| Abbreviation | CRE |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1987 |
| Legal status | Non-profit organisation |
| Purpose | Educational standards and parental choice in the UK |
| Location | |
Region served | UK |
Chairman | Chris McGovern |
| Website | CRE |
The Campaign for Real Education (CRE) is a right-wing[1][2][3] pressure group and non-profit organisation in the United Kingdom that advocates for traditional education, greater parental choice in schooling, and less state regulation of subjects that children study.[2][4][5]
History[edit]
The CRE was established in 1987 by a group of 14 parents and teachers,[6] although it was effectively a one-man organisation led by Nick Seaton, who ran it from a bedroom in his home near York.[7] It gained national attention after intervening in a dispute at Lewes Priory School over whether pupils should sit O Levels or GCSEs. Two teachers who pressed for students to sit the O Level were redeployed,[8] with one of them, Chris McGovern, later becoming a headteacher in the independent sector and the CRE's chairman.[7]
Aims[edit]
The group campaigns to "press for higher standards and more parental choice in state education."[9] It opposes the teaching of sociology and politics.[1][10] It has been critical of anti-racism and anti-sexism campaigns.[10][1] In 2021, the group said a mock trial held by Welsh schoolchildren about a Conservative MP's ancestral links to the slave trade was "brainwashing".[11]
See also[edit]
- Campaign for State Education – seeks to promote comprehensive schools.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Roberta S. Sigel, Marilyn B. Hoskin (2013) Education for Democratic Citizenship: A Challenge for Multi-ethnic Societies, Routledge, p41
- ^ a b Dictionary of British Education, Peter Gordon and Denis Lawton (2004) Routledge, p34
- ^ Denis Lawton (2003) Education And Politics For The 1990s: Conflict Or Consensus? p63
- ^ Brazell, Emma (25 October 2021). "Trigger warnings put on classic children's books at Cambridge University". Metro. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Bennett, Rosemary (11 February 2019). "Going out on strike against climate change will do pupils good, says National Association of Head Teachers union". Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "About Us" Campaign for Real Education
- ^ a b "Obituary – Nick Seaton, 1936–2012" Times Educational Supplement, London. 4 January 2013
- ^ "Teacher Redeployment, East Sussex (Hansard, 21 July 1989)". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
- ^ School heads in Perthshire told to stop punishing badly behaved pupils The Courier, 21 May 2016
- ^ a b Sally Tomlinson (2014) The Politics of Race, Class and Special Education: The selected works of Sally Tomlinson p108
- ^ "Schoolchildren hold mock trial of MP Richard Drax over ancestral slavery links". The Times. 22 September 2021.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
