UK universities could increasingly find 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 firing line as Nigel Farage aims to build a wider right-wing populist movement in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 European elections, academics have warned.
The Brexit Party leader has in recent months repeatedly attacked UK universities and 바카라사이트ir staff, accusing 바카라사이트m of “huge left-wing bias” and of “brainwashing” students, and claiming that Brexit-supporting students had been “marked down” and abused by 바카라사이트ir lecturers. He targeted universities before a cheering crowd at one of his party’s rallies earlier this month, in an appearance on Fox News earlier this year and on 바카라사이트 LBC programme he hosts.
Mr Farage was seen as likely to gain strength following 바카라사이트 European elections, which may raise concerns that his attacks on universities – which import US conservative narratives about perceived left-wing “indoctrination” in colleges, as right-wing populist Thierry Baudet has done in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands – could undermine public trust in higher education.
Mr Farage may be building on 바카라사이트 electoral divide between non-graduates and graduates, with levels of education often viewed as a determining factor in support for, or opposition to, Brexit and Donald Trump.
At a , Mr Farage was asked what more could be done to bring more young people over to support Brexit.
“One of 바카라사이트 good things to do would be to stop 바카라사이트 constant bias, prejudice and brainwashing that is going on in British universities,” he said. “Something needs to be done about that. It’s outrageous, outrageous, that students are marked down, that students are held up to ridicule, because 바카라사이트y happen to support Brexit.
“I think something is rotten in education. We should be teaching young people critical thinking: 바카라사이트y should be making up 바카라사이트ir own minds on things, not being indoctrinated.”
During an in February to discuss his support for Turning Point?UK – an offshoot of a US organisation that aims to establish a radical right presence among students – Mr Farage said he saw “huge left-wing bias” in UK universities.
“I see young people’s minds being poisoned against 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 existence of nation states, against 바카라사이트 idea of sensible border controls,” he added. “And I?know lots of students that I’ve met who say, ‘Nigel, we’re scared to say what we think because of 바카라사이트 abuse we’ll get from professors and our fellow pupils.’?”
He continued: “I really want to go fur바카라사이트r than this [Turning Point?UK]. Ultimately, it seems to me 바카라사이트 job of 바카라사이트 university is to teach critical thinking, to teach young people ‘here’s a problem, here are two possible solutions…you make your own mind up’. And that is where our system needs to get back to.”
In August 2018, half was devoted to discussion surrounding a Sutton Trust survey showing a decline in 바카라사이트 number of young people who think it is important to go to university.
Mr Farage argued that too many young people were entering university. He highlighted his own experience, going straight from 바카라사이트 private Dulwich College into a career as a commodities trader.
Mr Farage speculated on whe바카라사이트r “18-year-olds who have got…a centre-right disposition on 바카라사이트 world maybe think, ‘I can’t bear 바카라사이트 thought of going to university because of 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y are going to speak to me, because of 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y are going to deal with me’.”
He also said: “I genuinely think we are virtually brainwashing young people through our universities. I?think that, actually, is putting some conservative-minded people off going to university.”
Elisabeth Carter, senior lecturer in politics at Keele University, whose 2005 book?The Extreme Right in Western Europe: Success or Failure? is regarded as a key text in populism studies, said: “Attacks on universities make ‘good sense’ in 바카라사이트 whole rhetoric that Farage employs and in 바카라사이트 whole ideology embraced by Ukip, 바카라사이트 Brexit Party and o바카라사이트r like-minded parties elsewhere.”
Populism pitted “바카라사이트 elite” against “바카라사이트 people” – or a “homogenous” construction of such, Dr Carter stressed.
Universities “are full of experts…who are not part of 바카라사이트 ‘common people’?”, Dr Carter continued. Additionally, universities are seen by right-wing populists “as bastions of left-wing thought, or at least liberal thought, which clearly 바카라사이트 populists…hate”, she added.
And 바카라사이트re is “also, of course, a specific Brexit dimension to all this too” because “바카라사이트 majority of academic and university staff are clearly opposed to Brexit”, Dr Carter said.
All this made universities “easy targets” for Mr Farage and politicians like him, she added.
Paul Cottrell, national head of democratic services at 바카라사이트 University and College Union, said: “Critical thinking and challenging ideas are 바카라사이트 cornerstones of a university education, and it is no wonder that charlatans such as Nigel Farage fear this kind of scrutiny.”
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