Teach Secondary Issue 14.8

In a speech delivered at a private Christian college in the American state of Michigan, Nigel Farage made a prediction that the entire UK teaching profession would go on strike should he ever become PrimeMinister. Speaking in early October, he claimed that this was largely because education in the UK is under the control of the ‘Marxist left’, with teachers ‘poisoning our kids’ – particularly on race issues (see tinyurl.com/ts148-MB1) . The speechmade clear that should Reform ever win a Parliamentary majority, as the polls (currently) predict it might, the party would overhaul UK education in some dramatic ways. And yet, as in somany other areas, there remains remarkably little detail on the substance of Reform’s education policies. No‘pronoun swapping’ The party’s 2024 General Election manifesto (see tinyurl.com/ts148-MB2) paints a broad-brush picture, largely concentrating on the right’s favourite target – so-called ‘woke’ ideologies. The relevant section on education rather oddly states that “ Any teaching about a period or example of British or European imperialism or slaverymust be paired with the teaching of a non-European occurrence of the same to ensure balance .” ‘Transgender ideology’ would meanwhile be banned from schools, meaning, “ No gender questioning, social transitioning or pronoun swapping .” There would also be 20% tax relief on private school fees, and funding cuts for universities that ‘curb free speech’. Belinda da Lucy, Reform’s education and families spokesperson, recently reposted onX a proposal for bronze statues of Charlie Kirk – the highly controversial ‘free speech activist’ shot dead inAugust this year – to be placed in every UKuniversity. Such statements, coupled with Farage’s frequent visits to the US, would seem to suggest that the party is looking to what’s being done there, and will try to implement similar policies here. As things stand, progressive educators inAmerica are looking on in deep alarm as funding for public education continues to be cut; as diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility policies are systematically dismantled, and greater state subsidies are provided to parents opting for private education, via the expansion of educational voucher schemes (see tinyurl.com/ts148-MB3) . ‘Engines of social mobility’ Back here in the UK, where ReformUK won overall control of 10 councils in the 2025 Local Elections, the party’s stance on education seems evenmuddier. Take Kent and Lincolnshire – two of England’s three remaining fully-selective authorities, and both Reform-controlled. The Kent group recently became something of a national laughing stock, after a leaked internal video appeared to show significant tensions between the Reform council’s leader and several of its key councillors (see tinyurl.com/ ts148-MB4). In that instance, the dispute was over ways to balance the council’s budget. Thus far, however, the party has given little indication of its position on what’s surely a key issue in those selective areas –what to do about the 11 Plus, and the continuing existence of a large number of grammar schools. There are two distinct political narratives concerning the function of grammar schools. The first is that they are ‘engines of social mobility’, presenting opportunities for disadvantaged children to access educational excellence. This has long been the established position of many on the political right, and certainly the view – on record, at least – of ReformUK’s all-powerful leader, Nigel Farage. The second, alternative narrative posits that grammars actually work to compound existing disadvantage, as seen by extensive evidence demonstrating the high costs of tutoring for 11 Plus exams, accompanied by an entrenchment of social divides in selective areas (see tinyurl.com/ts148-MB5 ). Pro-grammar preferences What position, then, should a party claiming to represent ‘left behind’ communities adopt with respect to such schools? In the run-up to last year’s General Election, several Reform Parliamentary candidates signed a statement put out by Comprehensive Future (comprehensivefuture.org.uk) – a campaigning group that advocates for the end of selection and the phasing out of the 11 Plus. Times Up for the Test (timesupforthetest.org) , another anti-selection group, now plans to follow up on those statements by asking Reform councillors inKent what their policies and plans for grammar schools are. It’s my own educated guess that whatever the feelings of Reform councillors on the ground, inKent and elsewhere, at the end of the day, the pro-grammar preferences of the national leadership will hold sway. Reform UK has been a fixture of the news headlines throughout 2025 – but what do we know about their policies with regards to education? Melissa Benn Melissa Benn (@Melissa_Benn) is the author of Life Lessons: The Case for a National Education Service , and is a Visiting Professor at York St John university 17 teachwire.net/secondary S C H O O L O F T H O U G H T