Revealed: UK government keeping files on education critics’ social media activity

[Social Media]

Ruth Swailes, an early childhood specialist, alleges the Department for Education tried to cancel a conference she was speaking at because she had criticised its policies. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Observer

 

 

The Department for Education (DfE) is keeping files monitoring the social media activity of some of the country’s leading educational experts, the Observer can reveal.

At least nine experts have uncovered files held on them, some as long as 60 pages. One individual even discovered the department had compiled an Excel spreadsheet in which officials had detailed who she interacted with.

 

Officials at the DfE also tried to cancel a conference because two of the scheduled speakers had previously criticised government policy.

Ruth Swailes and Aaron Bradbury, co-authors of a bestselling book on early childhood, were told by the organisers of a government-sponsored event for childminders and nursery workers, which they were due to speak at in March, that the DfE planned to cancel the conference just days before it opened because they were deemed to be “unsuitable” headline speakers.

The event was eventually allowed to go ahead after Swailes and Bradbury threatened the department with legal action, although a senior government official was present to “monitor” what they said.

Speaking to the Observer, Bradbury, principal lecturer in early childhood studies at Nottingham Trent University, said: “I received a phone call from the organisers saying there were some concerns about us being speakers. The DfE had decided we were unsuitable because we had been critical of government policy.”

He said: “To be told that we couldn’t have this debate felt like we were living in a dictatorship, not a democracy.

“We were due to talk about nurturing and early child development. It wasn’t some covert stuff about infiltrating Russia.”

Swailes, an independent consultant who advises schools and nurseries on early years education, was so shocked that she filed a subject access request, requiring the DfE to disclose any documents it held on her.

 

FULL STORY'

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

Big Brother alive and well in the UK.

 

A government so fragile it tracks the legitimate activities of educators who have an alternative view to that of Government policy.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, Social Media said:

The Department for Education (DfE) is keeping files monitoring the social media activity of some of the country’s leading educational experts, the Observer can reveal.

Given my opinion of "experts" in such as childhood, I'm happy that they are being monitored. Hopefully the nutters will be stopped before they can do too much damage.

It's because of idiots people like that that Enid Blyton was banned from public libraries in NZ.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Given my opinion of "experts" in such as childhood, I'm happy that they are being monitored. Hopefully the nutters will be stopped before they can do too much damage.

It's because of idiots people like that that Enid Blyton was banned from public libraries in NZ.

Bring on government surveillance of legitimate citizen communications because you’ve got a bee in your bonnet about Enid Blyton.

 

 

[JonnyF]

Educators certainly need to be kept an eye on, given some of the nonsense being taught in British schools.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11917241/Damning-report-exposes-children-risk-gender-ideology-sweeping-schools.html

 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

Educators certainly need to be kept an eye on, given some of the nonsense being taught in British schools.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11917241/Damning-report-exposes-children-risk-gender-ideology-sweeping-schools.html

 

OK let’s go with your Daily Mail induced outrage and take on your ‘educators certainly need to be kept an eye on’.

 

Firstly because they express views contrary to Government policy?

 

And if they do indeed need to be ‘kept an eye on’, surely that would require a law, a government policy and a court order authorizing such ‘keeping an eye on’.

 

Or you too another proponent of ‘Big Brother’ , so long as it’s your own ‘Big Brother’?

[JonnyF]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

OK let’s go with your Daily Mail induced outrage and take on your ‘educators certainly need to be kept an eye on’.

 

Firstly because they express views contrary to Government policy?

 

And if they do indeed need to be ‘kept an eye on’, surely that would require a law, a government policy and a court order authorizing such ‘keeping an eye on’.

 

Or you too another proponent of ‘Big Brother’ , so long as it’s your own ‘Big Brother’?

If the Wokies want to bang on about trans ideology they can do it to their hearts content for all I care.

 

Just leave young, vulnerable, impressionable children out of it. Teachers need to be teaching science and maths in the classroom, not promoting the latest fashion of pretending things are what they are not. 

[Chomper Higgot]

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

If the Wokies want to bang on about trans ideology they can do it to their hearts content for all I care.

 

Just leave young, vulnerable, impressionable children out of it. Teachers need to be teaching science and maths in the classroom, not promoting the latest fashion of pretending things are what they are not. 

Nice try at deflecting Jonny.

 

The thread is not about ‘wokies’ (is that your favorite breakfast cereal?).

 

Its not about ‘Trans Ideology’, whatever that is, does it even exist?

 

Stop pretending the thread is something it is not.

 

Here’s a reminder:

 

“Revealed: UK government keeping files on education critics’ social media activity”

 

 

[JonnyF]

Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

Nice try at deflecting Jonny.

 

The thread is not about ‘wokies’ (is that your favorite breakfast cereal?).

 

Its not about ‘Trans Ideology’, whatever that is, does it even exist?

 

Stop pretending the thread is something it is not.

 

Here’s a reminder:

 

“Revealed: UK government keeping files on education critics’ social media activity”

 

 

Yes I know what the thread is about.

 

And due to some of the very concerning incidents that I have already mentioned I believe it is a good idea to monitor what is being taught in schools. Teachers are not above the law, and if they choose to put their opinions in the public domain by posting on social media that is up to them.

 

Nobody is asking 007 to secretly install cameras in their homes, they are putting it out their themselves for the world to see. Not very bright, but hey, neither are the ideologies many of them espouse so it shouldn't come as any great shock.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

Yes I know what the thread is about.

 

And due to some of the very concerning incidents that I have already mentioned I believe it is a good idea to monitor what is being taught in schools. Teachers are not above the law, and if they choose to put their opinions in the public domain by posting on social media that is up to them.

 

Nobody is asking 007 to secretly install cameras in their homes, they are putting it out their themselves for the world to see. Not very bright, but hey, neither are the ideologies many of them espouse so it shouldn't come as any great shock.

 

It’s nothing to do with what is being taught in schools.

 

Its the Government monitoring the social media and social connections of  educators who are critical of Government educational policies.

 

It’s not about protecting kids, it’s about protecting the Government against criticism of its policies.

 

Big Brother stuff.