Tues 22 Nov 2005

Multiculturalism, cheating and gender politics

Oona King is joined by Ekow Eshun, Mark Stephens and Sue Perkins.

MULTICULTURALISM

Britain's first black archbishop, Dr John Sentamu, has called on the English to reclaim their identity. He said in the Times today that the English have embraced multiculturalism at the expense of their own indigenous culture.

We ask: why does it take an 'outsider' to highlight the crisis in cultural identity? Does multiculturalism undermine Englishness, or is it actually what gives it its strength?

CHEATING

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority reported today that schoolchildren are increasingly cheating in GCSE and A-Level coursework, either by plagiarising from the internet, or because teachers and parents are giving them too much help.

We ask: with technology spreading so fast, is the internet making it far too easy to cheat? Is this all the fault of coursework as a method of examination?

GENDER POLITICS

Today was the 15th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's resignation, and the day that another 'iron lady', Angela Merkel was sworn into office as Germany's chancellor. In the UK, only 20% of MPs are women.

We ask: do women have to become like men to succeed in politics, and do they have an inherently more consensual style of politics? Should we try and get more women in politics, or is it fine to be ruled by men?

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