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Attack on Academic Freedom in the UK

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This is alarming:

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/oct/24/universities-mccarthyism-mp-demands-list-brexit-chris-heaton-harris

The government of the UK is committed to the exit from a broader entity, the EU. I believe on the basis of my own limited study of the matter, that that is a rational decision. Also, it is the decision mandated by a referendum. Well and good.

But ... The Guardian reports that a high ranking MP in the ruling party has sent letters to honchos in the country's universities asking them what they are teaching about the subject of Brexit and asking for a list of lecturers' names.

THERE IS NO LEGITIMATE REASON FOR A GOVERNMENT TO ASK.

Bryan Leiter discussed this on his blog, and drew an intriguing email from a well known political philosopher, Thom Brooks, dean of Durham Law School.

Brooks wrote:

 Lists of courses can be readily found online and most department websites carry information about individual staff interests. The MP, Chris Heaton-Harris, never stated the purpose for his request although widely believed to be a phishing exercise to find a few illustrations selectively and out of context to whip up faux public outrage - and as indicated by today's Daily Mail front page.
I found especially worrying his wanting not only all teaching materials, but links to lectures being delivered to students. Most universities have some kind of lecture capture technology - and Heaton-Harris wanted to see it all. Students are in classrooms to learn and they should feel free to engage in constructive discussions exploring new ideas without any fear that a government whip will soon be snooping in on the conversation so he can score political points dragging staff and students through the mud -- and of course the request for the material was unlawful anyway. This didn't stop the MP for asking or several universities from agreeing to his request. I find that shameful and thrilled my institution (and others) have not.

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Comments

  1. WordsPoeticallyWorthNovember 5, 2017 at 5:02 AM

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  2. ChristopherNovember 5, 2017 at 7:08 AM

    You're welcome.

    ReplyDelete
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