Best Practice

National pride in schools: Finding the right approach

Whole-school issues
If we avoid discussing ‘Britishness’ for fear of appearing exclusionary, students may seek identity elsewhere. Andrew Jones considers interculturalism and how a culturally responsive curriculum can cultivate a national pride that can be celebrated in schools
Symbolic: 'Balancing an appreciation for British or English traditions with our multicultural reality is complex but vital' - Adobe Stock

Watching the far-right riots last summer reminded me of George Orwell’s 1941 essay The Lion and the Unicorn, where he states: “One cannot see the modern world as it is unless one recognises the overwhelming strength of patriotism, national loyalty.”

He warned: "Hitler and Mussolini rose to power in their own countries very largely because they could grasp this fact and their opponents could not." (See Orwell, 2018).

While I am not deeply invested in nationalist sentiment, I take pride in being British and celebrating our successes in sports, the arts, and innovation.

At the same time, I acknowledge the risks of excessive national pride and the tribal instincts it can awaken.

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