Dear Conservative Voters,

Our secondary school also did a mock election, my daughter watched the debates in advisory all week. Academies have a bit more say in what they teach than LEA schools x

OK, quote me. Where have I stated that I was indoctrinating students?

I don't think we are all misreading your posts GagaJo

Funny Callistemon, you were in the room, were you?

Talk about word twisting. I LOVE the way you make assumptions, about a range of things.

Students actively WANT discussion about social issues and ask questions. When it is pertinent to the topic at hand, it is reasonable to allow discussion. Frankly, I find it refreshing with this class in particular. They are actively interested in the political situation as they were with the religious unit we did previously. There was a LOT of heated discussion about the castigation of women in Christianity BUT they were animated, interested and on topic. In the same way, they were shocked by the election result. These are students that know the son of the local Labour MP and therefore have an active interest.

If you choose, out of bigotry, to assume that I used the lesson as a homage to Corbyn you really couldn't be more wrong. Not that you will assume anything other than the worst. It does however, also show your lack of understanding of the average teenager. None of them would be interested in the political musings of an old woman. We may find ourselves and each other interesting on here, but to Joe Public, we are too old to be relevant.

When did it become fashionable for teachers to inflict their own political viewpoints on pupils?

I don’t recall all of my teachers doing it, although there was one history teacher from South Wales who we knew voted Labour and always put a spin on things but we tended to laugh and disregard him. I’m not sure we’d have done that if the whole staff were at it - scary!

I trust you had a word with the 'forceful girls' that inflammatory language is unacceptable

Well, it's in the main called social housing these days so perhaps he hadn't heard the term.

That is not what I said at all, is it Gagajo (classic twisting if words there).
Non-biased information so that they can make up their own minds and disxuss, not being indoctrinated with teacher's views.

I'd have thought you'd approve
Why??
I'm not a Tory but not a blinkered Corbyn devotee either.

One of the boys in my class didn't know what a council house was. He was soon put right by a couple of the forceful girls, who called him a Tory snob. Poor lad.

The children are allowed to discuss and debate politics if it comes up, staff are advised not to use their position to promote any particular party. Children do come out with some very interesting views they have heard at home! Children are stakeholders so it seems unfair to me that they shouldn't be told when budgets are cut and by whom. Parents sometimes are ?

Previously we did a unit on Christian allusions in literature. Or perhaps you think teaching Christian stories is not allowed either? Equally promoted by Gove in his heyday. A Tory. I'd have thought you'd approve. Good British values, poverty covered up by religion.

It's in the scheme of work, put together and approved by the academy I work for. Even the vocabulary we teach is preplanned. We discussed laissez faire and capitalism. No way to avoid discussing poverty when teaching A Christmas Carol. Scrooge is used to voice the words of Thomas Malthus, a work house approver.

I personally would never choose Dickens but he was put on the curriculum by Michael Gove.

The school put on a mock election for the students. It has been a big topic of discussion. Encouraged by the school.

Would you rather they were kept ignorant of adult topics?

Disgraceful that teachers see fit to indoctrinate pupils.

My 10 year old grandson came home talking about how people should vote Labour

Parents have complained

Hopefully they were intelligent enough to recognise bias in the discussion Callistemon.

Does not sound like that lesson was presented in a balanced neutral way

It may not be allowed in China of course, pupils thinking for themselves.

Should an English teacher be teaching her politically biased view to school children?

I'm not sure how many parents would be happy about that. Teach politics by all means but without bias, encourage discussion and let the pupils think for themselves.

FlyingFree, I'm currently teaching A Christmas Carol. One of the 'key vocabulary' areas that came up today was capitalist. Which spurred on a discussion of Capitalism V Socialism. The students just COULDN'T understand anyone voting for a party that would underfund education, the NHS, social care etc. They asked where the money from selling off the NHS or council houses went to and were horrified. Talk about out of the mouth of babes.

@GagaJo everyone voted Labour at our school, makes me so sad that people directly impacted by austerity are not enough to make a change and I bet there were lots of us across the country! x

Varian
I think you'll find that many of us travelled 'freely' in the common market before we joined.
I have to say, though, there was that time consuming procedure of filling out all those forms on the plane ( sarcastic emoji)
I visited France, Belgium and Holland by private boat many many times. The only difference then, was, you couldn't go ashore before customs cleared you. That could sometimes be an hour wait !!!

CoolioC, I can't speak for Italy, Greece or Portugal, but the Spanish DO NOT like the Brits living there. They regard us as a colonising force.

I moved to Spain a couple of years ago. Fully employed, paying tax etc. I was surprised at the anti British feeling. I have never picked up on that as a tourist in my many trips to different parts of Spain.

I decided not to extend my work contract, so difficult was it. Of course, many individual Spaniards were lovely, but overall, the general feeling was Brits get out. I had British colleagues, fully immersed in the life and the culture, fluent Spanish speakers, regale me with tales of being told 'Go back where you come from.', 'You're not welcome here.'

Very much like post Brexit Britain I assume.

I agree, FlyingFree. I'm a teacher in a large UK school and we have 3 part time TAs. The need is enormous and yet there is no financial support available. Disappeared under the Tories.

I don't think we should be mean to each other! I am sad Labour didn't get in and a bit annoyed. More though I am very worried as I'm a qualified TA who is very needed but I don't have full time work. I'm taking advantage and doing my higher level but I can't survive on my current hours much longer and I work my placement hours for free. If no full time job in September I will need to look elsewhere, which will mean uprooting 2 of my children to take with me and driving instead of walking. I may not get a full time job at all! I am very worried for the future as so many teachers do not have a TA and are coping with children with extra needs alone. Schools are badly underfunded and children are missing out on reaching their full potential ☹️

I know Brits here that moved in 1972 prior to Common market whilst Fascism was still the main party of Portugal until forced out in the 1974 Revolution. These people will remain here after Brexit, it won’t make one iota of difference. Brits will still come out here and live after Brexit, they will be welcome, they want your money. Same with Spain, Italy, Greece.

No Varian, married to a Portugeezer!

Weren't you lucky to be able to take advantage of free movement within the EU?