Question for Scottish teachers about politics outside the curriculum but in the classroom.

[OlympicMarathonNCer]

Where do schools stand on the discussion of politics in the classroom but not on the curriculum?

A few teachers at my ds's school are relaying their own opinions of their political stance without opposing opinions being expressed as well.

What is the policy on politics in schools as I thought teachers could not back one party without talking about other partys. I'm not concerned with the teachers opinions outside of the classroom just what is acceptable within the classroom?

[Puremince]

I'm not a teacher. Is this party politics, or more general?

I think a few of the DCs' teachers told their pupils where they stood re last year's strike. I thought that was fair enough. The pupils were being affected by the strike and so it was a legitimate topic.

Not so sure if it's party politics.

[OlympicMarathonNCer]

That's the kind of thing I'm talking about.

Were the children told the opposite opinion? They children may have agreed to it but was there a discussion for and against or just the teacher stating their opinion?

It's the same with footbal, sectarianism and religion.

Are the teachers allowed to express their own opinion outside of the curriculum or organised debate?

Thanks for answering, I think I'm just worried about the up coming independence vote and the kids being influenced iyswim

[Puremince]

I think with the strike it was more a case of the kids asking individual teachers if they were striking and the teachers answering yes, because, or no, because.... A couple said that they were members of the union. I don't think they were arguing their cause particularly (the DCs school had a mixture of strikers / non-strikers) as much as stating where they stood.

We're in Aberdeenshire, so football and sectarianism aren't really issues.

I'd assume there'd be a range of views re independence, so I'm not worried about the DCs being influenced.

[OlympicMarathonNCer]

Ok, sorry I'm being vague for safety reasons.

In England Neo Nazi members, just an example, are not allowed to express party politics in schools.

Say a Neo Nazi member is teaching in a scottish school, are they allowed to express their party politics in the school, during lessons, with no relevance to the curriculum, no counter politics and without other teachers knowledge?

[Puremince]

I wouldn't have thought so, but I'm not a teacher, so I don't know the rules. I've just asked my DCs and they didn't know the political leanings of any of their teachers, nor any of their opinions on independence.

If a teacher is asked a direct question such as "Are you going on strike?" I think it's perfectly ok for that teacher to answer, with an explanation. An unsolicited political diatribe would be quite different.