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.

YANBU - amazed that even an inexperienced teacher thought it was OK to do that, and that your colleagues weren't more supportive of you!

She is of course allowed to express whatever views she likes on her own time, but she is in a position of influence and responsibility in the classroom, so has a duty to remain neutral.

It's fine (in fact great) to discuss voting more generally with pupils - so they have a sense of how democracy works and why it's important. But expressing political affiliation is clearly crossing the line!

YWNBU she shouldn't have told them how to vote (even if it is only hypothetical because they can't vote yet).

Well... she was wrong, teachers are not supposed to mention their views on politics.

d270r0

According to?

YANBU, this was very unethical behaviour and very unprofessional, quite shocking really.

Obviously YANBU.
the teacher was quite vitriolic about the Conservative party implying that horrible people don't vote labour you only have to spend a few minutes on Mumsnet to witness the vitriol directed at Tory voters to know that's not true . But more importantly, to those saying Year 8, meh, so what too young for it to matter, how ignorant. My DDs school have had PSHE lessons (that unlike a PP didn't just have 'time' to focus on Labour) that cover the political parties and the election and what it means to vote. My youngest two are Year 8 and 9. Everytime there's an election, local or national, one of the History teachers (also a Politics enthusiast) organises a school vote. The students are expected to do their own research and after the result, they discuss it (voting remains anonymous). Both my DDs confirm that although many teachers will discuss elections and politics at various times, they have never experienced any teacher them who they vote for or advocating who the students should vote for. So, no, year 8 is not too young for it to matter.

Trifle, I recognise you feel it is appropriate to share how you voted with students.

I don't think it is. Unless it would also be appropriate if you voted UKIP/BNP.

The best way to answer the question "How do you vote" is "by secret ballot". It's a polite way of saying MYOB.

But teachers must never, ever indulge in party politics with pupils. Inexperience is the only excuse for the OP's colleague. And it's a thin excuse.

I was told when I was about 14/15 by one of my teachers, during a lesson that we should all vote Labour when we grow up. Shortly after Tony Blair won the 1997 election and she didnt even bother to hide her delight at this.

So nothing new here.

Things have changed considerably in terms of professional standards since 1997

I'm 1952 vintage, Calyrical, and I left school in 1970. None of my teachers would have dreamed of doing anything so grossly unprofessional.

I agree the colleagues need some training too

Calyrical

Well, they are legal political parties. Lots of my students' parents vote UKIP. I draw a line at BNP because they are (in my opinion) an overtly racist party and saying you vote for them is divisive in a way that saying you vote UKIP (or Labour, as I do) isn't. But I appreciate it is a fine line. I still disagree with you.

If personal views are allowed then who is to judge when a line is crossed. A teacher may have voted to leave the EU because of immigration she would be wrong to tell a diverse class of students this. Or they may view that too many people rely on benefits but again would be very insensitive to mention this in a high poverty area. A teacher may support UKIPs position on the burka again not suitable discussion in a classroom.

If the teacher wants to tell the class whom she voted for and why thats fine but its isn't on to tell them they should agree with her. Voting is personal. Teachers should not be foisting their beliefs onto kids. If shevis going to discuss politics then it should be unbiased. She is abusing her authority and parents trust. It doesnt matter if they can't vote get kids often take what teachers say as gospel and it stays with them. I would not be happy whatever party she voted for.

YANBU, telling impressionable teens who to vote for is not a school teacher's job

I would have been on your side if I was there! ;)

Not that they can even vote, so not sure what she was aiming for

Very wrong IMO. I discuss voting as a process, democracy, universal suffrage and if they don't know much, list the main parties but I don't even go into their stances as I am sure that would be hard to do in in an unbiased way. I only do that as I am astounded at the ignorance shown by the young people teach, all older than sixteen.

Totally wrong. I hate when people ask what party you're voting for ... people should keep it to themselves unless campaigning for them.

Teachers are supposed to be impartial, fair do's to say who they are voting for, but to influence their pupils is wrong.

My dd's teacher asked them to share who their parents were voting for in circle time today....Thought that was odd myself she's only 9!

YANBU
If one of my dcs teachers was doing that, I w was ill have been straight to the school to complain.

Discussing things is ok.
But even then, the roles of the teacher is NEVER EVER to out their POV at the front. It would be ensuring that both sides of the discussions can have their say and that both sides have been fairly represented.
It's about teaching the children to reason, listen to other POV and learn to develop their own ideas, far from whatever the are hearing at home.

I do hope that that teacher isnt teaching RE or citizenship TBH.

Fine to disclose who they are voting for but to attempt to influence children over whom she has authority is completely wrong. Id probably complain regardless whether I agreed with her politics or not

If the teacher wants to tell the class whom she voted for and why thats fine

No, it isn't. It's an abuse of influence.

Not that they can even vote, so not sure what she was aiming for

I voted twice while I was at school. Once during my A-Levels; and then I stayed on an extra term to do Oxford Entrance - a separate exam in those days - and there was a by-election. And if I had been a few weeks older I would have voted in local elections that spring.

"she had told some year 8s the party she was voting for"
I don't discuss this stuff with Y8, but would do so (carefully) if asked.

"and that's the one 'they should also vote for."
Absolutely, categorically not on.

I'll cheerfully have political discussions with sixth formers. I do the same with older kids, with a little more care to be balanced and circumspect. Telling a 12yo who to vote for is way, way over the line.