Government guidance on political impartiality in schools 'isn't an informed response'

Schools are already required to teach in a politically impartial way, but this is the first Government guidance of its kind on how schools should approach the teaching of sensitive issues

Classroom
Author: Hannah NorburyPublished 17th Feb 2022
Last updated 17th Feb 2022

Teachers in West Yorkshire say new Government guidance on political impartiality in schools isn't an 'informed response'.

It aims to help teachers cover complex subjects without focusing on one political view over another and create a distinction between teaching subjects like racism and promoting support for groups, like Black Lives Matter.

The guidance suggests that the teaching of historical figures should focus on "factual information" about them, and that teaching of the British empire should be presented in "a balanced manner".

Schools already have to teach in a politically impartial way, but this is the first Government guidance on how schools should approach the teaching of sensitive issues.

On teaching racism, the new guidance cautions that teachers should be aware that campaign groups such as Black Lives Matter "cover partisan political views...which go beyond the shared principle that racism is unacceptable, which is a view schools should reinforce".

It says that "teachers should be clear that racism has no place in our society" when covering this topic with pupils, and should "help pupils to understand facts about this and the law".

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi says it will help teachers avoid "promoting contested theories as fact".

Kauser Jan is the assistant head at a school in Harehills, she said:

"It worries me that government ministers are interfering in schools, what is it that they are interfering about, what are their concerns, who have they actually discussed their concerns with?

"I feel that the people that are making the decisions aren't informed, I feel as though they haven't had people around the table who actually understand who see it, who feel it, who hear it. We need to have different stakeholders around that table, we need to be talking to people in the community.

"A huge number of teachers are very nervous about teaching racism, so what we need to do is support them.

"We want so called controversial, taboo subjects to be approached. Education should be a safe space to explore, to become informed, educated, empowered, to make a difference and challenge society in an appropriate way."

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