Nigel Farage has asserted that teachers would go on strike shortly after a Reform UK election victory, accusing them of “harming young minds” by instructing children that African-Caribbean youth are oppressed and white children oppressors.
At a gathering for a private US Christian college, Farage outlined his viewpoint on the UK education system, claiming that the “Marxist left” had “taken over schooling”.
“I expect a walkout by educators soon after winning the next general election,” he remarked during a Q&A session.
“They are poisoning our kids. They are telling them to be ashamed of their country. They inform little Johnny, who’s eight, who is black that he is a victim and a white child of the same age that he is an oppressor. They create division, not uniting us. They promote this negative culture.”
Reacting to these assertions, Daniel Kebede rejected the notion that the schools were under Marxist influence as “nonsense”. Kebede noted that industrial action must relate to teachers’ terms and conditions, and doubted whether Reform would attack these right after taking office.
“The politician has crafted his public life on coded rhetoric and now, similar to other figures, he is targeting educators and their organizations for a conflict,” the union leader said.
“I think that’s grossly irresponsible. I don’t – and nor does my union – push critical race theory as he’s suggesting … If he were to lead the government he would sell out our public services, particularly schooling … and the outcome would be catastrophic for students and learning.”
The party, which is leading the polls by a significant margin, has provided limited specifics on a proposed education policy and does not appear to have designated an education lead.
However, his comments suggested the party would overhaul the educational framework. Farage declared: “We face an enormous task with schooling – truly monumental. Moreover, it won’t happen quickly; it will take us years, years to turn this around.”
He stated that gen Z was more open to analytical thought, but older youth were “completely lost”.
Paying tribute to Charlie Kirk, Farage said: “All I want education to do to teach critical thinking – to instruct people that there are two points of view and you make up your own mind as opposed to what’s happening now where one is virtuous and one is evil. It’s a massive job in both Britain and America.”
Reform has previously clashed with a major educators’ organization, after the union leader labeled them “far right and racist” and described the leader as “a poundshop Donald Trump”.
Farage has accused the union head with being “an avowed radical” … an individual intent that our children should be poisoned at school, their minds should be poisoned about everything to do with this country” and maintained that the organization seeks to brainwash teenagers against Reform.
Almost one million people work in schools in the UK, about half of whom are teachers and the remainder being assistants and administrative personnel. The major education union has hundreds of thousands of members.
National strikes over teacher pay and conditions in 2023 caused widespread disruption in educational institutions and millions of days of lost learning for students.
At the US event, the Reform leader also vowed to promote the digital courses of the Christian college in the UK. He stated organizations like it were “part of the fightback”, adding that: “I am serious. I’ll assist garner hundreds of thousands, if not millions of young people to these educational programs. I make that commitment tonight and I will follow through.”
The college, a religious educational establishment, offers free courses. Its website states: “A scientific, literary, theological, political, and moral education is necessary for personal happiness and to maintain the benefits of freedom. The college furnishes these beautiful courses for free to all who wish to learn.”
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