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The UK govt’s paper on free speech in Unis (with implications for Wales) is getting a lot of attention.
Worth noting then that an important part of the evidence-base on which it rests relates to (demonstrably false) claims about my own institution
1/ https://www.bbc.com/news/education-55995979
Worth noting then that an important part of the evidence-base on which it rests relates to (demonstrably false) claims about my own institution
1/ https://www.bbc.com/news/education-55995979
If you read the UK govt paper you’ll see that for evidence of the alleged problem in Unis, the UK government relies heavily on two research papers published by Policy Exchange in 2019 and 2020. Take a look here...
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https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/961536/Higher_education_free_speech_and_academic_freedom.pdf
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https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/961536/Higher_education_free_speech_and_academic_freedom.pdf
The former 2019 report by Simpson & Kaufmann is particularly important: it sets this particular ‘culture wars’ hare running
It presents survey evidence about student attitudes towards free speech focused on (alleged) real life cases
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https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Academic-freedom-in-the-UK.pdf
It presents survey evidence about student attitudes towards free speech focused on (alleged) real life cases
3/
https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Academic-freedom-in-the-UK.pdf
The most important case for their argument is what they claim was the ‘de-platforming’ of Germaine Greer at Cardiff University; it’s this where they find the strongest evidence of ‘emotional safety’ being prioritised over ‘free speech’
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The problem with this is that it never happened!
Greer was not de-platformed
While there were student protests against her talk, it went ahead with the university’s full support; support premised on the institution’s strong support for free speech
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Greer was not de-platformed
While there were student protests against her talk, it went ahead with the university’s full support; support premised on the institution’s strong support for free speech
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How do I know? Because to use a phrase familiar to supporters of Welsh rugby, ‘I was there’.
I even had a chat with Greer after her talk…
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I even had a chat with Greer after her talk…
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By the way, this isn’t some kind of secret. Several UK newspapers who’ve tried to repeat the claim about de-platforming Greer have had to print corrections
Yet the Policy Exchange 2019 report remains uncorrected on its website
And is now being cited by the UK govt
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Yet the Policy Exchange 2019 report remains uncorrected on its website
And is now being cited by the UK govt
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So, here’s the thing.
The UK govt is planning to open a new front in culture war focused on the alleged indifference of unis to free speech. But to justify this they are relying on a report that is not only based on a falsehood (Germaine Greer was *not* de-platformed)
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The UK govt is planning to open a new front in culture war focused on the alleged indifference of unis to free speech. But to justify this they are relying on a report that is not only based on a falsehood (Germaine Greer was *not* de-platformed)
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Even worse, it's an example that actually demonstrates the opposite of what's being claimed: Cardiff University supported the principle of free speech rather than undermine it
But, hey ho: true is false; false is true. Let's invade Oceania…
/FIN
But, hey ho: true is false; false is true. Let's invade Oceania…
/FIN