I am a teacher in a school - is this right?

[TTlover]

Hi all.

I am a primary school teacher (UK) and after the racism that has been happening in the football, I taught the children in my class a lovely lesson on equality.

The children then made equality posters and anti racism posters.

We then went to put the posters up around the school.

The head teacher approached me and asked all of the children to take them down.

I feel really upset by this. It wasn’t an issue with the blue tac on the walls as there are always posters going up from other classes.

I had to turn all of my children around, ask them to take their posters down and then come back up to the classroom with the children confused.

Perhaps I should have asked first, but I really didn’t see it being an issue.

Did I cross the line? Now I feel anxious.

What was the heads explanation for asking you to take them down?

There wasn’t one!

Could it be because it's close to the end of term and the headteacher is getting fresh frieze paper put up for after the holidays? Often gets done at this time of year so things tend to be coming off the walls rather than put up on them.

I would have asked if there was a problem with the posters being up, and made the head teacher say what the issue actually was. If putting up random posters is not an unusual thing to do in your school then there shouldn’t have been a problem with it.

Go to the head and just ask, “I just wanted to check what the problem was with the posters, as I’m not sure and don’t want to make the same mistake again?”

Then I would suggest you ask. Get them to be specific. Was it the posters themselves? The content? Are the decorators coming in over the holidays and they don't want extra work taking them down?

If nothing else you need to know for the future.

However, if I was going to put 30 odd posters up around school, I probably would have checked first.

Without any explanation we can’t really comment. I think you’d be better of asking the head what the thinking behind the request was. It could be as simple as needing clear walls for some redecorating over the summer etc…

So a very similar situation for me recently. I also work in a school (secondary) and noticed that some children had put up posters supporting a particular movement. I was the one to take those down and was later told it was the right thing to do...

While it's one thing for schools to teach the different movements that are happening, the school is not a place for political agendas as such. Not everyone will agree with things that are being posted and it is a cause for possible conflict. Let children be children imo.

I think you probably should’ve asked first.

Why haven't you just asked?

I would ask the head.

How’s undermining as well in front of the class

Well you need to ask. Obviously.

If you were a teacher in a school then you would know absolutely everything will be coming off the walls ready for the start of the new term in September.

@Unfinishednam I completely see it from your view point.

I didn’t want to raise an agenda but wanted to send the message of equality, especially with what is going on in the news.

Perhaps I was wrong x

@Bettyboopawoop we still have 2 weeks left....

@Unfinishednam Equality and anti racism is not a political agenda.

In my school (secondary) we cannot under any circumstances put anything on the wall without the HT's permission. Some wonderful stuff goes on the walls, but it has to be with his knowledge. If there was anything up without his permission it would be immediately taken down. You can put them in your classroom.

@Unfinishednam we had exactly the same issue. Pupils putting up a symbol on the walls. Taken down immediately.

The last few weeks of school consist of taking everything off the walls and leaving all walls bare and you are going round filling them up.

Maybe the HT has plan for the whole school to do something similar.

Your message wasn’t wrong but I think you should have asked. It’s done now and you know to ask in future. I’m sure the head would happily discuss it if you want.

We do have to be careful when we are handling political and current affairs. If you get the guidance from your head for how your school handle it then that’s a positive.

You need to ask. None of us can possibly know why you were asked to take them down. You're assuming it was because of the content when that might not have been the case. Ask the Head teacher, don't second guess

Can teachers just put up whatever they want at your school without clearing it with the SLT first? Sounds like chaos!

Without knowing the reason no-one can really comment. Have you recently started at the school?

When my DC were at primary school the displays on the wall always seemed planned rather than random stuff stuck up anywhere, maybe that was the issue not the content of the posters

I have taught in the school for 3 years and it has never been said that we can’t put posters up.

I will ask the head teacher. Thanks all. I know you probably think it’s silly to vent on here but I have anxiety and this often helps for me to get the thoughts out of my head.

[quote Orf1abc]@Unfinishednam Equality and anti racism is not a political agenda.[/quote]
I'm not sure I agree with all of that -- with regards to equality, parts of some 'equality' movements most definitely do have a political agenda in that they seek to change the law of the land in ways that are considered to be detrimental to the hard-won rights of others. Like women.

@TTlover it's a very difficult one because while it's an important lesson to teach, and for the children to understand, it's one thing to teach them and another to post things around the school.. everyone will have they're own out look on life and the things that happen but it's just a fact that different people will have different views on things. Not saying that's right or wrong from either side.

@Orf1abc like I said in my response, it's one thing to teach the children about equality and not being racist and I completely support that.. but it's another to post it around a school setting imo. As long as the kids understand what's the appropriate way to act then I think that's all that matters.