To have gently told her she was wrong

[Calyrical]

Awkward one: about politics (sorry) but only indirectly.

An inexperienced teacher in my department announced brightly at lunch she had told some year 8s the party she was voting for and that's the one 'they should also vote for.' She listed the reasons she had given them.

I interjected and quite nicely but also firmly told her that she was wrong to have done so. I said it was unlikely anyone would complain but if they did her actions would be difficult to justify as we are in an influential position.

However I got quite a lot of grumbling and muttered 'well it's true!' remarks from other departmental members.

I'm 99% sure I was NOT BU.

But I will leave it to MN to decide.

Teachers are not allowed to disclose.

Sadly, this is no longer included in teacher training, due to the falling budgets in education. I imagine she did this out of ignorance rather than malevolence, and blustered out of embarrassment.

You are completely right.

I think it probably would come under that to be honest Trifle

I have one very preachy friend on FB who is always posting about how amazing Labour is. Have unfollowed her.

Wouldn't be happy to hear that teachers are promoting views to children. Political discussions are often had in senior school classes but it's the teacher's job to inform and give a balanced view of the arguments, not to pitch for one party over another. I'd be complaining to the Head.

You really think they'll be influenced about politics? Honestly you need to get over how important you think teachers are in their life. They're not. Most kids are more influenced by bloggers and YouTube and each other. I think you are far more concerned with promoting what you think is correct. Also nasty to tell her off in front of others.
Get over yourself. You should apologise. I was a teacher for nearly twenty years.

I think YABU. It is hard to envisage those same kids in 5 years time standing in a polling booth voting for X because Miss told them to in 2017.

Whether they are influenced or are not influenced is not really the point: the point is that as a teacher you should not be seen to influence

For example, the BNP are a perfectly legitimate political party. Would it be acceptable for a teacher to share that she'd voted for them and why? Absolutely not.

I also remember during the Scottish Indyref my 12 year old asking his teacher which way she'd voted - she refused to discuss it. Quite right too.

YANBU. Especially if she used the actual phrase 'that's the one they should also vote for.' I'd want a teacher disciplined for that.

Calyrical

As a parent of a year 8 thankyou!

I appreciate that we are all entitled to our views, my DS has actually been bullied over the last year by classmates who have been emboldened by teachers promoting labour

Only yesterday in pdc the teacher was quite vitriolic about the Conservative party implying that horrible people don't vote labour

My son is 13, 5 years short of voting he doesn't parrot his parents politics we try and explain all views but classmates feel they can be unpleasant as the teacher supports their own parents view therefore must be correct

I would rather just as faith is fairly much off limits, politics be the same

I haven't complained to school but do feel quite cross that my gentle caring boy is being intimidated by a teacher reinforcing a political opinion when they should just express it like an adult at the polling station

Good grief Schro Your poor son.

YANBU

Disclosing your political views to the pupils, preaching for one political party to them is one of the most hugely unethical and unprofessional things a teacher can do short of criminality. Huge breach of trust to say nothing of the potential cost to relationships with the community/parents.

...and you say other staff argued with you? How are people getting near pupils without knowing this? I almost don't believe it if I'm honest, this is such a basic point of being an educator.

I'm a teacher and wouldn't dream of telling the kids who I voted for. I made a point of saying I agree with some policies from most parties and it's finding a best fit as you never agree with everything.

Sounds like The Pride of Miss Jean Brodie. Sharing her political views with her impressionable girls didn't end well.

YANBU OP. It's the kind of thing many parents get very annoyed about and someone might complain and she should be told.

At that age I was thinking about politics but was more influenced by my parents. If I'd have agreed with her views I'd have thought she was great. If not I'd have thought she was a silly moo.

If the school is local authority maintained, what she did was illegal.
(As a PP has said, Education Act 1996, s406)

In an academy the proprietor is advised (but it isn't statutory) that pupils should be given the facts about each political party's stance and proposals, but should not be told or encouraged to think that a vote for one party is right and another is wrong.

If many of your colleagues don't know that, or don't care, maybe some CPD is needed!

You were in the right. Teachers can advise about parties and politics in terms of policies and how it works. I think it's very unprofessional to say how you voted and especially to tell children how to vote.

I didn't think about the possibility of bullying. Yes, that is a really big danger with a charismatic teacher. Your poor son Schroedingerscatagain

I remember being told at school that no-one else should influence our vote, each person should vote privately and must do their research and draw their own conclusions. This was a standard answer from more than one teacher whenever the question was asked. It is a very sad situation if this is no longer taught.

so beyond wrong - is she cut out for teaching ?

The rule is, if we agree with your views then by all means tell kids how you vote. If you're a Tory then stop trying to corrupt young minds.

If teachers are allowed to tell children who they should vote for, presumably they can also tell them which God to worship, if they don't want to burn in hell. After all, that's even more important to get right.

YANBU she was in the wrong - oversharing at best and in breach of the rules at worst.

At my DC secondary school ( a few years ago at the last election) the Head of a Department (an older teacher) told my DD's class that no one should ever vote for UKIP as they were rascist. I was angry about this and did not complain then but two days later he had popped in to ask another teacher something and asked my other DD's class if any of their parents intended to vote UKIP (no one put up their hand) and if so they should tell them not to or they deserved to be locked up!

This time I did complain (I would never, ever vote UKIP but the teacher had no right to potentially embarass students or lead to their harassment and it was not in his role to lobby students/parents against a particular party) Totally unprofessional.

As a head, I can't ever see it would come down to a HoD to need to do anything. A comment in the staff room as peers is fine.

I'd ignore it otherwise and if there are any complaints then it will go above you. It isn't in your remit to police this kind of thing and it's extremely difficult for you to do so.

I don't. I would never tell anyone who to vote for or suggest it to the . I would always offer a balanced picture of all sides of the argument. Beyond that, I see no issue with being honest about my own opinion.

I'm thinking politics should be like religion in these circumstances- 'I'm voting Labour', 'I'm a Christian'- fine. 'You must vote Labour or you're an idiot', 'You must become a Christian or you'll go straight to hell'- not even remotely ok.

Neo, that was what I did, informally over lunch.

If someone complained, it would fall to me as HOD to sort it.