| Brits Failed to Pass the Exam |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Monday, 03 March 2008 | |
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Q. How many of 100 Britons passed the citizenship exam? A. Not one It is the test that every immigrant must pass to gain British citizenship, ensuring that successful applicants have a grasp of the country’s life, customs and culture ... Q. How many of 100 Britons passed the citizenship exam? A. Not one It is the test that every immigrant must pass to gain British citizenship, ensuring that successful applicants have a grasp of the country’s life, customs and culture. But to judge by the results of a quiz conducted in a North London pub this week, the test is too hard for most born-and-bred Britons. The informal sitting of the test, organised by the Manifesto Club, showed that the questions were so tricky that not one of 100 British citizens was good enough to pass. The 24-question exam was introduced in 2005 after David Blunkett, the former Home Secretary, insisted that new immigrants should grasp the English language and the nature of British life, customs and culture. Government officials estimate that 100,000 people take the multiple-choice test each year, with two thirds attaining the passage score of 18. However, the British volunteers, made up mainly of young professionals, found the test a far more challenging prospect. After attempting the exam, they were left with one further question in mind: how British are we? “I think I’m going to be thrown out of the country,” said Alasdair Hopwood, 31, an artist from South London, after getting only 14 questions right. Although the questions selected were of above-average obscurity – and the test was administered a few pints into the evening – it still caused some to doubt its legitimacy, as much as others doubted their identity. Questions selected by James Panton, a member of the Manifesto Club, and answered by multiple-choice selection, included the population of Wales, the number of independent schools and the year women gained the right to divorce their husbands. They got even tougher – including such posers as: “Why was there a fall in the number of people migrating to the UK from the West Indies, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the late 1960s?” “I’m just trying to remember how many pence are in a pound,” said Matilda Tristan, a student from Stoke Newington. “I’m not even sure whether I’m to read the Daily Mail left to right or right to left.” Other questions included what percentage of Christians in Britain are Roman Catholic and the purpose of the Council of Europe. For many, this last question was rhetorical. The highest score was 17, by Rohan Thanotheran, a Sri Lankan-born accountant who has lived in England since 1962. “I understand,” he said. “The Government is saying, ‘Don’t come to this country 40 years ago and not know anything about it’. But passing this quiz doesn’t mean that. It just means you’ve read the study book.” However, without studying, the lone noncitizen in the room out-performed 90 per cent of the rest. Sarah Wang, a Taiwanese-born Canadian on a working holiday in London, scored 15. She said that she had found the questions only “partly relevant”. Throughout the exam, shouts of “Deported!” interrupted the reading, above the hardy clinks of Peroni bottles against glasses of Merlot. But while the pubgoers could laugh off their failure, event organisers said something more serious was at stake. “This test comes out of a Government determined to define British-ness,” said Josie Appleton, the Manifesto Club’s convenor. “It is an artificial, bureaucratic exercise that has very little to do with what being British is all about. There is a significant gap between the exam and real life in Britain.” An official from English Heritage was among the test-takers. Though she declined to comment, all professional and casual constructors of the British identity were left to question its foundation. Is it based on an understanding of: a) British culture b) British history c) British government or d) None of the above? The Times Justin Gest September 29, 2007 |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 06 March 2008 ) |
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