Education: Members of far-right groups may face teaching ban

The Government is consulting teachers' leaders over banning members of the British National Party and other far-right organisations from the profession. The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers wanted a new clause inserted in all teachers' contracts barring them from membership of the BNP, the National Front or Combat 18 - a neo-Nazi group. Chris Keates, the union's general secretary, said: "Those who subscribe to a racist and fascist agenda have no place in the teaching profession." Ms Keates asked the Department for Education and Skills (DES) to follow the lead of the Home Office which has put a clause into the contracts of police, prison and probation officers barring them from membership of the three organisations. A DES spokeswoman said: "Racism and intolerance have no place in schools. This is an interesting proposal which we will discuss further with NASUWT and the rest of the teaching profession." siehe auch: Call to Ban BNP Members from Teaching Profession