Over the past year my twitter profile has been clear of political posting, as it provides an insight into my professional life it seemed right that it did not include my own political ideology but focus on my own approaches to teaching, pastoral care and also my research focusses as part of my doctoral studies.
I had actually refused to renew my party membership just under a year ago because I felt it necessary to distance myself from a party that was being portrayed as anti-Semitic and failing to deal with such issues promptly. Now I’m not is possession of the facts over antisemitism in the Labour party, what hurt most was that a party I believe to be the antidote to societies inequalities was being viewed as the complete opposite by many.
Following the exit polls on the 12th December 2019 I felt a deep regret that I hadn’t done more and the realisation that disapproving from the outside is of little help when I could be fighting for change from within. When faced with a choice over who to vote for, I will always come down on the side of the disadvantaged, the vulnerable and those who need more support.
Which leads me on to why I feel my teaching and politics are intertwined. Education is emancipatory, it provides the means from which students can better their own circumstances in the future. At its most basic, gaining qualifications will allow you to get a higher paid job. Now that link isn’t always the strongest and in some cases those with absolutely no qualifications go on to become multi-millionaires. But on average, the better your academic qualifications the better your wage earning potential.
It is a story which very much mimics my own, up until being 11 years old I lived in three different areas of inner-city Manchester, my parents both worked but the council estates of Manchester were where we called home, for most of my family, this remains home to this day. Schools in my local area statistically did less well than others. Getting the most out of my education courtesy of three Manchester schools and one on the boarder of Manchester and Oldham meant I was able to attend sixth form college and then later University.
My education allowed me to become a youth worker, managing youth centres for a local authority before becoming a teacher. It doesn’t make me a whole heap of cash but it allows me to provide for my own family. I don’t have to worry about turning my heating on and can always count on having some food in the fridge.
Through my job I witness first hand the effects poverty can have on Children and can also see that where children are living in poverty, they often struggle to engage with their education. Without intervention, I fear this could become a vicious cycle with no clear way out for children and their families. Because I believe the link between education and social mobility does exist I now believe I was naïve to attempt to separate my professional and political lives. I am in the best position to advocate for those who are struggling so to do nothing is absurd.
I must be clear. Although I am an advocate of teachers being politically active I don’t think we should be attempting to indoctrinate students to try and influence their future voting intentions. My political activism is purely within my personal life. However, the experiences I have in my professional life spur on my commitment to fighting disadvantage.
Do I think I was wrong to try and keep the two separate? Overall, no. When in work I am neutral in my views on politics. However, my desire to fight injustice isn’t simply a political view point, it is in my opinion, the purpose of my job. My membership of the Labour party in my personal life is just one way in which I can work towards fighting injustices.