‘Pivotal decision’ not to ban BNP teachers (From The Northern Echo)
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‘Pivotal decision’ not to ban BNP teachers
8:52am Saturday 13th March 2010 in
A DECISION not to ban teachers from joining racist organisations could be pivotal for the BNP, an activist with the far right party claims.
Former teacher Adam Walker spoke out after the Government accepted a recommendation from former Chief Inspector of Schools Maurice Smith that laws stopping teachers from joining organisations such as the BNP and National Front would be disproportionate.
The General Teaching Council, in Birmingham, is considering allegations that Mr Walker expressed religious intolerance on the internet using a school laptop while working as a teacher at Houghton Kepier School, in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside.
Last night, Mr Walker, 39, said he was “over the moon”
with the review’s findings.
He said: “This could be a pivotal point for the BNP – it’s massive.”
Mr Walker said he had been visited by Mr Smith as part of the review.
“There are already safeguards in place and this has just been about Ed Balls trying to score points,” he added.
Speaking about his tribunal which will be held in May, Mr Walker said: “I think this could have a positive bearing.”
The review found that there were already enough checks and measures in place to prevent the promotion of racism in the classroom without turning to an overall ban on BNP teachers.
The review’s recommendations were accepted in full by Schools Minister Mr Balls, including a suggestion that there should be an annual “watching brief” on the safeguards already in place to keep racism out of schools.
Mr Smith said that during the past seven years, only four teachers had been publicly identified as being members of racist organisations. These include Mr Walker’s brother Mark, also a BNP activist, who last month lost his case for unfair dismissal for absenteeism from Sunnydale Community College, in Shildon, County Durham.
Mark Walker will contest the Sedgefield seat at this year’s General Election.
In a separate development, it emerged this week that his supporters had posted leaflets in Trimdon featuring a picture purporting to be a family of British BNP supporters, which actually featured actors from the US.
Mark Walker said: “The reason we used the photo of American models is because we can’t use party members because they will be persecuted, probably lose their jobs and get a lot of threats.”
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‘OVER THE MOON’: Adam Walker
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solidarity says...
11:42am Sat 13 Mar 10
The review was commissioned by the Education Secretary Ed Balls and reported on the 12th March. It concluded that there were no pressing problems of racism being promoted in the classroom let alone from anyone with a political agenda. Review Chairman Maurice Smith an ex-Chief Inspector of Schools, said that any ban would be disproportionate.
Our Union, Solidarity, had investigated and supplied to the review as part of our submission our own report which had found there was no serious problem of racism in the classroom. It soon became evident that the review had been initiated by a Schools Secretary that was under pressure from those following a political agenda.That agenda sought to create the impression that there was a racist problem in the schools and that members of a rival party were responsible. The conclusions of this independent review have burst that balloon.
Solidarity is a libertarian Trade Union in that we do not concern ourselves with our members political views/memberships. Indeed we believe that all workers should have the right to freedom of association and expression. As our brothers and sisters in the ATL pointed out the only issue is how people behave in their jobs. The shrill statements of the Chris Keates of the Teaching Union NASUWT that BNP teachers should be banned are anti-democratic. We believe such extreme opinions are driven by political malice rather than any actual evidence.
The report is generally balanced and professional and a victory for commonsense.
The full report can be found here:- http://www.dcsf.gov.
uk/mauricesmithrevie
w/index.shtml
On a separate point Mark Walker was sacked for ill-health. I don't think that is quite the same as 'absenteeism' as all his absences were certificated. The employer contributed to his ill-health with a botched disciplinary process lasting over two years and never concluded.