Outraged locals in the town where a 12-year-old girl wearing a Union Jack dress was banned by her school from giving a speech at a day celebrating different cultures have slammed the decision. Bilton School, in Rugby, Warks, has sparked a national outcry after Courtney Wright was stopped at the gates and isolated from other pupils on Friday July 11.
The eloquent young pupil had bought the Spice Girl-inspired outfit and matching bowler hat herself for the school’s Culture Celebration Day, which was meant to be a celebration of different backgrounds and cultures at the educational establishment. However, the grade A student was stunned when she was stopped and told to change before being separated from classmates until her father Stuart Field arrived to collect her.
Bilton School have since performed a huge U-turn on their decision and said “we deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies”. But the bizarre crack down on the pupil has sparked anger nationwide and even drawn criticism from Downing Street.
Locals in Rugby have also told Express.co.uk how they were baffled by the school’s decision. Nigel Morris, 64, a retired monster truck driver, from Coventry, said: “As far as I am concerned the flag shouldn’t be disturbing to anyone in the UK, we should be proud of it, not ashamed of it.
Courtney Wright and her dad Stuart Field (Image: Paul Marriott Photography)
Nigel Morris, a former monster truck driver, said people should be proud of the flag (Image: Paul Marriott Photography)
“I think freedom of speech is something that we should value very highly, it’s a two-way street, so if you want someone to be able to voice an opinion against our society, you should be able to voice an opinion in support of it too.
“I don’t think there’s anything offensive about a Union Jack or a Union Jack dress and equally I don’t think there’s any offensive with the American Stars and Stripes or the Tricolour from France, all of those countries have the right to be proud of their nation.”
Chef manager Daniel Gregory, 21, said he thought people were worried about commenting sometimes about the Union Jack for fear of being accused of “being racist”.
He added: “But my feelings are that it is our culture, we can respect other cultures, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be proud of the country I grew up in. If a 12-year-old can’t express her culture at a school which is supposed to be a safe environment, how can I express myself in public in any way shape or form.
“Maybe they (the school) saw it as a message from the wrong direction, but it’s the Union Jack, as far as I am concerned, I don’t see any negative connotations, it’s our national flag.”
Stella Benson said the school’s decision was wrong and could cause harm (Image: Paul Marriott Photography)
Stella Benson, who runs a hair salon in Rugby, said she did not agree with the school’s decision. Ms Benson said she understood how sometimes people hijacked the national flag for far-right purposes, but she didn’t believe this was the case here.
She said: “She must have worn it (the dress) innocently and did not know the full meaning (to some people), maybe it was just a beautiful costume.”
Ms Benson said the school’s decision to stop Courtney from speaking could have caused “more damage” to her. She explained her own feelings about the Union Jack “depended on the context”, and “how and when it is being presented”.
“It’s very difficult to say it is a racist thing, because it depends on the context, for example if there is something going on at Buckingham Palace then some people are waving it and that is ok,” she said.
“But when you see some other people waving it, it can become something else.”
Daniel Gregory and dog Biscuit. Mr Gregory said the school should be a place of welfare for the girl (Image: Paul Marriott Photography )
A statement issued on behalf of the school by the Stowe Valley Multi Academy Trust said: “On Friday 11th July, an incident occurred during our Culture Celebration Day that caused considerable upset to one of our pupils, her family, and members of the wider community.
“We deeply regret the distress this has caused and offer our sincere and unreserved apologies.
“We have since spoken directly with the pupil and her family to listen to their concerns and reflect on how this could have been handled better.
“We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that every student feels recognised and supported when expressing pride in their heritage.”
The statement, which said the school was proud of the diversity of its students and the rich heritage they bring to the community, added: “As a school, we are reviewing our policies and strengthening staff training to ensure our practices reflect our values of inclusion, respect, and understanding for all.”
“We are committed to fostering an environment where every pupil feels respected, valued, and included.”
The school had billed the day as an opportunity for pupils to wear attire reflecting their nationality or family heritage, rather than a school uniform.