A Reform UK government would ban schools and colleges from engaging in diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives and appoint Whitehall enforcers to ensure compliance, the party has said. Following the riots that took place in Belfast and Southampton amid growing racial tensions, Reform UK鈥檚 leader Nigel Farage published an essay titled In the essay, he took aim at what he called the 鈥渢oxic ideology of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)鈥 and claimed 鈥渆very section of the state鈥 has been 鈥渋deologically compromised鈥. Farage claimed that in the education sector, 鈥渂ureaucrats are more interested in diversity than the educational success of the largest group of pupils鈥. Political appointees to enforce bans Under a Reform UK government, Farage said national and local government bodies would be prohibited from engaging in or promoting DEI. 鈥淭o ensure democratic accountability, political appointments will be appointed from Westminster into public bodies with a mandate to enforce bans on DEI at a ground level,鈥 he said. When asked whether by “public bodies”, Reform UK includes state-funded education bodies such as schools and colleges, a spokesperson for the party responded: 鈥淵es. Under a Reform government, the progressive indoctrination of our children will end. 鈥淪chools will only commemorate accepted civic events, such as St George鈥檚 day/other national days or D-Day.鈥 Farage also spoke of the curriculum changes he wants to usher in. He said that his government would 鈥渆nd the ideological capture of our classrooms and ensure that every pupil in England receives a balanced and patriotic education鈥. Fly the union flag Every school would be required to fly the union flag, honour St George鈥檚 Day in England and mount an official portrait of the King in a visible communal space. A new history curriculum would be launched, which Farage said would be 鈥渞ooted in honouring our island story with pride鈥. There would also be no public funding for research or courses attempting to 鈥渄ecolonise鈥 the curriculum. Farage also said pupils should not be 鈥渇orced鈥 to celebrate Black history month, pride month and refugee week. ‘Chilling’ Pepe Di鈥橧asio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said it was 鈥渞idiculous鈥 to suggest, as Farage had, that schools and college classrooms had been ideologically captured. 鈥淲e completely refute Nigel Farage鈥檚 characterisation. Schools and colleges do endeavour to make pupils of all backgrounds feel welcome and supported, and they promote respect and tolerance. These are values which we believe are integral to a peaceful and harmonious society. 鈥淢r Farage鈥檚 plan to appoint political commissars to enforce bans on certain events and celebrations in schools and colleges sounds a little like something that could have come out of the Soviet Union. It is chilling.鈥 The Reform leader also claimed that in education, white children are being 鈥渓eft behind鈥, and 鈥渢he teachers who should be looking out for them are lecturing them about 鈥榳hite privilege鈥, telling them about their 鈥榬esponsibility鈥 to reduce racism, telling them it is impossible for black people to be racist towards those with white skin鈥. Farage singles out school He pointed to the equality policy of Langley School, a secondary run by the Collaborative Education Trust in Solihull, which he said contained a 鈥渇ascinating glimpse into how our institutions think鈥 Stating that 23 per cent of its pupils are eligible for free school meals and almost half are white British, he said that the school promised 鈥渆mbedding EDI within teaching and resources鈥, 鈥減romoting community cohesion鈥 and 鈥渋nstilling in pupils an awareness of prejudice鈥. Schools Week has approached the school for comment. Reform UK also intends to repeal the Equality Act and ban any recruitment, training or promotion policies that favour one group over another. Farage claimed that in the NHS, a 鈥渇lood of incoming international graduates鈥 have left doctors coming through Britain鈥檚 medical schools with 鈥渃onsistently better performance than their international peers鈥, unable to find speciality training places and in some cases unemployed.