Teachers who are members of political Parties.

Our reference: 1617 FOI
 
Dear Mr Walker
 
Thank you for your request of 9 October 2009 in which you asked for the
following information:

1. Has your authority ever found a member of the BNP or any other
political Party guilty of a disciplinary offence related to their
Party membership in the last three years? If so please give
information as to when and how many.
2. Has any parent complained to you regarding the Party membership
of any employee or the expression of political views within School
classrooms under your authority during the last three years?
3. What safeguards do you currently have in place to prevent
members of any political Party promoting their views within
Schools?

Your request is being considered and Oxfordshire County Council will
respond as soon as possible within the next 20 working days in compliance
with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This means that the council
will send a response to you by 6 November 2009.

 
There may be a fee payable for this information. You will be informed if
this is the case and you can decide if you wish to proceed with your
request.

 
If appropriate, the information requested can be made available in
alternative formats, including other languages, Braille, large print, and
audiocassette. If you require any of these formats then please let me
know.

 
Please contact me if you have any have further enquiries about your
request. I would be grateful if you could quote the reference number
given at the top of this email.

 
Yours sincerely,

Michele Cooke
Complaints & Information Support Officer

Oxfordshire County Council
Legal & Democratic Services
Complaints & Freedom of Information Team
County Hall
New Road
Oxford
OX1 1ND

Tel: 01865 815906
Fax: 01865 783195
[email address]

[1]www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

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Our reference: 1617 FOI

Dear Mr Walker
 
Thank you for your request of 9 October 2009 in which you asked for the
following information:

1. Has your authority ever found a member of the BNP or any other
political Party guilty of a disciplinary offence related to their
Party membership in the last three years? If so please give
information as to when and how many.
2. Has any parent complained to you regarding the Party membership
of any employee or the expression of political views within School
classrooms under your authority during the last three years?
3. What safeguards do you currently have in place to prevent
members of any political Party promoting their views within
Schools?

Taking each of your questions in turn:

1. Has your authority ever found a member of the BNP or any other
political Party guilty of a disciplinary offence related to their
Party membership in the last three years? If so please give
information as to when and how many.

Oxfordshire County Council is not aware of any disciplinary actions having
been undertaken in this regard.

2. Has any parent complained to you regarding the Party membership
of any employee or the expression of political views within School
classrooms under your authority during the last three years?

Oxfordshire County Council's records do not show any complaints having
been received in this regard. However, complaints concerning schools are
handled under the schools' own complaints procedures (and not the
council's). You may wish to contact individual schools directly.

3. What safeguards do you currently have in place to prevent
members of any political Party promoting their views within
Schools?

* Section 406 of the Education Act 1996 says that the LEA, governing
body and head teachers must forbid the promotion of partisan political
views in the teaching of any subject in school.
* Section 407 of the Education Act 1996 says that the LEA, governing
body and head teachers must take reasonable steps to ensure that,
where political issues are taught, pupils are offered a balanced
presentation of opposing views.

406 Political indoctrination
(1) The local education authority, governing body and head teacher shall
forbid--
(a) the pursuit of partisan political activities by any of those
registered pupils at a maintained school who are junior pupils, and

(b) the promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any
subject in the school.
(2) In the case of activities which take place otherwise than on the
school premises, subsection (1)(a) applies only where arrangements for
junior pupils to take part in the activities are made by--

(a) any member of the school's staff (in his capacity as such), or
(b) anyone acting on behalf of the school or of a member of the school's
staff (in his capacity as such).
(3) In this section "maintained school" includes [a community or
foundation special school] established in a hospital.

407 Duty to secure balanced treatment of political issues
(1) The local education authority, governing body and head teacher shall
take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that where
political issues are brought to the attention of pupils while they are--

(a) in attendance at a maintained school, or
(b) taking part in extra-curricular activities which are provided or
organised for registered pupils at the school by or on behalf of the
school, they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views.

(2) In this section "maintained school" includes [a community or
foundation special school] established in a hospital.

Feedback

If you would like to feed back to the FOI Team, please email
[1][Oxfordshire County Council request email].

Help Us To get It Right

If you are dissatisfied with the service or response you have received you
can complain as follows:
 
o Use the online complaints form on our website -
[2]www.oxfordshire.gov.uk;
 
o Complete the leaflet "How do I complain about a council service?".
Copies are available from any Oxfordshire library or by telephoning 01865
815906. Large print and audio tape versions are available on request from
this number;

 
o Write to us at our FREEPOST address:

Complaints and Comments
Oxfordshire County Council
FREEPOST (SCE 7709)
Oxford OX1 1YA.
 
Please let me know if you have further enquiries. I would be grateful if
you could use the reference number given at the top of this email.

Yours sincerely,

James Willoughby
Complaints and FOI Manager
Oxfordshire County Council
Legal and Democratic Services
Complaints and Freedom of Information Team
County Hall
New Road
Oxford
OX1 1ND

Tel: 01865 810584
Fax: 01865 783195
E-mail: [email address] (direct)
E-mail: [3][Oxfordshire County Council request email] (for FOI requests) or:
[4][email address] (for complaints)
Internet: [5]www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
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References

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