Teachers who are members of political Parties.
Dear Sir or Madam,
By letter of 30 September 2009, The Secretary of State Ed Balls appointed Maurice Smith to enquire into the "promotion of racism in schools". Part of the review is aimed at determining whether members of the British National Party (BNP) should be allowed to work as teachers or in the wider school workforce.
Please provide the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
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?
Mark Walker
Solidarity Trade Union
www.solidaritytradeunion.org
Dear Mr Walker,
Thank you for your request for information below which has been given reference FOI 2270. Please quote this on any correspondence regarding your request.
Stockport Council will respond to your request within 20 working days. If there will be a charge for disbursements e.g. photocopying in order to provide the information, we will inform you as soon as possible to see if you wish to proceed; however such charges are usually waived if they amount to less than £10.
Yours sincerely,
Claire Naven
Claire Naven
Data Protection & Freedom of Information Officer
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Dear Mr Walker
Thank you for making a freedom of information request our reference
2270. Stockoprt Council is happy to provide you with the following
response.
The answer to the first two of your questions is a nil response.
In answer to your third question: Schools are aware of the need to keep
political impartiality as first enshrined in the 1986 Act.
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request you are
entitled to ask for an internal review. Any internal review will be
carried out by a senior member of staff who was not involved with your
original request. To ask for an internal review, contact
[email address] in the first instance.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of any internal review, you are
entitled to complain to the Information Commissioner. To do so, contact:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
01625 545 745
Yours sincerely
Sara Barnard
DP/FOI Officer
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