This only becomes an issue if one believes that kids are not discerning or capable enough to realise that teachers (like anyone else) are capable of talking/believing shite.

Like the population in general some are and some aren’t. Some need to be protected from classroom ideologues and some don’t. That’s not the point here, although some have made it the point. The OP isn’t talking about classroom bans on political expression. What he’s talking about is limiting expression out with the class, which is wrong unless the views being expressed fall under the hate laws.

I agree hece my first response

I saw the previous post. I wasn’t being critical of you.

No probs – we can all express a view 😉

IME that is not the case plus it removes the kids opportunity to have some fun at listening to the kind of tripe that gets spouted in econ threads here and elsewhere.

Whats your job again?

we can all express a view

Oh the ironing, I forgot the ironing

Oh the ironing, I forgot the ironing

Was the A in home economics then? I can sympathise though as I sometimes forget stuff I was taught at school.

Funny how my old maths room was used for some Catholic religious club at lunch times…

Or how we could not use the staff lounge as someone needed to pray towards Mecca.

Ooh P45 from the school.

Watched: ‘To Sir with love’ last night. Summed up my 1st year of teaching. Imagine Sydney Poitier marking books till 2300 lol.

I can trace my political views back to a history teacher I had at high school. We were doing a lesson on the industrial revolution and she had a feminist rant about why women weren’t allowed to work down the pits. At the time this was a crazy idea, but it got me thinking outside of the normal taboos and social norms. I really don’t see why within reason teachers can’t express political views, they’re central to who we are and politics affects our lives every day. If we want people to be more engaged with politics then we should have more expression of political views in places like schools, not less. Denying this part of ourselves only marginalises the subject and generates apathy.

I also remember being told about Thatcher’s resignation in the middle of a mock-GCSE maths exam by our raging lefty maths teacher, and the silence was broken by a big cheer.

Agreed – it teaches the students to develop heir own critical faculties to ask why might a particular teacher say this? Why do they read that odd newspaper or smell of gin? Of course, this is central to studying history as a subject, but it’s already a natural talent that kids possess and it gives them hours of fun. Let it flourish….

PS I seem to be under alot of pressure to teach British Values. Isn’t that in effect expressing political opinions

Not in my book. These two are pretty apolitical.

Obey the law
Respect others with equality amongst men/women, religion and race

There is a strong argument for having specific agreed study in politics covering all views in a consistent and balanced way as well as study of philosophy and how that interacts.

has been advised not to express political opinions on social media or in public which seems understandable at least

In what universe is that understandable? Does he have no rights or duties as a citizen? Has he been told how he is allowed to vote, as well?

Obey the law
Respect others with equality amongst men/women, religion and race

Perhaps we could get the government to reflect these lofty goals?

not a teacher but a children & family mental health nurse/practitioner- perhaps it is because I work with vulnerability, difference and so on but I am frequently asked by the more academic kids about my political views! I think this is about being extra-sure of not being judged perhaps? Obvs it shouldn’t matter but if you are gay, African, Eastern European, trans, auty, unemployed etc maybe your understanding of what you read and hear from the media might make you more anxious about having a ukip supporter as your mh worker.

Standard response from me that 1) it shouldn’t and doesn’t matter, and 2) to direct them to the political compass website to plot themselves and their parents and then try and imagine the answers that someone who chooses to do my job might give.

When teaching controversial issues teachers should take three positions: their personal views, neutral chair, devil’s advocate, depending on views being presented in the classroom. I don’t think kids are easily gulled.
My A level economics teacher, then a Marxist, went on to teach William Hague, and then went on to teach at the LSE.
Stradling, Noctor and Baines’ little book ‘Teaching Controversial Issues’ (now 1p on Amazon) deals with these issues brilliantly and it went on to form the basis of policy for the ILEA (before it was abolished by Thatcher).