Jonathan Gullis, a grammar school fan who has railed against 鈥渨oke warrior teachers鈥 and demanded the resignation of education union leaders, has been as schools minister. The MP for Stoke-on-Trent North was appointed to the Department for Education ministerial team last week, and his prospective involvement in decisions about education has divided opinion. We round up his most controversial comments and contributions to offer a glimpse of his policy priorities. 1.Teachers who criticise Tories should be 鈥榮acked鈥 Speaking at a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference last year, Gullis suggested teachers who criticised the Tories should be sacked. According to a recording obtained by The Independent, he attacked 鈥渨oke left teachers鈥 who, he said, were becoming 鈥渕ore and more apparent鈥. He said there should be 鈥渃onsequences鈥 for teachers who 鈥減ush [their] ideology in the classroom鈥. He went on to claim that 鈥渇or some reason, if a Labour party member wants to stand up in front of the classroom and say how bad and evil the Tories are, then the headteacher has to take some kind of sympathetic view to that鈥. 鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely disgusting. We need to start sacking people who are pushing their political ideology.鈥 2. 鈥榃oke warrior teachers鈥 trying to 鈥榗ancel Churchill鈥 In March this year Gullis 鈥渨oke warrior teachers鈥 were pushing 鈥渆xtremist nonsense鈥 on to pupils. They wanted, he said, to 鈥渃ancel important historical figures such as Sir Winston Churchill鈥, and were 鈥渁ided and abetted鈥 by unions such as the National Education Union (NEU). He called on ministers to 鈥渉old politically motivated trade unions to account, preventing them from using teachers as a gateway to push their far-left agenda鈥. He has also separately called for NEU bosses Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney to resign. The government responded by pointing to its guidance on political impartiality in schools. 3. But there have been warmer words from Gullis… However, while he might have shown contempt for teachers with opposing political views, he has repeatedly praised the profession for its response to the Covid pandemic. In January, he thanked teachers in his constituency for their 鈥渉eroic efforts鈥 in getting pupils tested on their first day back after Christmas. He had previously praised and congratulated teachers for their 鈥渇antastic efforts鈥 – and even before the pandemic described the 鈥渇irst-class work done by teachers and pastoral staff in the vast majority of schools鈥. 4. Teaching is like boxing for 鈥楪rumpy Gullis鈥 The former humanities teacher and head of year has admitted in interviews he was known as 鈥淕rumpy Gullis鈥 during his teaching career because he never smiled, telling The TES in 2020 that his year group was 鈥減robably happy to see me go鈥. He also described completing a day鈥檚 teaching as feeling like he鈥檇 done 鈥10 rounds of boxing with Anthony Joshua鈥. During his first job, he was often in his head of department鈥檚 office 鈥渃rying my eyes out over how bad my lesson was鈥. 5. Rowdy behaviour in the Commons It is not only Gullis鈥檚 comments about teachers that have earned him a reputation in Parliament. He has been berated by the speaker twice this year for his behaviour in the chamber. In February Sir Lindsay Hoyle, in an apparent quip about Gullis鈥檚 teaching background, told the MP he would 鈥渞ing his mother鈥 if he did not calm down. He was reprimanded again last week for speaking loudly while Liz Truss, the new prime minister, was addressing MPs. The speaker again referred to his profession. “I know as a former teacher he’ll want to show better behaviour than he’s showing at the moment.” 6. New grammar schools and MAT inspections The MP鈥檚 contributions in Parliament offer a glimpse as to his priorities in education. He was one of several Conservatives to demand Boris Johnson on new grammar schools, which has been in place since 1998. Gullis said education was 鈥渃urrently the very definition of a postcode lottery. Protecting existing grammar schools without creating new ones is reinforcing this.鈥 He also attempted to change the law to allow Ofsted to inspect the governing bodies of academy trusts.
Marie Coleman 31 October 2022 Jonathan Gullis is absolutely correct. Woke teachers must be stopped from indoctrinating pupils on woke theories. They are supposed to be there as educators not indoctrinators. Teach children them to think, to question, to read, to explore and respect their world and others but above all to be kind .
M.T.Domain 3 February 2023 If you want to indoctrinate people, don鈥檛 be a teacher – become a rich MP instead. No marking, ignore report writing and parents鈥 evenings. You 鈥榣l get excellent pay and (ahem) expenses, subsidised quality food, holidays in abundance. And you can still sit in the House of Commons and shout at people just like when you were teaching!