Today’s lesson, kids: How to join the SNP
‘Propaganda’ as pupils directed to party website
A ROW over political propaganda in schools emerged last night after pupils were furnished with a link to the official SNP website as part of their homework.
Teenagers were asked to compile a list of Nicola Sturgeon’s ‘important policies’ for their Modern Studies class.
Pupils were told to create the factfile on the First Minister as part of a 13-lesson series on independence. They were provided with a number of ‘useful’ links – including one to the SNP’s website.
The link goes straight to a list of ‘100 achievements of the SNP in government’ – and concludes with an invitation to join the party. Critics last night warned that such propaganda has no place in the classroom.
The row is the latest in a string of controversies over ‘biased’ teaching material in schools.
The Scottish Mail on Sunday has previously highlighted Education Scotland’s contentious timeline of key events that led to the creation of the Scottish parliament, which was later withdrawn from schools, and a study plan created by the Scottish Government quango containing the claim that the Loch Ness monster is a symbol of the British state’s control over Scotland.
Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘This is a shameless use of the classroom to promote party political propaganda that has no place in Scottish schools.
‘I urge parents to challenge such brainwashing of their children. Schools should not be regarded as vehicles for promoting the SNP or any other party. Educational underachievement must be the priority for Scottish schools, not the creation of young nationalists beating a drum for their Supreme Leader.’
The material is understood to have been issued to S3 Modern Studies pupils aged 13 to 14.
The worksheet includes the SNP logo and a link to its website.
That page says: ‘Since the SNP came into government, every home in Scotland has benefited from SNP policies despite the limited powers and budgets of devolution.’
After listing ‘100 of our top achievements’ it concludes: ‘Let’s continue delivering progress for Scotland. If you haven’t yet, join the SNP today to help secure independence so Scotland’s future is always in Scotland’s hands, not Westminster Tory governments we haven’t voted for since 1955.’
The study tools were handed to pupils in Aberdeen, although it is not clear how widely they have been distributed across Scotland.
Aberdeen City Council said: ‘This factfile is a series of 13 lessons around the Scottish independence debate where students consider arguments for and against.’
But Scottish Tory education spokesman Oliver Mundell said: ‘This is just the latest example of a worrying trend of pro-SNP material seeping into our schools.’