Most youngsters have no problems with people of other races and religions,it is their parents that do.

It does make a difference though,take the old ivy bank high school and the old Habergham high school this has never worked and never will.It is only a matter of time before something very serious happens there all because they mixed the asians with the whites.

Segregation at schools delays the inevitable. Sooner or later you're going to meet people from other races at workplaces or unis. Forced integration needs to be handled with care. Mergers between schools of different races should be more gradual. There is no racism within a child, the child learns it from other peers and parents.

I long for the day when we can really discuss whats going on, rather than have to suffer reading the writings of fools and endless reports by bafoons who clearly have no idea of "what its about".

To Clive, and Im not picking on you personally Clive but just as an example of this, its not solely about "having a problem" with other races and religions, ignorance, lack of education, or any other such notion.

When people finally start talking about apples instead of oranges, a whole new understanding of whats going on will emerge, and it will be long overdue.

Trying to socially engineer people in this way is a sure fire recipe for disaster - and even so much resentment that it really will inflame the situation because the people who think up this stuff do not study their topic properly.

The so called "race experts",commentator

s and publishers of reports show me that they have no idea whatsoever of why local (and national) 'white' people have a "problem" with other races and religions, especially in places like Burnley and Blackburn.

I guess Im just sick and tired of hearing endless pap that totally misses the target of "what its about", and nobody having the good sense to find out, instead of bleating about "hatred" and "having problems" with "other people".

Does it ever enter anyones minds that people dislike whats happening to this country (such as these towns) but that it doesnt mean "ignorant" "hatred" of other races. Probably not, because most who hop on the "lets all hug and feel the love" bandwaggon that talk about "cohesion" and "integrating communities" and how "bigoted" and "ignorant" people are who dont agree with their world visions, never do understand the concepts going on, with the idea, for example, of there being "good racism" as well as "bad racism" will be totally lost on them.

Ive lived in Neslon all my life, and seen it rot from the inside out. As a "30 something" I should be looking to invest in a home here in this town of my upbringing and forefathers, but I cannot bring myself to invest in a future in this town because I know how this town will end up in 15 to 20 years time, and excuse me if I get out of it before I lose my sanity.
They are playing with fire here, and people are going to get their fingers burnt in my opinion.

At its best, its a short term fix to a longer term problem that itself wll one day cease to be a problem in Nelson, Burnley and Blackburn.

And someone got paid to figure this out most "normal" people could of told them the outcome for nothing.If you build or plan areas for whites/asian/or ay other ethnic minority or magority you are building ghetto's. That has been known for eon's. do not make grant areas and make no area a no go area.........

I am 15 years old and go to Hameldon College and can tell you that when whites iuntegrate with asians there is a difference. In the first year pupils from habergham and ivy bank were not mixed leaving racial tension now they are mixed and I have seen white people totally change their views towards asians and vice versa. So I think the mix of the schools was valid anway

Well, thanks for that "Franks Dad". I can see we are really going to have the usual intellectual debate that always accompanies these issues.

No wonder things never change, the level of debate just palps around in the quagmire of trash with these things.

Also, regarding "Student" at Hameldon, Ive spoken to many people from the same school who, how shall I put it, have had the opposite experience to yours and have come away more determined to avoid Asians altogether.

But at the end of the day, its all besides the point anyway.

People need to distinguish the difference between "racism" and opposition to whats taking place in this country and this region.

No doubt there are a handfull of idiotic "racists" on BOTH sides, but to presume that everyone who doesnt believe that "integration" and "cohesion" is desirable or 'acceptable' are "vile racists" is the kind of simplistic dilge that preoccupies the masses.

White idiots who go on about "theyre all suicide bombers" need sorting out with their ignorance and attitude, and so do Asians with their whole "White girls are trash" and "whites just roll around drunk and get pregnant" attitudes.

However, even if that 'crass' level of this situation was sorted out, it does NOT -in any way, shape or form - make whats happening to the indigenous population of this country acceptable in many peoples minds.

People need to realise that perhaps in some circumstances, there is valid reason and justified rationale behind opposers of such schemes and the thinking that lay behind it.

Many people dislike whats happening to their towns and cities regarding demographic and cultural change that comes with it, and even resent it so much that they then pass on a cold shoulder to the people at the forefront of it. Im suprised things are not worse.

The politicians and greed from the Mill owners and capitalists in the 50's, 60's and 70's which have brought about this kind of situation in the first place should be the ones who bear the brunt of any flare-up, for nobody can blame the natural consequences of these events and policies themselves for what situation they've been born into.

In the meantime things will just bubble and and bubble, and to be honest, I feel that in many ways people of these towns and people of this country in many areas are prefectly justified to bubble.

I've yet to see a single report, document, advisor, commentator, minister, MP, official or whoever else that seems to know or explain the real crux of the matter, and in some cases they get paid a lot of money to produce such reports and talk about the generalities of "cohesion" and "communities".

I just cant suss out whether they are being deliberately obtuse to save their own gravy boats, or genuinely misguided by the 'face level' of the topic of race relations and cultural divisions.

Either way, its a sorry state.

I have to agree with this article and say it is time to end religious schools. I went through Primary and Secoundary schools with only knowing 3 asian kids. I got on fine with them and never had any problems. Then when I went to Blackburn college it was a totally different situation as there were large groups of asian lads which I had never come accross before. I had no idea of there culture and on the odd occasion I recieved racial abuse which I had never encounteredbefore. I took it personnaly and have had a negative opinion ever since. I know the race card works both ways.

It seems to me that the nature of man is instinctively tribal and that tribal instinct is as inaccessible to rational debate as hunger.You may not want to feel hunger but when it comes you cannot deny it. Religious Sectarian schools look to be just another form of tribalism, as they were in Ireland, and we know the result of that.Integration would be wonderful, equality is a noble ideal but if tribalism can erupt over a football match then PC laws and noble concepts will never overcome the nature of man.I think we have made a mess and don't know how to clear it up.

A new group set up to speak for Lancashire’s non-religious people are staging a debate, proposing that “Faith schools should form no part of the State education system”. But attempts to find a faith leader, an educationalist or indeed anyone else willing to oppose the motion have so far failed.

“As well as every Lancashire MP LSH have invited a number of religious leaders - including representatives of the Anglican Bishop of Blackburn, the Roman Catholic and Anglican Bishops of Lancaster – several head teachers and heads-of-RE departments in schools - other faith community leaders and clerics - Lancashire’s SACRE (Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education) and Blackpool’s Faith Forum but no-one … not one person … is available.

“Some had other commitments, some will be on holiday, some say they are uncomfortable defending faith schools in a public forum, and some had ‘issues’ with faith schools themselves.

LSH had hoped at least one person believed strongly enough in faith schools to come and defend the indoctrination of children by our state-funded education system”.

The attempt to find an opponent for the man who will propose the motion – the British Humanist Association’s education secretary Andrew Copson* – will continue and, successful or not, the meeting will still go ahead.

As with all LSH meetings this is an ‘open’ meeting any anybody is welcome to attend.


The meeting is at Kirkland & Catterall Memorial Hall, The Avenue, Churchtown Nr Garstang, Preston. PR3 0HR (at the junction of A6 & A586 … very easy to find).

*Andrew Copson participated in Teachers TV’s The Big Debate ‘Religion in Schools’** (Chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby) along with Prof. Richard Dawkins (Auth. The God Delusion) & Barry Sheerman (Chair of Parliamentary Select Committee on Education)

**Shown Jan 20 but will be repeated Fri 22nd Feb 22:00, Sat 23rd Feb 03:00.

It always makes me laugh when you get studies like this and the results are to force white parents to send their kids to pakistani schools.

It makes me laugh because they know that most of these parents are quite poor so it's ok to force these people to mix. If the study were to say that pakistani children should be bussed in to wealthier areas where the decent schools are. Then they'd be hell to pay, and it would never happen.

But because we're dealing with people with less money that these kunts that do studies like this. And there's no fear of their children being forced to mix with these pakistans (who nobody wants) then it's all of a sudden to start forcing people to mix that don't want to.

I don't want my children going to pakistani dominated schools, and it's my right not to send them to such a school