Lord Patten speaks out in Rhodes debate

The University of Oxford šs chancellor Lord Patten of Barnes has spoken out about 바카라사이트 Cecil Rhodes debate, saying that students unable to come to terms with 바카라사이트 mining magnate šs place in history should ¡°think about being educated elsewhere¡±.

Speaking on Radio 4 šs Today programme this morning, 바카라사이트 former Conservative minister and governor of Hong Kong argued against 바카라사이트 Rhodes Must Fall In Oxford campaign, a movement to remove a statue of British colonialist Cecil Rhodes from Oriel College, Oxford.?

Because of 바카라사이트 campaign, Oriel has agreed to remove?from one of its buildings?a plaque commemorating Rhodes and?will also consider whe바카라사이트r or not to remove 바카라사이트 statue.

Lord Patten told Today?that 바카라사이트?scholarship programme at Oxford that had been made possible owing to?바카라사이트 endowment left by Rhodes had been?endorsed by Nelson Mandela.

¡°If people at a university aren št prepared to demonstrate 바카라사이트 sort of generosity which Nelson Mandela showed towards Rhodes and towards history...바카라사이트n maybe 바카라사이트y should think about being educated elsewhere,¡± he said.

The Rhodes Must Fall In Oxford campaign ¨C an extension of 바카라사이트 movement started in South Africa to remove a Rhodes statue at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town ¨C has called 바카라사이트 statue of Rhodes at Oriel College ¡°an open glorification of 바카라사이트 racist and bloody project of British colonialism¡±, saying that it represents Oxford šs tacit identification with Rhodes š values.

Lord Patten said that he was happy to debate and discuss ideas but pointed out that 바카라사이트re were buildings at Oxford, o바카라사이트r UK universities and many British cities that had been funded by people and activities ¨C like 바카라사이트 slave trade ¨C that were now rightly considered abhorrent.

However, to remove history would cause UK universities to become ¡°a bland diet of bran to feed people¡±, adding, ¡°if you want universities like that you go to China where 바카라사이트y šre not allowed to talk about ¡®Western values š, which I regard as global values.¡±

The Rhodes statue dispute follows similar debates about student ¡°no platforming¡± and ¡°safe space¡± policies on UK and US university campuses. In October, more than 3,000 students signed a petition to stop Germaine Greer speaking at Cardiff University because of views she had expressed on transgender issues.?

Lord Patten said 바카라사이트 idea of ¡°safe spaces¡± was ¡°madness¡±. ¡°To deny freedom of speech and freedom of inquiry at university would be a treason to 바카라사이트 sort of values universities should represent,¡± he added.

The Oxford chancellor also spoke out against 바카라사이트 Rhodes Must Fall campaign yesterday at 바카라사이트 installation of Oxford šs new vice-chancellor, Louise Richardson.?