The Reform UK leader Claims Teachers of ‘Indoctrinating Children’ on Racial Topics

Nigel Farage has asserted that educators would initiate walkouts within weeks a success at the polls for his party, charging that they are “harming young minds” by instructing children that black pupils are victims and Caucasian students are perpetrators.

During an event for a Michigan-based religious institution, Farage outlined his perspective on the UK education system, claiming that the “Marxist left” had “taken over schooling”.

“I’m anticipating a teachers’ strike very quickly after securing a victory,” Farage commented during a Q&A session.

“They are corrupting young minds. They are telling them to be ashamed of their country. They are telling little Johnny, who’s eight, who is black that he is oppressed and little Oliver, who is white, who is eight that he is a perpetrator. They are dividing us, not uniting us. They are feeding this negative culture.”

In response to these assertions, Daniel Kebede rejected the idea that the schools were under Marxist influence as “nonsense”. Kebede noted that industrial action must relate to teachers’ terms and conditions, and questioned whether Reform would attack these immediately upon entering government.

“The politician has crafted his political career on dog-whistle politics and currently, similar to other figures, he is targeting educators and their unions for a fight,” the union leader said.

“This is highly reckless. Neither I nor our union – advocate such divisive theories as he claims … Should he become prime minister he would sell out our public services, particularly schooling … and he would be a disaster for education and children.”

Reform, which tops surveys by a significant margin, has not set out much detail on a proposed education policy and does not appear to have appointed an education spokesperson.

Nonetheless, Farage’s remarks suggested the group would reform the educational framework. He said: “We have got a massive job with education – truly monumental. And, it won’t happen quickly; it requires years, years to turn this around.”

Farage expressed that gen Z was more open to critical thinking, but older youth were “completely lost”.

Paying tribute to a conservative activist, Farage said: “All I want education to do to foster independent thought – to educate individuals that multiple perspectives exist and you make up your own mind rather than what’s happening now where views are labeled good or bad. It’s a massive job in the UK and US.”

Reform has previously clashed with the UK’s largest teaching union, after Kebede called the party “extremist and prejudiced” and dismissed Farage as “a poundshop Donald Trump”.

The politician has charged Kebede of being “a self-declared Marxist” … an individual intent that our children should be poisoned through education, their minds should be poisoned about everything to do with this country” and has argued that the union is trying to indoctrinate teenagers against Reform.

Almost one million people work in schools in the UK, about half of whom are teachers and the others teaching assistants and support staff. The major education union has about 450,000 members.

National strikes over educators’ salaries and work environment in 2023 caused widespread disruption in educational institutions and millions of days of lost learning for children.

At the US event, Farage also vowed to promote the online educational material of the Christian college in the UK. He said organizations like it were “key to resistance”, adding that: “I mean this. I’ll assist attract vast numbers of youth to your online courses. I pledge this tonight and I will follow through.”

The college, a small private Christian college, provides complimentary classes. According to its online description: “A scientific, literary, theological, political, and moral education is vital for well-being and to maintain the benefits of civil and religious liberty. The college furnishes these beautiful courses for no charge to every interested learner.”