When you're not deliberately misrepresenting benefit spending in order to insight resentment between people you lie to your readers about, for example, the teachers' strike in Connaught. It had nothing to do with Palestine.
Teachers' unions only became left wing in the 80s after Thatcher alienated so many of them.
All around the world teachers are respected but not in Tory Britain. Oh no, here we say "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach".
What a shitty disrespectful braindead slogan. I tell foreign students about this and they can't believe it.
And all because a few teachers stood up to you and your destructive neoliberalism.
Given that youve never worked outside politics, how about you try getting in the classroom yourself?
It would you do you good to try a real job for once.
As an ex teacher this makes my blood boil - I voiced and showed my disgust and disagreement at this when I was teaching and I was hounded out. It’s worse than you think. It’s sinister. It’s so institutionally entrenched it’s rotten. It’s a cult and the students are the innocent victims. Thank you for writing this great expose.
I think the EA2010 act is generally proportionate. It came unstuck because of the Gender Recognition Act which preceded it and was used by esp Stonewall but also by the EHRC to promote the idea that women's rights to sex segregated spaces, sports etc was now illegal. The EHRC has issued new guidelines but the current government seem loth to publish them, suggesting that it believes that trans rights trump everyone else's rights. A right wing government would make a grave mistake if it repealed the EA2010 and women, gays an lesbians and the disabled would rightly oppose such a repeal. Also, how will you teach the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the Six Acts of 1806, both examples of oppressive government?
So on climate change, teachers should say something like, “man made carbon emissions contribute hugely to global warming, which is a very bad thing for life systems on earth, (which is mainstream science) but because the Chinese emit so much relative to what us British do we should just carry on anyway”?
If presenting mainstream science for schools is now ‘bias’ we are heading back to the days of threatening Galileo with torture for saying the earth went round the sun.
Of course we disagree, but by falling back on the “well just have to agree to disagree” suggests that you are aware that your examples as well as your central case are what are problematic.
The Tories had 14 years to enforce and strengthen the law. They failed completely in that regard and what we see now is entirely a product of this grotesque dereliction of duty.
Difficult to unpick the mixture of misrepresentation (eg the Calderdale education authority’s instruction to teachers that they do not ask pupils to draw representations of Mohammed etc. This is far from an instruction to forbid such representations, as has been presented by the author.) and ill-considered posturing on the part of Mr O’Brien. For instance on the one hand pupils supporting the rights of refugees (which is enshrined in UK and international law) are being influenced by lefty teachers, whereas pupils demonstrating against striking teachers are what, exactly? I don’t think you can have it both ways.
I would further suggest that the use of “neutrality” as a catch all is somewhat disingenuous. Of course Mr O’Brien is as entitled as anyone to his views in what constitutes neutrality, but in matters of law, his opinion has no more merit that that of anyone else. In particular when he cites the example of the Coventry Blue Coat School, which as a CofE school with I understand a strong tradition of providing an ethical and moral framework within its curriculum, as do many other denominational schools, his views on neutrality might be considered to be based on rather shaky grounds. Presumably the parents’ choice of such schools is in part based on that particular aspect of their teaching.
Why didn't your party, with 14 years in government, privatise schools, allow vouchers and parental choice, which would allow parents to avoid such schools? Who in your party is to blame for not doing this in those 14 years?
The Education Act allows disbarment of any teacher found in violation of its requirements. The fact that it's never been enforced doesn't mean it cannot be so, and this wouldn't be retroactive law making because the law has sat on the books for decades.
Therefore Reform and Restore should both promise that upon being elected they will begin systematically disbarring teachers who have violated political neutrality at any point since 1996. Not all of them have to be disbarred, of course. Just the worst offenders will be enough to send the message. And these parties can publish their own guidance on what "British values" means in the context of the law.
The unions will of course rebel. Ban them on the grounds that Marxism terrorism is illegal. If they attempt to keep organizing, imprison them. If teachers try to organize wildcat strikes or go-slows, this would itself be a violation of political neutrality and thus allow for their immediate disbarment.
Left wing judges would also try and stop it, but Restore has already proposed a fix for that. Of course, political bias in the judiciary is also grounds for disbarment.
Neil - these are all really important points and unquestionably there are things that need tackling at school level but I'm afraid the issue goes far deeper than this. Exam boards are now fully captured: you can see this from the shift in the choice of texts for English as well as (some) of the GCSE and A Level history papers. I have history textbooks from 10yrs ago which have an element of bias (as I tell my students, it's almost impossible to be entirely neutral) but ones I have bought in the last 6 months have been explicit in their position on colonialism and critical race theory.
I note that the Telegraph has an article about students studying French being allowed - at exam level - to use gender-neutral pronouns. This is downright inaccurate. I'm a private tutor and in the last 5yrs I have seen a marked increase in students referring to known individuals as "they" because this has been imbedded at schools but now it looks like this sort of language is how you will achieve grade.
My point is: you can not remove this stuff from schools as long as the exam boards and OFSTED are rewarding a particular political philosophy. It is in their interests to follow this particular ideology. Our only chance is to tackle the Quangos and remove their power entirely.
How do we actually enforce these laws? Do we fire teachers who refuse to comply? That might mean firing thousands, how would the media spin that? Do we garnish wages?
I would say that we need to break up the state sector entirely but the issue also extends to private schools.
My children's primary school have done an international evening for some years. Fine. But this year they have said that kids can come to school in non uniform and instead wear clothing that reflects their culture or religion etc.
I made some similar arguments to the above and added that rather than focusing on how we are different they should focus on what we have in common, but they weren't for budging, so I have notified the school that my children won't be attending that day.
Another depressing read - not your fault, Neil, as this is another clear, well evidenced piece. But it does illustrate what any right wing government is up against. The use of primary school children by schools or teachers to try and further left wing goals is especially appalling.
I would like to see much more emphasis on practical relationships between individuals rather than prescriptive declarations about relationships between groups of people (especially groups of people defined by skin colour, historical origins, sexuality etc). How about lessons on a) really listening to other points of view in conversation b) seeking compromise in your day-to-day life c)reflecting on the differences between what people say and what they mean d) defusing conflict e) guiding conversations and interactions so your needs are also met.
Think of the astonishing value well-led courses like these would offer to children rather than shallow accounts of the (real) damage done by the British Empire, or debatable, politically loaded, accounts of group-based restitution, discrimination or positive discrimination.
And, yes, parents should play a role in handing their children tools for life like these, but I know plenty of committed, loving parents who didn't and don't. School can really help here.
When you're not deliberately misrepresenting benefit spending in order to insight resentment between people you lie to your readers about, for example, the teachers' strike in Connaught. It had nothing to do with Palestine.
Teachers' unions only became left wing in the 80s after Thatcher alienated so many of them.
All around the world teachers are respected but not in Tory Britain. Oh no, here we say "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach".
What a shitty disrespectful braindead slogan. I tell foreign students about this and they can't believe it.
And all because a few teachers stood up to you and your destructive neoliberalism.
Given that youve never worked outside politics, how about you try getting in the classroom yourself?
It would you do you good to try a real job for once.
As an ex teacher this makes my blood boil - I voiced and showed my disgust and disagreement at this when I was teaching and I was hounded out. It’s worse than you think. It’s sinister. It’s so institutionally entrenched it’s rotten. It’s a cult and the students are the innocent victims. Thank you for writing this great expose.
Get politics out of Westminster. It’s rotten
I think the EA2010 act is generally proportionate. It came unstuck because of the Gender Recognition Act which preceded it and was used by esp Stonewall but also by the EHRC to promote the idea that women's rights to sex segregated spaces, sports etc was now illegal. The EHRC has issued new guidelines but the current government seem loth to publish them, suggesting that it believes that trans rights trump everyone else's rights. A right wing government would make a grave mistake if it repealed the EA2010 and women, gays an lesbians and the disabled would rightly oppose such a repeal. Also, how will you teach the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the Six Acts of 1806, both examples of oppressive government?
So on climate change, teachers should say something like, “man made carbon emissions contribute hugely to global warming, which is a very bad thing for life systems on earth, (which is mainstream science) but because the Chinese emit so much relative to what us British do we should just carry on anyway”?
No they should present the evidence in a balance way. Your suggestion shows bias whether you believe in man made climate change or not.
If presenting mainstream science for schools is now ‘bias’ we are heading back to the days of threatening Galileo with torture for saying the earth went round the sun.
Of course we disagree, but by falling back on the “well just have to agree to disagree” suggests that you are aware that your examples as well as your central case are what are problematic.
The Tories had 14 years to enforce and strengthen the law. They failed completely in that regard and what we see now is entirely a product of this grotesque dereliction of duty.
There is a bias issue, but a lot of these things should just get the teacher fired instantly and banned from teaching.
Difficult to unpick the mixture of misrepresentation (eg the Calderdale education authority’s instruction to teachers that they do not ask pupils to draw representations of Mohammed etc. This is far from an instruction to forbid such representations, as has been presented by the author.) and ill-considered posturing on the part of Mr O’Brien. For instance on the one hand pupils supporting the rights of refugees (which is enshrined in UK and international law) are being influenced by lefty teachers, whereas pupils demonstrating against striking teachers are what, exactly? I don’t think you can have it both ways.
I would further suggest that the use of “neutrality” as a catch all is somewhat disingenuous. Of course Mr O’Brien is as entitled as anyone to his views in what constitutes neutrality, but in matters of law, his opinion has no more merit that that of anyone else. In particular when he cites the example of the Coventry Blue Coat School, which as a CofE school with I understand a strong tradition of providing an ethical and moral framework within its curriculum, as do many other denominational schools, his views on neutrality might be considered to be based on rather shaky grounds. Presumably the parents’ choice of such schools is in part based on that particular aspect of their teaching.
If you can't see that the examples above are problematic in any way we will just need to disagree
Why didn't your party, with 14 years in government, privatise schools, allow vouchers and parental choice, which would allow parents to avoid such schools? Who in your party is to blame for not doing this in those 14 years?
Good point.
The Education Act allows disbarment of any teacher found in violation of its requirements. The fact that it's never been enforced doesn't mean it cannot be so, and this wouldn't be retroactive law making because the law has sat on the books for decades.
Therefore Reform and Restore should both promise that upon being elected they will begin systematically disbarring teachers who have violated political neutrality at any point since 1996. Not all of them have to be disbarred, of course. Just the worst offenders will be enough to send the message. And these parties can publish their own guidance on what "British values" means in the context of the law.
The unions will of course rebel. Ban them on the grounds that Marxism terrorism is illegal. If they attempt to keep organizing, imprison them. If teachers try to organize wildcat strikes or go-slows, this would itself be a violation of political neutrality and thus allow for their immediate disbarment.
Left wing judges would also try and stop it, but Restore has already proposed a fix for that. Of course, political bias in the judiciary is also grounds for disbarment.
Neil - these are all really important points and unquestionably there are things that need tackling at school level but I'm afraid the issue goes far deeper than this. Exam boards are now fully captured: you can see this from the shift in the choice of texts for English as well as (some) of the GCSE and A Level history papers. I have history textbooks from 10yrs ago which have an element of bias (as I tell my students, it's almost impossible to be entirely neutral) but ones I have bought in the last 6 months have been explicit in their position on colonialism and critical race theory.
I note that the Telegraph has an article about students studying French being allowed - at exam level - to use gender-neutral pronouns. This is downright inaccurate. I'm a private tutor and in the last 5yrs I have seen a marked increase in students referring to known individuals as "they" because this has been imbedded at schools but now it looks like this sort of language is how you will achieve grade.
My point is: you can not remove this stuff from schools as long as the exam boards and OFSTED are rewarding a particular political philosophy. It is in their interests to follow this particular ideology. Our only chance is to tackle the Quangos and remove their power entirely.
How do we actually enforce these laws? Do we fire teachers who refuse to comply? That might mean firing thousands, how would the media spin that? Do we garnish wages?
I would say that we need to break up the state sector entirely but the issue also extends to private schools.
Yes, fire thousands of them and make it clear in each case exactly what they did. Teachers don't need extensive training.
My children's primary school have done an international evening for some years. Fine. But this year they have said that kids can come to school in non uniform and instead wear clothing that reflects their culture or religion etc.
I made some similar arguments to the above and added that rather than focusing on how we are different they should focus on what we have in common, but they weren't for budging, so I have notified the school that my children won't be attending that day.
It's all so tiresome.
Another depressing read - not your fault, Neil, as this is another clear, well evidenced piece. But it does illustrate what any right wing government is up against. The use of primary school children by schools or teachers to try and further left wing goals is especially appalling.
I would like to see much more emphasis on practical relationships between individuals rather than prescriptive declarations about relationships between groups of people (especially groups of people defined by skin colour, historical origins, sexuality etc). How about lessons on a) really listening to other points of view in conversation b) seeking compromise in your day-to-day life c)reflecting on the differences between what people say and what they mean d) defusing conflict e) guiding conversations and interactions so your needs are also met.
Think of the astonishing value well-led courses like these would offer to children rather than shallow accounts of the (real) damage done by the British Empire, or debatable, politically loaded, accounts of group-based restitution, discrimination or positive discrimination.
And, yes, parents should play a role in handing their children tools for life like these, but I know plenty of committed, loving parents who didn't and don't. School can really help here.
Thank you.