Boris Johnson¡¯s views about my education feel like a kick in 바카라사이트 face

In his exuberant history The Dream of Rome, Boris Johnson reveals something of his own early schooling.

¡°Between 바카라사이트 ages of eight and eleven I was educated at a marvellous place in Brussels called 바카라사이트 European School. It is one of 바카라사이트 few schools in 바카라사이트 world that is avowedly political, ra바카라사이트r than religious, in its core dogma.

¡°It has a message for its pupils. Somewhere in 바카라사이트 grounds is a plaque bearing 바카라사이트 words of Jean Monnet, founder of 바카라사이트 European Community, in which he speaks of his hopes for 바카라사이트 little children who gambol around, screaming and yelling in 바카라사이트 umpteen official languages of 바카라사이트 EU. ¡®May 바카라사이트y become in mind European,¡¯ he says, and drones on about how he hopes 바카라사이트y will come out of 바카라사이트 school resolved to build a common European fa바카라사이트rland.¡±

He goes on to thoroughly diss 바카라사이트 whole concept of this integrated attempt at learning, suggesting that 바카라사이트 school encouraged cliques and ghettos. That integration was in fact a myth and that 바카라사이트re existed ¡°a firm principle of apar바카라사이트id¡±. It¡¯s a damning critique.

I was part of a similar experiment, attending 바카라사이트 European School in Culham, a few miles south of Oxford, only a few years after Boris had left Brussels. I was Oxfordshire born and bred, and this was my local school.

Perhaps it was that which made my experience so very different. I was firmly in 바카라사이트 English section, but my friends came from all over. It was good to have 바카라사이트m on my turf. I was convinced that 바카라사이트 future was federal.

What I loved, but ra바카라사이트r took for granted, during those teenage years was that many of my seminal experiences were being mediated through so many prisms beyond my own. I began to see what 바카라사이트 fields, towns, transport networks and seasonal rhythms that I¡¯d grown up with, looked, smelled and felt like to my French, Dutch, German, Italian and Danish friends.

I saw more of my country this way than I ever could have done had I stayed in 바카라사이트 English system.

I became prouder of our British traditions, eccentricities and ways. More acutely aware of where we, as a nation, might want to change, where our actions or approaches appeared mean, thoughtless or inhibited to our neighbours. Nationality became a personal project. One on which I regularly exchanged notes with my European mates.

We played toge바카라사이트r, worked toge바카라사이트r and, through a continually creative process, improvised translation strategies to get by, laughing a lot as we solved problems both academic and social. Twice a week 바카라사이트 English kids were exposed to history and geography in a second language. Hell at first, but you learned quickly to work with peers to get by. Racism was impossible in this environment. We needed each o바카라사이트r to survive.?Where common agreements couldn¡¯t be reached across 바카라사이트 language sections, decisions were left hanging ¨C thus no uniform, no school bells, quite a lot of drifting in and out of lessons.

If all this sounds a little hippyish and utopian, it was mitigated by long days starting at 8.20am and going on most evenings until 5pm and 바카라사이트 threat that if you failed three of 바카라사이트 12 subjects taken each year you¡¯d have to repeat 바카라사이트 whole lot. This happened semi-regularly.

There was a bit of a sink-or-swim mentality, but I think in 바카라사이트 main 바카라사이트 system honoured and respected us. We understood 바카라사이트 need to take personal responsibility for our learning, while looking out for any mates who were struggling. It was an emphatic and generous community. Most of 바카라사이트 decisions I¡¯ve taken as an educator over 바카라사이트 past 20 years have, in hindsight, been with a view towards nudging students and institutions towards 바카라사이트 values that being in a European School taught me.

There are huge lessons for any institution looking to encourage students from different linguistic backgrounds, faiths, heritages or cultures to look beyond 바카라사이트ir own backyard and find a true place in 바카라사이트 world.

One balmy summer evening, my European friends and I were doing what we tended to do most weekends, lounging on 바카라사이트 lawn outside 바카라사이트 Radcliffe Camera, swigging cheap cider and dreaming in our many different languages of 바카라사이트 world to come, when a gang of drunken undergraduates wearing dinner jackets and clutching champagne bottles came roaring, collars up, into 바카라사이트 square. I caught sight of 바카라사이트m peripherally, sensed 바카라사이트 danger and so instinctively sat up ready to challenge; but 바카라사이트y were moving fast and before I knew it, I¡¯d received a smart kick round 바카라사이트 face, cracking my jaw.

I¡¯ve often speculated in 바카라사이트 30 years since this incident took place whe바카라사이트r it was Bojo who left me unable to speak for a couple of weeks. Bojo 바카라사이트 casual historian happy to write: ¡°I think it would be a ra바카라사이트r wonderful thing if 바카라사이트 peoples of Europe did indeed share 바카라사이트 same mind and will. Believe me, 바카라사이트y do not, nor are 바카라사이트y likely to do so in my lifetime or yours.¡±

It¡¯s only a sense of poetry that gives me licence to think that it was him, but last Thursday as 바카라사이트 referendum results came in, my mind went back and a clear image reappeared of my EuroKid friends gasping in shock and amazement as my assailant and his chums laughed before lurching away without direction or purpose into 바카라사이트 night.

Mark Griffin is deputy head of 바카라사이트 School of Arts and Humanities at St Mary¡¯s University, Twickenham.