THE father of a girl banned from school for wearing a Union Flag-themed dress has said he has been contacted by people from all over the country to say they have had similar experiences.

Stuart Field’s 12-year-old daughter Courtney was removed from her school in Rugby when she wore the dress to a culture day.

Speaking to Martin Daubney on GB News, Stuart said: “Courtney went into school. She was taking part in a culture diversity day, which was held by the school. She got as far as the school gates, and I think the school stopped her and told her that she wasn’t eligible to take part in the events that day.

“They took her to one side, put her more or less in isolation. They kept her in reception. She called me, and I had to go and collect her from school.”

Asked how her experience made her feel, Courtney said: “I’m really thankful for all the support that people have been giving me, and it made me realise a lot that, or even more, that the school what they did was wrong, me not being allowed to read my speech.

“It’s really upset me and it’s embarrassed me as well, because I prepared it and I really wanted to share it with my school.”

Stuart added: “I’ve received a lot of messages from people over the past three days sharing their experiences.

“There’s been a significant number of people, they’ve had a similar experience, whether it’s taken a flag down, somebody giving them some kind of abuse for a national flag, and people having [difficulty] as well with culture days at school, not being able to take part.

“It’s not for British kids, it seems. This seems to have sort of shook the hornets’ nest, so to speak. People have messaged from all around the world.

“I’ve had messages today from Japan, from Australia, Canada, America. We’ve had people in Italy, certain people offering gifts for Courtney, saying that, you know, they want to reach out and treat her, because even they don’t think what’s going on [is right].

“A lot of people around the world and people in Europe, you know, all four corners of the world are looking at what’s happening right now in the UK, and can see that there’s something definitely wrong with what’s going on.

“If children aren’t allowed to celebrate or if children aren’t even encouraged to celebrate their heritage and their culture, and especially to fly their national flag and be proud of it, then there’s something definitely wrong with the schooling system.”

Asked about his reaction to comments from the Prime Minister on the issue, he said: “I’m not the biggest Starmer fan, I’m going to say out there right now. But you know, words are words.

“The fact that there’s the headteacher, we’ve had governors backtracking and saying public apologies, saying that they weren’t aware, you have to wonder what’s actually being taught in the schools and where this has come from, why teachers have these sort of agendas that they’re throwing at children?

“It’s not one school, it’s lots of schools. People have reached out to me from all four corners of the UK, and it’s happening all over. So where’s this coming from? Where’s it manifesting? What are teachers doing to – what’s the purpose? Why? Why are they doing this to children?

“This is the future of our country, and if we deny them the right to be proud and to celebrate their own culture and history, where does that leave us in 20 or 30 years time?”

He added: “I’ve heard stories, various, most of them, it’s down to this, the Union Jack, people just don’t seem to like it.

“…after the Second World War, there was bunting everywhere. People were celebrating. You couldn’t go to someone’s house without seeing a teapot on the side with the King or the Queen and a Union Jack on there or a tablecloth. It was celebrated.

“For some reason now it’s looked down upon, it’s vilified. People don’t want to see the Union Jack and that’s being taught in schools to British children. British children aren’t being included in being able to share their culture.

“This is a 12-year-old’s interpretation of what British culture means to her. Mine is completely different, and I’m sure if I went and asked a 90-year-old gentleman his idea of what British culture looks like it would be completely different, but this is what British culture looks like to a 12-year-old girl in Coventry in England.

“We should be respected, and it should be promoted. It should be encouraged, people to express what their country means to them. If this is what’s happening in schools, something needs to happen.

“Teachers and governors and education authorities need to actually start looking into what’s going on in schools and try and making sure that this is promoted. Children should be proud of their country, their culture, and their heritage.”