Schools must stop teaching activist propaganda, warns Education Secretary

SCHOOLS must root out activist teaching, says the Education Secretary.

Rules will be issued this week to stop classes being filled with propaganda.

Nadhim Zahawi has acted after some staff were accused of “brainwashing” kids.

In one recent case, children as young as ten were urged to write critical letters about Boris Johnson.

And ministers have been asked to probe a council over reports teachers have been trained to teach “worrying” race theories in primary schools.

Mr Zahawi vows to make it clear to teachers their job is about “education not indoctrination”.

He does admit there can be uncertainty about issues but says his new guidelines will “make things easier” for staff to know where to draw the line.

He added: “When there is a need to address political issues in the classroom, it must not be done in a partisan way.”

Children must form their own views

By NADHIM ZAHAWI, Education Secretary

Whenever I step through the doors of a school, I am always struck by the passion and enthusiasm of children in our classrooms.

Kids up and down the country want to make a difference to the world, whether through inventing life-changing technology, addressing the problems facing our climate or supporting their communities.

As children grow up, that means tackling some of life’s big questions.

And as kids go through that process, they will start shaping their own political views.

Some will decide, like I did as a young boy, that the Conservative Party is the home for them.

Others will form a strong allegiance to the Labour Party – or the Greens or Liberal Democrats.

This is all part of a vibrant democracy. We have more in common with each other than what separates us.

While I may vehemently disagree with some of my Labour colleagues, many of them are my friends.

The House of Commons is full of good people who disagree but are united by wanting the best thing for this country.

In our schools, brilliant teachers explain incredibly sensitive issues that attract opposing views in a balanced and measured way.

It is a difficult job, and I commend them for the incredible work that they are doing.

While there is a clear need for schools to address political issues in the classroom from time to time, this must not be done in a partisan way.

No school should be encouraging young people to pin their colours to a particular political mast.

As the Secretary of State for Education, I want to make sure that each and every child is given the opportunity to come to their own opinions without being swayed by what others think.

Children need to form their own views at the same time as they learn to respect those of others.

This is often seen in the hustings that take place in our schools at election time, which showcase all points of view and a range of policies.

I always make sure to participate in these events in my own constituency.

This is how we prepare young people to take their place as a well-balanced and tolerant member of society.

That is why parents and carers need to be able to trust schools to be totally impartial.

They need to be confident that their children can learn about political issues and begin to form their own independent opinions, without being influenced by the personal views of those teaching them.

Put simply, it means education, not indoctrination.

Legal duties on political impartiality have been in place for many years.

But I know that there can sometimes be uncertainty in interpreting them when confronted with specific issues like the legacy of the British Empire or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

When teaching about racism for example, teachers should of course be clear that it has no place in our society – but should avoid advocating for specific organisations that have widely contested political aims or views.

Schools should assess all the materials they use where political issues are raised to make sure they are appropriate.

And in the rare cases where parents or carers have concerns about teaching of politically contentious issues, the guidance will provide a common framework for discussion and de-escalation, meaning that families and schools can support each other to make sure that we get this right.

Of course, schools should encourage a range of political issues and viewpoints to be discussed in classes.

And political impartiality requirements do not mean they need to avoid difficult or sensitive subjects from being debated.

I want to support teachers and make sure that they are equipped with a framework on how to deal with such matters, and the new guidance that I will publish next week will make things easier in our classrooms.

We must never be afraid of debating, or respectfully disagreeing with one-another.

The new guidance I will be issuing also clarifies the requirement for teachers to make a balanced presentation of opposing views on political issues, so that the complexity of many of these important questions is understood.

It is not for teachers – and certainly not for politicians such as me – to tell young people what they should think on political issues, or how they should vote.

The next generation are more than capable of making these decisions on their own.

We must encourage them, support them, listen to them and equip them with a world-class education that allows them to reach their own political conclusions.

That is how we will deliver rounded and considered citizens, and shape the political leaders of tomorrow.