Teachers’ union moves to block Reform UK from schools and launches counter-fascism sessions

Elowen Ashbury1 April 2026

Delegates voting at a teachers' union annual conference in Brighton.

The UK’s largest teaching union will distribute anti-racist materials in schools as part of a concerted campaign to counter the influence of what it labels the “far-right”, specifically targeting the political party Reform UK.

Delegates at the National Education Union’s annual conference in Brighton passed a motion committing the union to combat Reform UK in classrooms and to lobby for the overturning of a ban on the Palestine Action group, an eco-direct action group targeting the arms trade.

Union’s rationale for classroom campaign

Explaining the union’s stance, NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede argued that a “toxic climate” in society was festering in schools. He cited an increase in racist incidents directed towards staff and between pupils. “It’s incredibly difficult at the moment,” he told delegates.

Mr Kebede, a former primary school teacher who has been the union’s general secretary since September 2023, framed the issue as part of a wider political trend. “What we have seen, in the age of Trump in particular, is those in power using racism to feather their own nests, whether it’s Donald Trump, whether it’s Nigel Farage,” he said. He also criticised comments on immigration, making reference to an “island of strangers”, a phrase used by both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who later expressed regret for its use.

A teacher addressing a classroom during an anti-racism education session.

The commitment to anti-racist work is a long-standing pillar of the NEU, which provides schools with a framework for an anti-racist approach focusing on leadership, teaching, and community. Mr Kebede himself received the Blair Peach Award in 2017 for his contribution to anti-racist work and is the fourth Black general secretary of a union in Britain.

Echoing this focus, NEU president Ed Harlow used his conference speech to warn about the dangers of far-right narratives and online influencers. “Boys are exposed to the influencers of the manosphere peddling a sick, toxic interpretation of masculinity rooted in extreme misogyny, incel culture and monetary greed,” he said. He urged reaching into communities where the far-right organises to argue that “migrants are not to blame, Muslims are not to blame, trans people are not to blame.”

Reform UK hits back

The motion prompted a swift and sharp response from Reform UK’s education spokesman, Suella Braverman. Mrs Braverman, who defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK in January 2026 and was appointed to the education and equalities brief in February, said: “The National Education Union has shown its true colours: its agenda is political, biased and partisan.”

A stack of educational materials on countering far-right narratives in schools.

She added: “Britain’s schools should be about education, not ideology. It’s painful to see what is happening. Reform UK stands with hardworking teachers and parents who love Britain and want our schools to be free from political dogma.”

Reform UK’s education policies advocate for a “patriotic, balanced curriculum”, propose banning “transgender ideology” in schools, and aim to restore authority to teachers. The party has also highlighted the educational outcomes of white working-class boys and proposes a target of 50% of young people entering trades instead of university, criticising what it calls “mickey mouse degrees” and a “broken” higher education system.

Broader political warnings at conference

The conference also heard from Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who received a standing ovation. He argued that education was key to opposing the far-right, linking its rise to economic strain. “So much of the dissatisfaction, the tension, the conflict we’re seeing in this country is a result of a political and economic system that has stretched communities to breaking point,” he said.

A political spokesperson giving a media response outside a school building.

Asked about a potential social media ban for under-16s—a measure supported by the NEU and currently under UK government consultation following Australia’s implementation of a similar ban—Mr Polanski did not endorse a blanket prohibition. He said he would support more regulation of platforms to prevent access to age-inappropriate content.

The government’s consultation is exploring options including an Australian-style total ban, overnight curfews, and restrictions on addictive design features, though Australia’s own ban has faced reported challenges with enforcement.

Another NEU member, Michael Holland, who works at a school in south London, emphasised organisation, stating: “We have the power to stop the far right, but it is about organisation. We have our unions and we need to get them organised so we can prove we are the majority.”