“We are now more aware that Churchill was a figure who promoted racism and inequality, unfairly imprisoning and torturing many.”
A school in East Sussex has dropped JK Rowling and Winston Churchill as house names following a decision by the student body and leadership team.
Parents of children at Seaford Head School received a letter informing them of the change.
“Churchill could be considered an important historical figure,” read the letter in reference to the wartime prime minister, as reported by The Argus. “However, we are now more aware that Churchill was a figure who promoted racism and inequality, unfairly imprisoning and torturing many.”
JK Rowling is to be removed due to the comments about trans people she has expressed on Twitter.
“Furthermore, as a school committed to stopping bullying and creating a safe environment, we no longer think that JK Rowling is a suitable representative, because of her recent words about the trans community. Intolerance and discrimination are treated very severely by our school and we do not want to promote anyone or anything that encourages such prejudice.”
“For these reasons, the student body and leadership team have decided to change the names of the houses, so that the house system reflects the local community, and so that each house can create a new collective identity based on shared values. To instil more positive values, and to bring the community together, the house names will be changed to local landmarks.”
The houses at the school are currently named after historical figures, with Florence Nightingale and Nelson Mandela also lending their names to houses. Going forward, the houses will now be named after the local area, with the student body voting on the new names.
A spokeswoman for the Seaford Headteacher told The Argus: “The student leadership group decided to consult on the names of the four houses with a view to re-introducing house names that are routed in the local community. This exercise involves all of the student body.”
