Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2023 to Question 196522 on Racial Discrimination: Education, what steps her Department takes when schools teach contested theories and opinions as fact.

In 2022, the Department published guidance to schools to help them meet their statutory duties. The guidance was clear that political issues relating to racial and social justice can be taught in a balanced and factual manner, just as pupils are often taught about a range of different views on other topics, but schools should not teach contested theories and opinions as fact.

Where there are concerns that a school has not acted impartially, the Department recommends that these are raised with the school directly, as most issues will be able to be resolved without using formal complaints procedures.

Often simple steps can be taken to address concerns. This might include clarification about the nature of teaching or assurances about any processes in place to ensure legal duties on political impartiality are being met.

Where parents and carers remain dissatisfied, they can raise a formal complaint, in line with the school’s complaints procedure. In instances where all stages of the local complaints process have been followed but it has not been resolved, a further complaint can be made to the Department who will look into whether it has been dealt with satisfactorily.