So if your school, like Bilton School in Rugby, England, sent home something like this, you'd think wearing the Union Jack would be acceptable, right?
On Culture Day at Bilton School in 2025, you were apparently allowed to wear anything but UK attire.
Look at this:
No joke, and sadly this is what we've come to expect in the UK.
From Warwickshire World:
'Courtney didn't do anything to be political,' [her dad] Stuart said.
'She chose the dress and wrote the piece off her own back. It's the school who have made it political and it went against everything the event was being held for.'
This girl literally chose an outfit that reflected her culture, which is clearly what the school had asked her to do. She even wrote a short essay on British culture. But this got her sent to reception, where her dad decided to come pick her up because she'd been embarrassed by the school for simply celebrating her culture.
Here she is being interviewed with her dad:
Fortunately, the British school has apologized and will likely be making exceptions next year when it comes to celebrating British culture on Culture Day in Britain. A spokesman for the Stowe Valley Multi Academy Trust said,
At Bilton School, we are proud of the diversity of our students and the rich heritage they bring to our community. We are committed to fostering an environment where every pupil feels respected, valued, and included.
On Friday 11th July, an incident occurred during our Culture Celebration Day that caused considerable upset to one of our pupils, her family, and members of the wider community. We deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies.
They've since spoken with Courtney and her family, and will "reflect on how this could have been handled better." They also note that in the future they'll ensure that every student is able to express their heritage on these "culture days."
I'll believe it when I see it.
I'll leave you with Courtney's essay:
Today I want to talk about my culture — British culture — and why it's important to me.
In Britain, we have lots of traditions including drinking tea, our love for talking about the weather and we have the royal family.
We have amazing history, like kings and queens, castles, and writers like Shakespeare. It's also modern, diverse and always changing - with music fashion and food from all around the world blending into daily life. And let's not forget fish and chips!
Its also the way we speak, our humour, our values of fairness and politeness, and the mix of old traditions and new ideas
But sometimes at school, we only hear about other cultures — which is great because learning about different countries is interesting and important. But it can feel like being British doesn't count as a culture, just because it's the majority.
I think culture should be for everyone — not just for people from other countries or backgrounds. Being British is still a culture, and it matters too. It's part of who I am.
So let's celebrate all cultures — whether they come from far away or right here at home.
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