September 30, 2009

Balls to investigate BNP presence in schools

There will be an investigation into the extent of BNP involvement in schools, children's secretary Ed Balls told the Labour conference this afternoon.

"I am today asking the former chief inspector of schools, Maurice Smith, to examine the evidence and make recommendations," he told delegates in Brighton. "I want us to be confident that we have all the powers we need to keep racism and BNP activity out of our schools."

The comments open the door to a ban on BNP members working in teaching or sitting on educational boards. That's a policy which teachers' union NASUWT has been recommending for some time now, but with little effect.

Activists have been pointing out that BNP members should be under the same regulations as the police – who ban BNP members from serving – because of the because of the power they have over children.

Talking to politics.co.uk later Mr Balls said he expected the report to be in by the end of the year.

"I'm not going to jump to conclusions," he said. "But I will do whatever it takes."

politics.co.uk

2 comments:

Karen said...

I am really glad to see this.

There have been numerous cases of children who have been subjected to the views of the likes of the BNP who suffer the consequences of their twisted views by becoming terribly unhappy people who are ostracized and disgruntled with everything in life and as a result are driven more and more towards the racist and abhorrent views held by Griffin and co. Children subjected to the likes of “Golli burning” and even worse in private, are bound to be less than well adjusted and will inevitably find it difficult to become functioning adults in a normal society, hence they drift to the abnormality of the far right.

It is a terrible tragedy that some parents are allowed to subject their own children to what amounts to nothing short of abuse however that they should be allowed to do the same to other children in a school environment is completely unacceptable.

From a mother who has seen what this did to her children!

Anonymous said...

I agree wholeheartedly with you Karen. I believe there is a case for referring households where the parents are known to be involved with the BNP to social services so that the extent of the indoctrination involved can be monitored, perhaps through the schools.