month by the Equality and Human
Rights Commission (EHRC) and
published by the Department for
Education, outline how free speech must
be protected. These state that those who
try to ban controversial figures are in
breach of legislation, adding that the
rules must be observed by all universities
and unions. They explain that, while
students are free to protest peacefully
against speakers, unions cannot censor
their guests simply because they might
“offend, shock or disturb others.”
An EHRC spokesman said freedom of
speech should only be curtailed if “there
are safety concerns or it constitutes
unlawful behaviour.” If free speech rules
are broken, the Office for Students
regulator can step in and legal action can
be taken in the civil courts. The move
follows a string of incidents in which
students have tried to prevent speakers
from expressing views with which they
disagreed. Only last month, columnist
Peter Hitchens complained he was being
“censored” after the students’ union at
Plymouth University cancelled his
engagement to speak because, they
claimed, it clashed with LGBT events on
campus.
In a statement, the union stated “The
published views of Peter Hitchens are
not necessarily aligned with the Students'
Union’s vibrant celebration of the
LGBT+ community this month.” Mr
Hitchens, known for his conservative
standpoint on some social issues, said
excuses were being “dredged up” to
prevent him from speaking.
Meanwhile ...
Trainee snowflakes got a boost last
month when a petition about their study
hours came to the attention of MPs. An
on-line petition signed by around
180,000 people demanded a 10.00am
start to school lessons, “because
teenagers are so tired due to having to
wake up very early to get to school.”
It continues, “The government should
require secondary schools to start later,
which will lead to increased productivity
at school.”
In a debate on February 11 triggered by
the petition, MPs voiced support for the
argument that schools should start later
in the day for the sake of night-owl
teenagers. Some speakers however
warned that any change could make life
more complex for working parents,
meaning that some pupils may have to
walk home in the dark. The poor
darlings ...
And a former RSPB (Royal Society for
27
the Protection of Birds) officer got
himself into hot water in January by
describing hedge sparrows as “trollops.”
Chris Edwards was speaking at a
community wildlife group event in
Birmingham when he likened the
species, also known as dunnocks, to
prostitutes. His words upset Lorna
Preston so much that she stormed out of
the room in protest, claiming he had
made her physically sick. She described
his description of the mating habits of
the bird as a “slur on women,” adding,
“I’m not sure who in the room had an
awareness of the power at play.”
However, Ms Preston should have not
have been surprised. After all, the
publicity for the talk warned that Mr
Edwards would allude to the intimate
habits of some breeds. “Trollops!
Gigolos!” shouted the poster. “Chris
Edwards, formerly of RSPB, names and
shames them and gives an insight into
birds and their behaviour.”
The RSPB (who were unaware of the talk
before the complaint was raised)
responded with a statement complaining
about “derogatory or offensive
language,” described Mr Edwards’
alleged comments as “unacceptable.”
Continued overleaf