EU propaganda in our Schools

The British Education Act expressly prohibits political indoctrination by banning the teaching of partisan political views and by requiring that political issues are presented in a balanced manner.
Section 406 of the Education Act 1996 clearly states that local education authorities, school governing bodies and head teachers

shall forbid the promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any subject in the school.

Further if political issues are brought to the attention of school pupils, the authority, the governors and the head are required by Section 407 to take

such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that… they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views.

The legal position is thus quite clear: Not only are school teachers required to refrain from partisan political activities in the classroom, they are under an active obligation to prevent other individuals and groups from engaging in such pursuits. The direct responsibility lies with the governing body and the head teacher.

This concept was confirmed with the ruling on Al Gores Climate Change Film where the judge ruled that the film is a political work and promotes only one side of the argument. And concluded if teachers present the Film without making this plain they may be in breach of section 406 of the Education Act 1996 and guilty of political indoctrination. And said if the film was shown it should be balanced with other material.

By no stretch of the imagination can the EU be considered a non political issue as it is the most important and most hotly contested political issue of our times.

Last April the Dublin’s independent body dealing with complaints on broadcasting content the BCC found the EU guilty of passing off a political message as independent information and said such acts breached the Irish broadcasting advertising regulations.

But nevertheless the EU continues to issue and distribute what can only be described as propaganda material for use in our schools, thus totally ignoring our law l against the political indoctrination of children.

In 1988, EU Education Ministers’ Resolution 88/C-177/02 called on member states to

strengthen in young people a sense of European identity; prepare young people to take part in the economic and social aspects of the Community; make them aware of the advantages of the EU; improve knowledge of the Community.

It is not as if schools and teachers were disinterested in the problems of indoctrination in schools, as there have been two widely circulated instances recently where teachers have clearly expressed views against propaganda one was reported in the Times

In answer to Gordon Browns flag waving proposition when a leading educational body the Institute of Education researchers report said :

Teachers should not instill pride in what they consider great moments of British history, as more shameful episodes could be downplayed or excluded.
Patriotism should be avoided in school lessons because British history is “morally ambiguous” The report criticised the current drive to use citizenship lessons as a way of promoting pride in being British and developing a sense of belonging. It said:

“To love what is corrupt is itself corrupting, not least because it inclines us to ignore, forget, forgive or excuse the corruption.

“Countries are morally ambiguous entities: they are what they are by virtue of their histories.”

Some interesting political concepts in themselves, which could on the face of it be considered to be political indoctrination in favour of an international organisation such as the EU.

And The National Union of Teachers said schools should have no part in recruiting troops unless lesson plans were more balanced. They said schools were being “asked to play a partisan role in war” because some recruitment material targeted at children presented a skewed vision of life in the Armed Forces. The NUT said some lesson materials prepared with MoD backing undermined schools’ legal duty to present controversial issues to children in a balanced way.

It is odd therefore that we hear nothing from schools or teaches over the mass of material disseminated by the EU.
Such as the EU bias which was introduced for use in Key Stage 3 and 4 “citizenship” classes
Now there is a new promotion which has been sent out to our schools as reported by Open Europe The European Parliament’s UK ‘Outreach’ office has today sent teachers an email full of ideas to help them decide how to celebrate “Europe Day for Schools”

It is impossible to both celebrate Europe Day and offer a balanced view of the political implications of the EU. The impossibility can be seen when you look at the suggestions made for ways a teacher involve the children in the celebrations.

First the teachers are invited to download Europe Day posters from 1996 - 2008 posters and then there follows a whole range of suggestions

Hold an assembly on the meaning of Europe Day

Set up a European café in school using Euros/European currencies and arrange a European lunch provided by the canteen or the children.

Children dress in the colours of the flag of different European countries.

Read stories from other countries in the literacy hour - Hans Christian Anderson stories form Denmark: Pied Piper of Hamlin, Germany.

Video conference with children in another European country.

Email children in a partner school asking them how they are celebrating Europe Day.

Learn simple words in another language.

Start a European map marking the countries of origin or holiday destinations of children. Make a graph of results.

Play maths games using the Euro and other European currencies or distances from one capital to another.

A photography competition where children are invited to express in a picture what they think about the impact of Europe in their region and how Europe begins first and foremost in their community.

All backed up with resources packs available to order for classes
Maps of the European Union
Booklet: Opportunities and resources for Young people in the EU?
European Parliament Rulers
European Parliament Bookmarks
EU Flag Memory game
Balloons

Where in any of this there is a balanced view ? well there is not, that is why I and many others refer to the EU commissioner who is in charged of this sort of child indoctrination the EU Propaganda Minister and her ministry the EU propaganda Ministry.

If teachers and schools do organise celebrations for Europe Day and treat that day as a celebration then they will be clearly in breach of the Education Act 1996. So I do hope that they pay particular attention to Section 406 and 407 I for one will want to know how they square a clebration with a balanced political presentation of the facts of the EU.