Free Speech, Political Impartiality and Race in England's Schools

Professor Karl Kitching, Professor of Public Education at University of Birmingham

In this talk, Karl Kitching will share some of the key findings from the ‘Free’ Expression at School? Study. The study takes place amidst an international resurgence of largely right-wing claims that free speech is under threat from progressives in universities, and that children need to be protected from alleged left-wing teacher bias in schools. The study identified a lack of public and political focus on the issues of young people’s freedom of speech around race and faith issues in schools, and used a mixed methods approach to examining this issue across schools in England and in London and Birmingham in particular. Karl will share key findings on questions of teacher political impartiality and youth freedom of speech with respect to race and global justice issues in schools.

Karl Kitching is Professor of Public Education at University of Birmingham. His expertise lies in examining intersections of race, religion, gender and sexuality in schools, policy, media, and young people's lives. Karl is the author of several peer reviewed papers on these issues, and the books The Politics of Compulsive Education: Racism and Learner-Citizenship, and Childhood, Religion and School Injustice. He has recently completed the 'Free' Expression at School? study funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

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