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BNP Supporting Teacher Suspended
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
A Roman Catholic school in Solihull has suspended a maths teacher for standing as a BNP candidate in the forthcoming EU elections.
Listening to a discussion last night. the school claimed that it was right to suspend someone whose view contradicted with the teachings of the church. They added that they had no complaints about the standard or his work, and that he had never brought politics into the classroom.
The teacher is a member of one of the teaching unions (can you see the irony in that?) and ay present the union are refusing to support the teacher for similar reasons to the church. In fact the union claims that it would impinge on their "equal opportunities" stance.
So, what are your views...
1. Was the school right to suspend the teacher?
2. Is the union right not to be pressing for his reinstatement?
Listening to a discussion last night. the school claimed that it was right to suspend someone whose view contradicted with the teachings of the church. They added that they had no complaints about the standard or his work, and that he had never brought politics into the classroom.
The teacher is a member of one of the teaching unions (can you see the irony in that?) and ay present the union are refusing to support the teacher for similar reasons to the church. In fact the union claims that it would impinge on their "equal opportunities" stance.
So, what are your views...
1. Was the school right to suspend the teacher?
2. Is the union right not to be pressing for his reinstatement?
0
Comments
Regardless of the fact of which political party he supports, it's illegal to discriminate against someone for their political views.
But then again, in a perfect world parties like the fascist, racist, Nazi BNP would not exist in the first place so:
1. Yes, the church was right to suspend him. His political views stand against virtually every principle a Christian denomination (or any religious group in the world) believe in.
2. Yes, the union was right not to support him. His political views clash with almost every principle workers' unions stand for- starting with the right to get work regardless of your race.
I think the school is on very shakey legal grounds with this, I dont think they have any right to fire him over this if it is not effecting his work.
BUT, as a Church school his contract may have bits written into it which cover this.
He has every right to run as a BNP candidate, you may not agree with what he is saying and running for but I 100% agree with him being ABLE to say it.
If your saying fire him because his political views are racist, OK so only racism is an acceptable reason to remove him, what about other political views a strong christian may want anyone who supports abortion baned/fired is that ok then..
This was a catholic school they could remove anyone who wanted to run for labour of tory's as they both support abortion rights.
What about a war starter, Tony's started one cost lots of lives shorly no one who wants to stand for the labour party should be alowd to as they are (could be argued) murders.
I think the BNP should be given much more of a platform and questioned about all their policies not just race related ones, then people would realise that there not a serious party that could be trusted to run the country.
For example having had a look at their website they say that Ulster (Northen Ireland) should never be joined to the republic on Ireland regardless of what the people there want, shorly this is a stupid policy, It would be much better if they regularly had to explaine what they stand for this expose them for what they are.
As marganilising and demonising them actually plays in to their hands, this apperrs to make what they stand for more genuine for those tempted to support them.
He was right to be sacked, they are not a typical political party, they are racist and fascist. Teachers should not be openly racist.
Opinions held in private are fine, but how can someone teach minority pupils when known to be openly racist?
As you know, I don't support the BNP I find them abhorrent, but that doesn't mean that I won't fight one of their members corner when I think that he is right. It doesn't matter what his political beliefs are.
Now specifics...
So, should they also have the right to fire any homosexuals? What about anyone who isn't actually a practicing catholic?
Why are his view, away from work, relevant to his ability to teach maths?
But they accepted him as a member and accepted his dues, so surely they have an obligation to support him?
How inclusive, and "equal" is an organisation which won't support a worker because of his political views?
If he was standing for the Socialist Party would it be right to suspend him?
It makes NO difference which party he is standing for he has a RIGHT to do it.
Free speach works both ways, you may not agree with him but that is FAR from the point.
As we ALL know when we have racists on this board if you try and get them to explain themselves they end up looking like arses.
Making them out to be this big threat will only help them.
What on Earth are you talking about?!
exactly what? That sentance doesn't make any sense at all.
So, are we to believe that is someone stood as a cnadidate for any other party, then they would also be suspended.
If not then it is the political views he holds which have made the difference.
Great! Let me try to find a link to the 2 or 3 letters I've had published to date. You might agree with some of my points more often!
I very much doubt it says that.
I'll ask my flatmate when she gets home - she works for The Independent.
1. By doing this, all they are doing is giving the BNP all the publicity they need. The BNP will market and milk their "outlaw" status for all it is worth, to try and make them look like they are standing up for the rights that "the Government" doesn't want you to have.
2. This is on very shaky legal ground; political views, however contrary, are enshrined in the ECHR, not part of UK law because of the Human Rights Act 1998.
3. This is a very disturbing development in terms of political freedom. If he had stood as a Labour candidate, or even as a candidate for the Socialists then he would not have been suspended, and the Trade Union would have supprted him. The fact he is standing for an extreme party is irrelevant.
This concerns me greatly, because it sets an abhorrent precedent. Who is to say what the next step is; the Head is a Tory, so if you stand as a Socialist he can sack you? Say in 15 years time the social orthodoxy is that racism is good- anti-racists could lose their jobs for defending the ethnic minorities.
It's easy to ignore this when it's against an abhorrent party, but social attitudes could change very quickly and suddenly it's YOUR views that are abhorrent, and society sees YOU as "the scum who deserves to be killed". Ignore it when they come for your enemies, and everyone else will ignore you when they come for you.
Every person has a different concept of fairness.
With things like this, you must always reverse the question. Instead of it being a BNP bigot, imagine it was a Socialist who was sacked; you would be outraged. And it could be a Socialist next time.
People should only defend an action if they wouldn't mind it being reversed onto them.
From personal experience as well (my parents forced me to attend a Christian school for a portion of my education), I know that my parents and the school expected that if I talked to a teacher about any personal matter that that teacher would give advice that was congruent with the philosophy of the school. This expectation is not there is a public school setting. In a public school it is understood that teachers will have various backgrounds and various opinions on ethical issues. However, as a teacher at a private institution you are somewhat expected to agree with the philosophy of that institute. If you don't, you shouldn't be teaching there.
I think that is a fair comment, although I would think a degree of professionalism would apply. Certainly one's private opinions should have no impact on your employability; I would say the same if the teacher had instead, say, been arrested at an anti-capitalism protest for assault.
In the United Kingdom most schools are state-controlled schools, although, being catholic, the local diocese has to find 15% of the school budget.
I don't think a teacher should openly be supporting any party. If someone older had said this, I would find it patronising, but during the teenage years, minds are still quite impressionable.
Then again, if the teacher isn't instilling his opinion unto children in the classroom, then they needn't fire him.
The only reason they have suspended him is because he is supporting an extremist party who are (justifyably) frowned upon and that makes the school look bad. It's like having a sign saying "we tolerate Nazis".