Coun Sheppard added: "Schools do refer to the Gregorian calendar as being based on the birth of Christ. Those who do use CE/BCE also explain this - along with the fact that other religions and cultures use different systems.
"This is reflected in the fact that in most secondary schools which used both systems, it is the religious education department which makes use of CE/BCE."
Coun Sheppard dismissed Coun Gravells' question that an extension of political correctness could see words such as Christmas and Easter abandoned - and even the end of nativity plays.
She said: "There has been no suggestion for the abandonment of such terms and activities - other than the suggestion by Coun Gravells."
[Emp edit: Fixing 3 big links]
Yeah, like anyone's gonna do that. 
