Teachers and pupils have faced violence and abuse in schools as a result of “militant” pupil activism, Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman is warning today.
She will tell the Festival of Education that the situation is “completely unacceptable” and warn that the phenomenon of a “particularly confrontational brand of activism” is problematic for schools.
Ms Spielman is also highlighting how external activism has left some pupils effectively walking through picket lines to get into school.
And she will say teachers should not be policed by self-appointed “moral guardians” or be harried into changing the way they teach “in the face of militant activism”.
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In a speech to the Festival of Education, Ms Spielman is expected to say: “The militant defence of orthodoxies is not confined to adult protests…
“We are also seeing more pupil activism in schools, on many fronts. Some of this is about racism, or antiracism; some is about climate change; some is about issues that are quite remote for most British children, such as the charged and complicated politics of the Middle East.
“But in some cases, children and teachers are suffering abuse or even violence, simply for being who they are: for being the wrong religion, or race, or ethnicity.
“This is completely unacceptable. And nor should children be all but forced to support a fellow student’s campaign, no matter how compellingly presented, nor feel that they will be ostracised if they do not.”
But Ofsted did not provide specific examples of the violence, when asked to by Tes.
Ms Spielman will also warn against the impact of external protests on schools.
She will say: “We are seeing these confrontational approaches both outside and inside schools. It is affecting staff, parents and children and can have a limiting effect on education.”
Ms Spielman’s speech will also highlight how schools have faced protests by including teaching about protected characteristics “enshrined in the Equality Act”.
This follows a series of high-profile protests against primary schools teaching children about LGBT+ relationships.
She will say: “It cannot be right for children to have to cross what amount to picket lines outside their school because one group’s religious beliefs - protected by law - sit uncomfortably with teaching about another group’s sexuality - also protected by law.
“It cannot be right that the curriculum can be filleted by pressure groups.”
She will also say: “Let’s not have teachers policed by self-appointed ‘moral guardians’ who refuse to tolerate an alternative viewpoint.
“Or harried on social media into apologising for what they’ve said, or into changing the way they teach, in the face of militant activism.”
