WIREDGOV

Ed Balls yesterday announced a full and detailed review of the provisions which prevent the promotion of racism in schools.

He has asked Maurice Smith, formerly HM Chief Inspector of Schools and currently Director of Education for the Church of England Manchester Diocese, to lead the review and deliver his report in January 2010.

The review will look specifically at:

• Whether existing safeguards are sufficient (taking into account current duties on schools and local authorities, and the powers of the General Teaching Council for England {GTCE}).
• Whether there is a case for further measures to maintain trust in the teaching profession and protect children and young people from indoctrination and discrimination. Particularly, whether there is a case for affiliation to an organisation that promotes racism being grounds for barring from the profession.
• Whether the current safeguards, or further measures deemed necessary, should extend more widely across the school workforce.

In a letter to Maurice Smith, Ed Balls said:

Teaching carries with it great responsibility: the education and welfare of our children and young people. That trust must be maintained.

I have always believed that membership of any organisation that espouses racist views is fundamentally incompatible with the values and ethos of the teaching profession.

The police and prison services have already taken the decision to ban their personnel from membership of organisations whose constitution, aims, objectives or pronouncements contradict their duty to promote race equality. 

I and my predecessors have previously set out the view that such a ban is not necessary for the teaching profession because the current safeguards are sufficient, though were evidence to emerge that this was not the case the situation would need to be reviewed.

A number of recent events have caused me to reflect on whether the current safeguards are drawn in the right place. In the last year there have been two referrals of teachers to the GTCE concerning activities related to the promotion of racist beliefs. Further, the release of information on membership of the BNP revealed 15 individuals who identified teaching as their profession.  We cannot know how many more may have chosen not to reveal their occupation.

That is why I believe that it is right to undertake a full review of the arguments for and against strengthening the current provisions. I am grateful to Maurice Smith for agreeing to undertake this review and I look forward to receiving his report.

Further information

The letter to Maurice Smith can be downloaded here