Teachers Oppose Army Recruitment Push

11:53am UK, Tuesday March 25, 2008

Sky News Political Staff

Teachers have voted to oppose military recruitment campaigns in schools that are based on Ministry of Defence "propaganda".

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Delegates at the National Union of Teacher's annual conference condemned the tactics of the MoD in targeting teenagers with "misleading" information that they said glamorises war.

The union backed a motion committing the NUT to "support teachers and schools in opposing Ministry of Defence recruitment activities that are based upon misleading propaganda".

Paul McGarr, a delegate from east London, told the conference: "Personally I find it difficult to imagine any recruitment material that is not misleading."

Shadow secretary for defence, Dr Liam Fox, said the motion was "a kick in the teeth" for soldiers on the front line.

"They should concentrate on improving the standard of education for British children instead of undermining British forces at a time when they are so overstretched."

But the NUT leadership says some lesson materials, prepared with MoD backing, undermine schools' legal duty to present controversial issues to children in a balanced way.

NUT general secretary Steve Sinnott wrote to Schools Secretary Ed Balls to complain about a lesson plan intended to help pupils learn the skill of "writing to argue".

The plan focuses on the topic of "the ongoing occupation of Iraq by British armed forces".

Mr Sinnott said earlier this month that he believed the materials were "propaganda".

A spokesman for the MoD said the use of the lesson resources was completely "voluntary".

"We have consulted widely with teachers and students during the development of these products and feedback from schools has been extremely encouraging."