Teacher sacked after expressing personal view on Israel and abortion in class

[cakeorwine]

A teacher joined the school in October 2024 as a French teacher and Year 10 tutor

She was covering history. The topic was the bombing of Dresden. She also asked whether similar moral issues surrounded the current Israel-Palestine conflict, in an attempt to engage the class.

In response to a student’s question, Ms Meston affirmed that she was “pro-Israel”, but lamented the deaths of innocent people in Gaza caught up in the conflict

A student asked her whether she was “pro-abortion”, to which she responded that she was “pro-life”.

Asked to elaborate on her position, Ms Meston explained that she held this view because she was a Christian and knew women who had undergone abortions and regretted the decision.

A student replied that she knew women who had abortions without regretting them, to which Ms Meston responded: “Fair enough."

She was dismissed for “sharing personal opinions on political issues with pupils”.
The school’s headteacher said there was a “real concern” that Ms Meston would continue to “cause harm or distress to pupils”.

During her time at the school, a group of students repeatedly asked for her views on Nigel Farage and Donald Trump, to which she responded briefly that they were both popular politicians before returning to the subject of the lesson.

One pupil also asked her whether she would be attending the Reform UK party conference in February last year, after she had encountered a student at a previous Reform event.

Ms Meston said she would be attending, but maintained that she did not force her views on students at any point.

The Teachers’ Standards, set by the Department for Education, state that teachers “should generally avoid sharing personal political views unless they are entirely confident it will not be seen as promoting that viewpoint”.

The guidance adds: “When political issues are taught, they must be presented in a balanced manner.”

There are strict rules on expressing your personal opinions in class, especially on issues as heated as abortion, Gaza etc

Political impartiality in schools - GOV.UK

It sounds like this class got out of hand - she was supposed to be covering Dresden. I've been a teacher and you just say that your opinion isn't relevant. You can discuss what people think for and against

I was asked if I believe in God because I didn't pray in assembly. It's not hard to say that I don't share my beliefs in class.

Dresden was one city out of the whole of Germany. I think it would be a poor discussion

French teachers covering history should be careful about sticking to an agreed plan. She seemed to spontaneously move to Gaza to engage the students

"So your argument is that the scale of the bombing was less so it should not qualify as a genocide? What does everybody else think?"

Surely engaging the students is the whole point?

Well obviously - different things do tend to be different.

They should have been engaged by the original lesson.
A teacher with what I assume are strong Pro- Israel views and it seems a reputation for poor classroom management given her 4 warnings and training should not venture in to discussing whether it's a genocide in Gaza when the topic is Dresden

It's a recipe for disaster

"It's possible that the school discriminated against her based on her views, and the prior warnings were a part of that pattern of discrimination,"

So you believe there is a difference between holding a view and expressing a view.

The school sacked her for expressing her view. Not for holding that view. Does that fact affect your belief that the school could have discriminated against her based on her views - in other words she is pro - abortion.

It’s not one instance though is it.

The NEU conference in 2024 voted to campaign against govt plans to require schools to tell parents if their child changes gender and against any ban on "social transitioning" in schools. Policy Exchange surveyed 154 schools and found that 39 would inform parents if their child socially transitioned.

policyexchange.org.uk/publication/asleep-at-the-wheel/

I’ve been into schools in that period and it wasn’t that unusual to see hallways or classrooms festooned with trans flags.

That was a live and contentious political issue at that time, where one side was pressing for something between a change in the law and civil disobedience in contravention of it.

During BLM too, I remember some schools making statements in support. Have just looked it up and found in 2022 the DfE guidance warning schools not to do so.

I can’t think of any comparable “right wing” equivalent.

That’s why the application of a ‘politics’ rule here feels off. It’s politics for me but not for thee.

I obviously don’t know this case beyond what’s been reported, and this teacher might be way out of line.

But if expression of belief on (say) abortion is de facto permitted in a pro-choice direction but not a pro-life one, then the relevant difference between the two cases is the belief, not the expression.

If a teacher got a warning for making a speech in assembly about what great values Trump has, you can’t decide whether that’s a punishment of belief or expression unless you know whether anti-Trump assemblies are allowed.

My guess/observation is that a lot of left-wing politics isn’t noticed in schools because it’s not seen as politics. It’s just seen as fact or it’s just justice or it’s just values. But the opposite is noticed.

This is just a natural thing humans do, not necessarily maliciously. We often don’t notice our own politics. At the last election 58% of teachers supported Labour, 5% Conservative. I think there is huge scope for unconcsious bias in such an environment.

To be fair, we are only hearing one side-why SHE says her contract was terminated.
I suspect she was top of scale and the school were seizing sn opportunity to get a cheaper member of staff.

I’m glad she was dismissed, not only has she openly discussed political matters at school environment but rather she is openly pro Israel whom support bombing schools in Gaza. I would be scared as a student.

You can't really discriminate against someone based on a view they've never expressed, so clearly we are already talking about discrimination based on the expression of views, not just invisibly carrying them around in our heads.

What makes you think it is about discrimination based on expression of views and not about a teacher expressing a view?

Can you explain why you think it's discrimination?

She was a supply teacher so not a member of staff

What, that the teacher might bomb the school? Should students fear a pro-Palestine teacher might massacre some pupils during music? Obviously not.

Whatever the solution to this politics-in-schools issue is, one goal should be to get children to adulthood who can accept diversity of views, that this isn’t traumatic and doesn’t make them monsters, and that when given power don’t reach to fire those they disagree with.

So it's your belief that it's ok for a teacher to be sacked if they hold pro Israel views?

Am I correct in my understanding of your view?

The guidance to teachers came out in response to a lot of concerns from parents about politics especially left wing politics, entering schools

So that was 4 years ago

Do you have any recent examples where you think teachers have expressed left wing views to students and "got away with it"

You don't post like a real person. I'm out.

As in, since the 2022 guidance?

Both the trans-flags-everywhere school and the Trump-is-awful assembly examples were more recent than that.

It’s anecdotal of course, but it’s not invented.

Them having strong views (though honestly I'm not sure if they would, I have two secondary aged children and even the one without SEN has the vaguest grasp on the ME) makes it an ideal parallel.
You've said Dresden was one of several cities bombed. Are you aware of the actual history? Carpet bombing in retaliation for the bombing of Coventry? Which the allies couldn't let on they knew was going to happen? It's a highly significant event which has direct parallels in the retaliatory bombing of Gaza by Israel. The teacher saying she thinks Israel has a right to exist does not mean she thinks it's ok for Israel to bomb Gaza, obviously most of the pupils will think both the UK and Germany have a right to exist.
Do you not think Israel has a right to exist?

Absolutely

Teachers should keep their views to themselves
When teaching, some subjects are pretty straightforward to not be biased

Maths
Languages
PE

Some subjects have great potential to unconsciously be biased in their choice of sources, material and discussion

Science - depends on the teacher and their attitude to say vaccines
History - obviously. The role of the British in India is covered very differently in UK schools vs Indian schools, A teacher could also present only evidence showing the Empire in a good or a bad light
Geography - especially human geography
Sociology - so many examples where a teacher could subconsciously decide to pick just one viewpoint
Economics - a socialist or a communist teacher could teach a different course entirely to a capitalist one
English Literature - 1984, Animal Farm, Handmaids Tale, Farenheit 451, Brown girl in the ring. So many ways to present a certain viewpoint
Religious Studies - a teacher who is a committed follower of a religion might be very biased towards others as might a very strong athiest

And that's before we get to the actual curriculum set by the Government with what should be studied and reading material, as well as what the school thinks

At least we aren't the United States where school education can be very biased

When you get older, learn outside of school,travel, meet people and hear a different perspective, subjects such as History can be eye opening

I've been to Lucknow in India.

The British call it the Indian Mutiny where as the Indians call it the Indian Rebellion. It's presented in a very different view over there

It's also easy to not present evidence. How many people know about the Amritsar Massacre in 1919 where General Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on a crowd of civillians in a stadium holding a meeting. Hundreds were killed and thousands wounded

It's so easy to influence young minds in education - and even easier if you are a Government, School or teacher with an agenda

The one thing schools, teachers and parents can do is teach critical thinking
How to read widely, learn about your own unconscious biases etc

If you look at some of my more recent posts,, you'll see I've been trying that on here. You will also see that MNers are just as likely to have their own biases and react without thinking'

I'm always in teacher mode

I am not sure why you are asking me about my view on Israel as it's irrelevant to the conversation

I know many teenagers who have very strong views on Gaza
I know a lot about WW2 history. Probably far more than you
You've also revealed your own bias in your answer as you clearly know little about WW2 history and the Allied Bombing Campaign under Air Commodore Leigh Mallory

Not a bot

You can Chat GPT me if you want

Should schools display trans flags?
No

Anti Trump assembly - inappropriate. Plenty of time to discuss Trump in history or classes discussing democracy

At least you're sticking round

That's a fascinating response
I'm trying a technique called Cordial Curiousity
The aim is to establish someone's view and then explore their thinking
And ask some questions

I think you've just run off when the questions got hard

Teachers aren’t supposed to, however, it appears one side tends to get away with it and that is because those kinds of political views have been sneaked into the curriculum.

For example, teaching about LGBTQ+ became mandatory in 2020, therefore it has become acceptable for teachers to voice the opinion that men can be women.

However, if a Biology teacher should say something like “there are only two sexes” they are likely to face disciplinary action for discrimination or transphobia. Never mind the biological facts.

When children are taught to kowtow to others mental health issues, because feelings are given more weight that the tangible truth, it’s a sure sign of state sponsored indoctrination of the worst kind. And it runs deep.

On a more sinister level it’s teaching people to conform in an unhealthy way, because if you dare to point out the Emperor isn’t wearing any clothes, you’ll be putting your head above the parapet and there are consequences for that.

Do you believe teachers are expressing an opinion as fact or are they expressing it as some people believe that and other people don't

I don't know how trans issues are taught in school so I don't know if it's presented in a balanced way

I expect it would be difficult for a teacher with strong views for or against this issue to teach it to students in a balanced way

In the same way a committed believer in a faith might struggle to teach about other religions or an athiest might struggle to teach about faith without mentioning sky fairies