Plan to Monitor Uni Student Radicals

[Deano!]

Even though I'm a hate-filled, goose stepping, fruit cake right-winger, I think this is going too far. The idea of monitoring students so that incorrect opinions can be corrected (how would you do that?) seems characteristic of the very groups they deem unacceptable.

It sounds like the idea is being sold by promoting it as a national security device, but I'm worried that it will soon become an instrument to refuse education services to anyone with incorrect opinions. So much for university campuses being hives of political discussion and ideas.

The best way to combat nutters with extreme ideas like me, is to let us spout our wares from the rooftops and let the crowd decide if they like what they hear. I never thought I'd be speaking out in favour of student radicals.

[David Johnson]

Can this be true? A proposal for more monitoring of students from a Lib Dem member of the House of Lords?

After all, it was the Lib Dems who used their influence in the coalition to battle night and day in order to get the curfews within control orders renamed as overnight residency requirements. A real triumph in my book.

Personally, I am most surprised by this development I would like a Lib Dem supporter to explain this turnaround to me.

My guess is the Lib Dems didn't realise things were quite so bad in early May 2010 until their eyes were opened in late May 2010.

!wink!

Cheers
D

[Lizard]

"After all, it was the Lib Dems who used their influence in the coalition to battle night and day in order to get the curfews within control orders renamed as overnight residency requirements. A real triumph in my book."

I think the word is 'Flatulence' as opposed to Influence, they don't have any of that, along with moral's.

[David Johnson]

Agree totally.

Cheers
D

[beutelwolf]

I think that idea is so daft it's a total non-starter.

There is no way lecturers would be prepared to do that, but it's not practical either. I mean, I am teaching Computer Science, and the only essay I had my students write in the last few years was to discuss in what circumstances the O-notation helps to decide which programs are more efficient than others, and in what circumstances it would fail to do that. Beats me how I am supposed to sniff out extremist politics in essays on that subject.

To quote from the article "The same as university lecturers for example see it as their duty to tackle racism, sexism, homophobia, I think they should also feel it's their duty to tackle radical, extreme and intolerant thoughts which are justified through Islamist ideology." That at least I can agree with - as I do not see it as my duty to tackle any of these. I am teaching adults, and their beliefs are their private matter AFAIAC.

The only way these sort of issues ever come up in the Sciences is when students are directly abusive towards staff or other students. And then it is a disciplinary matter, not an educational one.

[Arginald Valleywater]

Orwell anybody?