In journalism, a “trial balloon” is a story or photo that is run with a particular message or angle but written in a subtle manner in order to gauge public reaction for a specific end. It’s done a lot in politics and especially with social ideas, programs, or messages that an organization or the government wants to promote. People who don’t like or opposed the proposition are accused of having a “slipperly slope” argument, but that is merely a crass dismissing of a real issue. Big trees grow from little seeds, and major social changes begin with introducing small social changes.
This story is not a “trial balloon,” but what it describes happens is one by a different form. Le Beaucamps High School and specifically, this teacher knows what she is doing by telling the students they have to “convert to Islam” for a “homework” assignment- they are preparing the children to convert to Islam on the threat of much greater pains, like social ostracism, slavery, or death. After all, no Muslim student will ever be asked as part of a “homework assignment” to “convert to Christianity.”
A copy of the assignment, from the UK Mirror
Fortunately, British parents are very angry, but it will take more than anger to solve this problem.
Perhaps what is most interesting is that the teacher in question, a Ms. Amber Stables, works in a department completely unrelated to anything about Islam, as she is a photography teacher. This then begs another question, as in many high schools (but not all), teachers are not allowed to merely teach cross-discipline without particular certification, and since it does not seem she was serving as a substitute, why was she teaching a religion class?
From the UK Express:
Teacher Amber Stables told pupils: “Focus: How would it make you feel having to tell your parents this? How would/could they react?”
Ms Stables added a disclaimer that the homework is a piece of creative writing and fictional.
She said: “YOU ARE NOT ACTUALLY CONVERTING TO ISLAM.
“It is purely to test your knowledge of what we have learnt this year and how well you can argue objectively!!!!”
The news comes in the wake of the Trojan Horse plot last year which saw hard-line Islamists allegedly trying to take over a number of Birmingham schools and oust non-Muslim staff.
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