So the government has just released some guidance for teaching PSHE which seems - by my reading - to be written in such a way as to ban using BLM materials in the classroom.

The section of the guidance is here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/plan-your-relationships-sex-and-health-curriculum#choosing-resources

taking this point by point:

- "overthrow capitalism" - it's become a classic daily mail Gotcha to say "ah but BLM are SECRETLY MARXISTS"

- not only "encouragement" but FAILURE TO CONDEMN "illegal activity", specifically highlighting property damage. "done in their name" is very ambiguous and seems specifically designed to trap non-hierarchical organising banners

to me, the most worrying part: "this is the case even if the material itself is not extreme, as the use of it could imply endorsement or support of the organisation". so if an organisation deemed "extreme" makes a kids' picture book, it still can't be used

as a white teacher i know i am less likely to be targeted by this - black leftist teachers are going to be by far the most vulnerable - but honestly i am starting to get a little frightened about what this means for teachers with leftist views.

it's very bizarre that this is coming out in guidance about teaching sex and relationships education, but i guess it makes sense - fascists don't want kids learning about sex, but they can be placated by making sure those fucking commies aren't allowed near it

genuinely i mean... am i allowed to organise for prison and police abolition? not under my real name, i guess! i know they're not explicitly saying teachers can't organise but this seems to be laying groundwork for doxxing/harassing left teachers

another thing - i should write this up i guess - since this is specifically about sex and relationships education, i wonder if this will also have the effect of making sure nothing radical about trans identities can be said or taught

it also means no transformative justice - which is specifically relevant to relationships education

I just hope the unions are ready to stand with anticapitalist teachers eh!!!!! (sorry this is a totally incoherent thread i am genuinely slightly frightened)

oh fuck oh fuck

"divisive or VICTIM narratives"

what is a victim narrative

what is that

argh i guess i'll have to write this up properly won't i

please don't snitch tag the DfE!!

this thread is going slightly wild and, even though I know people don't read to the bottom of threads, I feel like i should issue some gentle corrections to the way some people are interpreting it, for the record if nothing else.

(1) this is not going to apply to history lessons - it isn't banning teaching *about* anticapitalism, civil disobedience, or resistance movements. it doesn't mean kids can't learn about the civil rights movement.

(2) it doesn't (yet) mean teachers are banned from being anticapitalists. I may have given that impression in my panic yesterday but I should have taken a breath and explained the difference (I did later, but too late).

(3) it's also to be noted that this won't be able to be enforced top-down. the Department for Education doesn't have its own cops (yet, ha).

what it DOES mean is that the government is signalling a step towards an environment in which (1) and (2) are possible. it's giving a huge nod to right wing education commentators who want all this and more.

what it DOES mean is that if a school gets in an activist to talk about consent or transformative justice, and then the RW media discovers that activist has organised with BLM, the media will be emboldened to doxx and harass the activist and force the school to apologise