BBC faces criticism after dropping the Christian terms BC and AD from teaching materials for seven- to 11-year-olds
- BBC Teach’s ‘substitution’ of the terms can be seen in eight animated videos
- Critics say the decision is an attempt to undermine traditional values
The BBC faced criticism last night for dropping the Christian terms BC and AD from teaching materials for seven- to 11-year-olds.
The Corporation’s division that produces educational films for primary and secondary school children in the UK has replaced the traditional terms with their secular equivalents – Before Common Era (BCE) and Common Era (CE).
BBC Teach’s ‘substitution’ of the terms can be seen in eight animated videos it has produced about the Roman Empire.
Critics say the decision to abandon BC – which stands for Before Christ – and AD, which translates as In the Year of our Lord, is an attempt to undermine traditional values.
Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: ‘The terms BC and AD do not merely possess religious connotations but also cultural ones.
The BBC faced criticism last night for dropping the Christian terms BC and AD from teaching materials for seven- to 11-year-olds
Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: ‘The terms BC and AD do not merely possess religious connotations but also cultural ones’
They are originally connected to the cultural tradition that has informed the outlook of Britain and other Western societies for many centuries.’
He added: ‘So what’s at stake with the BBC’s decision to displace BC/AD with BCE/CE is not so much the replacement of religious with secular terms but the goal of breaking with the cultural tradition through which the distinction between the two eras was understood.’
The BBC Teach website states: ‘We have used BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) for dates.
‘These terms are substitutes for BC and AD.’
A Corporation spokesman said: ‘Both AD and BC, and BE and BCE are widely accepted date systems and the decision on which term to use lies with individual production and editorial teams across the BBC.’
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