[cl_steele]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18207323

Personally i dont see why this question has proved so controvertial ... its a valid question and could prove to havesome very interesting answers from students and its not exactly irrelevant?
what do y'all think?

[premolar]

It seems we can't say anything about the Jews these days. Oh no ''anti-semitic''

[willbee]

I think it is fine. Jews have been persecuted throughout history and most significantly in the Holocaust. Religious Studies is the study of religions. This is a historical aspect of said subject.

Whoever objected to the question was clearly looking for something to complain about. I understand that anti-semitism is a sensitive issue but I think that makes it all the more important for it to be addressed in subjects like History and Religious Studies. If pupils can detail the reasoning behind the ignorance that leads to this sort of prejudice, it can significantly reduce the chances of that prejudice settling in.

[TheHistoryStudent]

Personally I think it's a perfectly valid question, but not for a GCSE paper - students at that level wont be doing near enough learning and research around the subject than they would at higher levels (either in lectures or on their own) to give a good answer, which in all honesty would probably require a good few thousand words on it (at least) to even get a basic answer - you're probably even looking at something which is a valid topic for a book there...

Anyway, yet again we've had another great line from the Education secretary... "to suggest anti-Semitism could ever be explained was "insensitive and, frankly, bizarre.".

The only way we'll ever overcome prejudice(s) is to look at why they happen and to try and explain them - it's not bizarre at all to look at the causes of things, as it is after all the search for truth (and the point of education...). By explaining why prejudice happens we can then seek to defeat it, simply saying "oh you can't explain it so it's pointless to try" - especially when we fear that we'll offend someone by doing so, is ridiculous - looking for the truth outweighs offending someone pretty much all the time in my opinion, and tip-toing around things because they're a sensitive subject doesn't result in credible answers for things being put forward. The man is correct to oppose the question I think, but he's done so in his typical retarded way.

Anyway - thems are my 2 pence.

[Angry Spartan]

Seemed like a fine question. Glad I didn't get it for my GCSE R.E. exam though.

[Kolya]

Gove to students: don't seek explanations about the world.

Further evidence that the education secretary isn't the sharpest lightbulb in the toolshed.

[prog2djent]

This would be an open door for people to actually explain lots of reasons - 12th century banking-interest privilages, Elder Of zion hoax, jewish population size - scapegoating etc etc, but would also serve as a vent for people, you know who, who's every other word is "blah blah blah zionism blah blah zionism blah blah blah zion zzz zzionzziozozicoziozozioznzzizozn zzzznnmmmmz zioznzioznzz zioz zioz zion blah lah niozimzion"

[TheHansa]

What if somebody gave a totally absurd answer then backed it up by saying they were anti-semitic for this very reason?


^ In case this went over any person's head, it is such a subjective question because people hate for many different reasons

[ROYP]

I wouldn't have a clue how to answer that. If it were about blacks or Muslims that's another story but why would anyone have anything against Jews?

[TourettesUnicorn]

I think the problem is how they worded the question. By saying "why are people prejudiced against Jews," AQA can be seen as implying that people have valid reasons to be prejudiced against Jews.

Perhaps a better way of wording the question would have been "explain the misconceptions surrounding Judaism."

[Lovefoxxx_93]

I don't see any problems with it.

[prog2djent]

(Original post by ROYP)
why would anyone have anything against Jews?

That will open a can of worms on TSR.

I'll get you started

Israel
Compared to Christianity and Islam, of which Judasm is FAR older than both, there are only 14 million, cue extreme scapegoating.
Could charge interest so were granted banking rights by the catholic church *jealousy
Success in that financial system
the catholic church, conservative anti-federalism christians in america

and http://worldoreason.blogspot.co.uk/2...-semitism.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pro...Elders_of_Zion

[TourettesUnicorn]

(Original post by prog2djent)
That will open a can of worms on TSR.

I'll get you started

Israel
Compared to Christianity and Islam, of which Judasm is FAR older than both, there are only 14 million, cue extreme scapegoating.
Could charge interest so were granted banking rights by the catholic church *jealousy
Success in that financial system
the catholic church, conservative anti-federalism christians in america

and http://worldoreason.blogspot.co.uk/2...-semitism.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pro...Elders_of_Zion

Brace yourself for negging.

[cl_steele]

(Original post by ROYP)
I wouldn't have a clue how to answer that. If it were about blacks or Muslims that's another story but why would anyone have anything against Jews?

have a look at Meine Kampf it basically sums up every anti-jewish point of view there is

[ROYP]

(Original post by cl_steele)
have a look at Meine Kampf it basically sums up every anti-jewish point of view there is

Is that actually available to buy? I reckon it'd be interesting to read

[Darth Stewie]

It's a stupid question to ask. Anti-semitism isn't logical nor are there any "correct" reasons why people circum to it. On top of this what kind of answers do you think you will get from schools that cater to particular groups of people who are renown for disliking Jews no matter what they do?

It was a stupid question to ask, you would never see "why are some people prejudice against blacks?" or "why do people dislike Pakistanis?".

[Joinedup]

There were stories in the news about parents in a certain minority religious group absenting their kids from lesson about the holocaust... Tbh the exam board is justified in tackling it straight on... Providing it doesn't give marks for the 'jews are the sons of pigs and made the whole thing up to justify stealing land' sort of answers.

[cl_steele]

(Original post by ROYP)
Is that actually available to buy? I reckon it'd be interesting to read

id imagine it is, they used to have a copy in my library but i just downloaded it to be quite honest though it is one of the most boring books you'll ever read... just full of disjointed ravings. puts reading the oxford dictionary to shame but with that being said it is interesting in its own way, just very hard work.

[4RealBlud]

(Original post by Darth Stewie)
It's a stupid question to ask. Anti-semitism isn't logical nor are there any "correct" reasons why people circum to it. On top of this what kind of answers do you think you will get from schools that cater to particular groups of people who are renown for disliking Jews no matter what they do?

It was a stupid question to ask, you would never see "why are some people prejudice against blacks?" or "why do people dislike Pakistanis?".

I see where you are coming from, but EVERYTHING has a reason, whether it's valid or not, in the eyes of the believer it is a reason. For Christains, a big part of it is that they blame the jews for the death of jesus, which is a tad unfair since jesus himself was jewish and the same would have happened to him wherever he was born. Other more generic reasons could be poor eduaction on the subject of the matter and misinformation.

People generally discriminate against each other because of a murky generalised image of a group of people. BNP supporters may discriminate against Pakistanis because they believe they are taking their jobs or because they fear their different culture and feel threatened. It doesnt mean that it's true, but there is a reason behind it as well as everything else.

I dont think it's a silly or insensitive question, i think it's just another example of the over-sensitisation of anti-semitism. I understand it's a sensitive issue, but come on, this isnt anti-semitism. Anti-semitism is on a completely different level.

[Florence321]

I think the main problem with it is how vague the wording is. I'm sure that if you were to look at it in relation to the markscheme it would make more sense and seem like a geniune historical/theological enquiry. As it is though, the question seems somewhat childish and - although it clearly wasn't the aim - like there are justifiable reasons for the prejudice.

For instance, you wouldn't just say "Explain why some people are prejudiced against black people". Something more like "Explain the vews of the KKK" might make more sense: something whch a little more clearly shows itself to be about knowledge. (not saying this is the perfect question but I hope my point is clear!!)