Political Impartiality in Schools 2022-05-23
2022-05-23
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
Concerns about political bias in schools and the need for guidance on handling sensitive issues.
What steps his Department is taking to help ensure political impartiality in schools. The law requires schools to remain politically impartial, but some issues are challenging for teachers to handle. My Department has recently published comprehensive guidance to assist teachers with sensitive topics.
The law is clear that schools must remain politically impartial. Colleagues from all sides of the House enjoy participating in school hustings during elections. The Department has published comprehensive guidance to help teachers tackle sensitive issues in a politically impartial way.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
Concern about the inability to teach history impartially, as claimed by some members of the National Education Union. Request for powers in the Schools Bill to address repeated breaches.
In April this year, members of the National Education Union claimed it was impossible to teach history in a balanced manner. Concerns that children are at risk from political activists posing as teachers. Request for powers in the new Schools Bill to strike off those who repeatedly fail to comply with impartiality guidelines.
Our knowledge-rich history curriculum requires teaching methods of historical inquiry. We should teach children how to think, not what to think, including the use of evidence rigorously to make claims and discern arguments. Schools already have powers for disciplinary action where teachers repeatedly breach legal duties.
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Response accuracy