By Anjum Peerbacos
@mamaanji
“Eating Fish n Chips Miss” was the response when I asked my Year 9 class. I posed this question as David Cameron has asked teachers up and down the country to teach our young people “British Values”, but as a person born and bred in Great Britain, I’m not entirely sure what he means.
Do I agree with the Year 9 students? Is being British eating fish and chips on a Friday? Well then in that case I’m very British, the school canteen serves fins and chips every Friday and the alternative can be limited. Or is it going to a sporting event and standing and swearing your allegiance and loyalty to the Queen as the national anthem was blasted out of the speakers in the stadium. I did this yesterday at the Olympic Park whilst watching a basketball game with my family. Is this being British or instilling British Values?
Or is it supporting team GB regardless of the catastrophic defeat which they claimed! Every basket, foul, challenge roared through the supporters in the crowd. Is this being inherently British? If so then that’s a big yes for me.
Or is it supporting Andy Murray at Wimbledon, or Mo Farah at the Olympics? Tick
Or is it merely putting the kettle on in a crisis? Or when celebrating? Or having a chat with friends? Or having tea and cake in the afternoon? If that’s the case then I’m definitely British. The afternoon tea and cake is a staple in our household, so that must put us high up in the Britishness stakes.
Or is it the painful politeness of being trodden on and then apologising to the person who has done the treading?
Or being so extremely excruciatingly close to someone and still not uttering a word, in other words, on the crowded underground train during rush hour. Sounds extremely British. Then again, by that measure, I am definitely British.
Or is being British never crying in public, “I don’t cry, I’m British” taken from the children’s movie “Planes”. Yup not me, cry like a baby behind closed doors but never, ever in public.
The list could go on and on, of course, but what does Cameron actually mean? I actually believe that the tolerance and acceptance and the humanity in Great Britain makes it Great. Charity events, humanitarian aid, people feeling persecution from all over the world being able to seek refuge here; that’s what makes us Great Britain. Having an understanding of the value of human life, all human life makes us Great Britain.