Why France Is Burning - Katharine Birbalsingh

Summary

Katharine Birbalsingh argues that social division and political violence are learned early. She warns that France shows where worsening tensions could lead if people stop talking across differences.

She says children are being taught to view society primarily through an “oppressor versus oppressed” framework. This, she argues, can lead them to see Britain as fundamentally bad and political opponents as evil rather than simply wrong.

Birbalsingh contends that this outlook weakens attachment to Britain and makes some young people more accepting of violence. Citing polls, she claims that only 40% of people are proud to be British, that one in four 18–24-year-olds consider political violence against opponents justified, and that the figure is higher among people who identify as progressive. She attributes these attitudes partly to what young people encounter at school, in the media, and at home.

Multicultural Patriotism

Birbalsingh advocates “multicultural patriotism”: people should be free to maintain different religious and cultural traditions while sharing a common civic identity and loyalty to Britain.

She describes her school’s practices—including singing patriotic songs, marking Remembrance Day, and teaching about the service and sacrifice of people from varied backgrounds—as ways to foster that shared identity.

Teaching History and Political Disagreement

Birbalsingh says young people can struggle to regard controversial public figures, including Charlie Kirk, as decent people because they interpret strong political disagreements as evidence of moral evil.

More broadly, she argues that schools and families should teach history in a way that includes complexity and shared national experience, rather than presenting it solely as a story of oppressors and victims.

Presenters and Contributor

• Presenters: Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster
• Guest: Katharine Birbalsingh