Ep 09: Exploring Division and Diversity in Education with Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert

Wisdom Rebellion

In today’s episode, our host Kat Kuczynska sits down with Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, the thoughtful director of Don't Divide Us, an organisation that challenges the rise of critical race theory and divisive ideologies in our schools. Together, they explore the substantial growth of diversity and inclusion roles across various sectors, especially in education, and discuss the financial and ideological implications of this trend.

Alka voices her concern over the rise of relativistic ideas in education, urging a re-evaluation of how these ideologies shape our children's future and the very fabric of democracy. As we confront the encroachment of critical race theory and other ideologies, their conversation underscores the vital need to preserve intellectual integrity and promote a curriculum grounded in truth and traditional values. Stay tuned to Wisdom Rebellion for more insights into how we can reclaim our educational institutions and ensure a unified and informed future.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Backlash against anti-racism efforts in schools.

04:27 Academic turned activist, whose aim is to support parents.

08:02 Untrue allegations that racism persists despite historical and social progress.

14:11 How knowledge has been hijacked by activists

15:08 Critical theory spread beyond academia is causing harm.

19:24 Confusion about elite projects with left-wing associations.

21:35 Higher education fostering relativistic and radical ideas.

26:07 Schools play a role in children's political education.

29:02 Senior professors unable to voice their thoughts.

32:41 Discussion on politics in classrooms

36:22 The new handbook that aims to shape education worldwide.

40:36 Curriculum must respect traditional disciplinary knowledge.

About Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert

Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert is an educator, academic, author and campaigner who believes passionately in the essential importance of impartiality both in education and as a prerequisite for the civilised conversations necessary for democracy to flourish. Alka comes to the directorship of Don’t Divide Us following two years as its founder lead on education, a campaign which she felt impelled to join as a counter to the fractious and one-sided discussions about race relations in the UK which have dominated since 2020.

Alka began her career teaching English Literature in inner city London and went on to become a member of the Ofsted Advisory Panel on English. Until recently she was still practising on the front line as an English teacher with the Civitas Education Charity supplementary schools project. She is a prolific author of specialist texts on education, including What Should Schools Teach? Disciplines, Subjects and the Pursuit of Truth (IoE UCL Press, 2017). She has spoken at numerous prestigious conferences and gave evidence to the 2016 All-Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry (APPGI) on Knowledge and Skills in Education.

Alka made a characteristically bold entrance into politics in 2017, standing for the Brexit Party as a protest against the potential democratic deficit that would have followed had the popular vote not been enacted.

Alka is a wife and mother of two adult children. She enjoys cooking, opera and travelling to visit family in India, when time allows.

Socials

https://dontdivideus.com

https://www.facebook.com/DontDivideUsOfficial/

https://www.instagram.com/DontDivideUsOfficial/

https://twitter.com/DontDivideUsNow

https://www.youtube.com/@dontdivideus1122

About Kat Kuczynska

Successful entrepreneur and a mother turns into a wisdom seeker to figure out how to thrive in an ever-changing and challenging world.

Socials

https://www.youtube.com/@WisdomRebellion

https://twitter.com/WisdomRebelion

https://www.facebook.com/wisdomrebellion/

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https://www.tiktok.com/wisdomrebellion/