Teachers will be banned from indoctrinating pupils on politically-charged topics such as Black Lives Matter, the British Empire and the Israel-Palestine conflict under new guidance out today.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi unveiled the directive to stop school teachers ‘promoting contested theories as fact’.
They will be told not to give one-sided accounts of national heroes such as Winston Churchill, branded ‘racist’ by activists in recent years.
And after cases of teachers encouraging children to criticise the Tories, they will be warned to keep their party-political views to themselves.
The move is aimed at tackling ‘woke’ activist teachers who have been accused of pushing Left-wing dogma on to children
Schools are already legally obliged to be politically impartial but, for the first time, the new guidance suggests how this applies.
After cases of teachers encouraging children to criticise the Tories (pictured), teachers will be warned to keep their party-political views to themselves under new guidelines
The latest rules are aimed at tackling ‘woke’ activist teachers who have been accused of pushing Left-wing dogma on to children (Pictured: Rachel Tomlinson, a headteacher in Lancashire who banned meat from lunch boxes)
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi (pictured) unveiled the directive to stop school teachers ‘promoting contested theories as fact’
In one example, the document says ‘contentious and disputed’ issues around the British Empire should be ‘taught in a balanced manner’.
This is likely to be in response to the large number of schools teaching the topic as part of a ‘decolonised curriculum’ after pressure from campaigners.
The guidance also states that while schools should teach that racism is wrong, they should not advocate support for political groups such as Black Lives Matter.
It notes the movement has called for extreme measures including ‘withdrawing funding from the police’.
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‘Partisan political views must not be promoted to pupils,’ the document says.
Regarding historical figures ‘with contested legacies’, the instruction is to focus on what they are ‘most renowned for’ and provide ‘factual information’ if children are too young to understand the complexities of the issue.
For older pupils, both sides of an argument are to be presented, the guidance adds.
When discussing elections, teachers can consider issues but must not lead pupils to a particular ‘conclusion’.
‘As a general principle, they should avoid expressing their own political views to pupils unless they are confident this will not amount to promoting that view,’ the guidance says.
‘Where staff do share their personal political views, they should ensure this is not presented as fact and note there are opposing views.’
Mr Zahawi said: ‘I am reinforcing that no subject is off limits in the classroom, as long as it is treated in an age-appropriate way, with sensitivity and respect, and without promoting contested theories as fact.’
The guidance applies to all schools, including academies and independent schools, but not early years settings, 16-19 academies, further education colleges or universities.
Dr Mary Bousted, of the National Education Union, criticised the move, saying: ‘Very good guidance already exists and this is followed up and down the country.
‘Educators take their responsibilities for teaching in these areas seriously and carry it out with considerable thought.’
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