Entries by ddu-admin

Challenging contentious race content as a school governor

A London school governor decided he couldn’t ignore his unease with the school’s anti-racist training (presented by an external third-party anti-racist trainer). He offered his considered objections, and found others agreed. The trainer’s recommendations are not being adopted wholesale. We hope more governors will follow! The local authority’s schools improvement partner enquired about ‘racial justice’ […]

Education policy – Let’s restore teachers’ sense of agency

The past five decades in education has seen a steady diminishing of teachers’ agency and autonomy, observes Dr Shirley Lawes. Could it be the reduction of teachers to curriculum deliverers/technicians that, in part, explains why a radically moralistic Critical Social Justice ideology appeals to some? When I started teaching in the early 1970s, there was […]

Letter from a Concerned Grandmother

In August 2021, Patricia Hutchinson, a concerned grandmother, wrote to the then Under Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, to express her concerns about what her grandchildren, who live in rural Sussex, were being taught at school. How can it be good when teachers are encouraged to use their professional authority to preach from […]

The End of Innocence? What should and should not be taught in schools?

This is a recording of a debate organised by Don’t Divide Us and Terra Firma on Tuesday 23 February 2023. INTRODUCTION Whether it’s racialised curricula, radicalised educators, or sexualised reading material, students today are being exposed to adult themes and lesson content at younger ages than previous generations. Why is this happening? Is it harmful, […]