We face austerity, privatisation, and toxic influence. But we are growing, and cannot be beaten
‘Political impartiality’ in schools means being able to make the case for socialism
Teacher ROBERT POOLE asks what role educators can and should play in helping young people make sense of the world and why the government is suddenly looking to answer that question for them
Classroom communism
Trump’s economic adviser has exposed the actual strategy: forcing other countries to provide financial support for US world hegemony
Activist Angie Zelter has been arrested more than a hundred times. She’s not stopping now, writes LINDA PENTZ GUNTER
Natalia Marques looks at last week's ruling that Khalil can be deported and its implications
We are not here to advocate for the arms industry or its CEOs, writes STEVE HANDFORD, and that means we must take a stand against the government’s spending on war
As Labour mimics Tory welfare cuts while ignoring crumbling schools, educators must collectively resist the government's priorities and fight for an inclusive, creative system that values all children, writes NEU president SARAH KILPATRICK
Although our sector is hearing better things from the current government, the recognition that what we do is education in its own right, rather than just childcare, is still not reflected in policy, writes LUCY COLEMAN
I AM SURE that many teachers have been asked, as I have many times this week, what is happening in Ukraine. Young people are, for obvious reasons, scared by the situation. Especially as the media and right-wing MPs try to whip up a war frenzy. Add to this the disinformation and misinformation circulating on social media — what role can and should teachers play in helping children understand this crisis?
The most important thing is, in the first instance, to reassure pupils that the likelihood of World War III is highly unlikely, but just as importantly, to teach them the skill of critical thinking.
The question of what and how we should be teaching could of course also be broadened out to cover the whole curriculum — to ask what role teachers can and should play in helping them to understand the world at large. In a world where fake news is rife, politicians can’t be trusted and the mainstream media is owned by millionaires, the role of teachers is more important than ever.
More from this author
The NEU’s annual conference promises heated debate, with motions on international politics, curriculum reform and union amalgamation likely to provoke strong reactions and challenge the status quo, writes Education for Tomorrow editor ROBERT POOLE
The series unveils uncomfortable truths about youth alienation and online radicalisation — but the real crisis lies in austerity and the absence of class consciousness in addressing young people’s disillusionment, says teacher ROBERT POOLE
From colonialism to the Troubles, the story of England’s first colony is one of exploitation, resistance, and solidarity — and one we should fight to ensure is told, writes teacher ROBERT POOLE
As the government moves to rein in academy freedoms, former darling of conservative education reform Katharine Birbalsingh cries ‘Marxism.’ Education columnist ROBERT POOLE examines how academisation has failed our children while enriching executives and empowering ideologues at the expense of democratic accountability
