Katie Hopkins sparks outrage after announcing plans to do talks in schools
'Katie Hopkins is the unelected, unpleasant and needs PR and reaction to thrive,' says Welsh education secretary
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Your support makes all the difference.Katie Hopkins has prompted outrage for announcing she has been booked for a tour of schools in Scotland and Wales.
The controversial columnist, who was axed from LBC radio after calling for a “final solution” to Islamist terrorism in the wake of the Manchester arena attack, hopes to address issues such as Brexit, Donald Trump, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The series of talks, which she has branded the “Stand Strong School Tour”, is set to begin in November and will see Hopkins deliver Q&A sessions for pupils aged between 14-16.
An email from the Mail Online columnist’s manager Mark Cross to a school that expressed an interest in the tour and posted on Twitter said she was “confirmed” to appear at venues in Wales. An additional reply said she had received “a number of tentative and confirmed invitations from south Wales”.
Scotland’s biggest teaching union, EIS, called for schools considering Hopkins to speak to be “cautious”.
“We were unaware of this proposed tour, and have not heard of any state school in Scotland taking up this offer,” a spokesman said.
“Any school or teacher that might consider taking up the option to invite this particular speaker should be cautious and consider the message this might send to young people within the school and to the wider school community.
"Many of the views espoused by this individual in the past are incompatible with the type of inclusive and welcoming environment that Scotland’s schools work very hard to provide."
David Evans, Welsh secretary of the National Union of Teachers, warned against Hopkins being given a platform and argued The Apprentice star was “clearly driven by self promotion.”
Welsh education secretary, Kirsty Williams, also weighed in on the furore, saying: “Orwell said that sometimes the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of the intelligent.
“Katie Hopkins is the unelected, unpleasant and needs PR and reaction to thrive. No proof that she will speak in Welsh schools. When they go low, we should go high.”
Dan Hett, the brother of Manchester bombing victim Martyn Hett, has offered himself up to visit schools that decline Hopkins' invitation. He said on Twitter: “If you are a school that rightly said no to Katie Hopkins, I will come and speak to your pupils for free about the real effects of extremism.”
Responding to criticism of her tour, Hopkins tweeted: "We await the thoughts of the Scottish Education Secretary with baited breath. Am I 'too unkind' for Scotland?"
Education Secretary John Swinney replied: "It's 'bated' breath, as anyone hoping to educate our youngsters should know."
Hopkins, who has previously penned columns claiming liberal teachers are “brainwashing” children, has been repeatedly promoting the tour via her Twitter.
“We need to make better choices. Opinions are not right or wrong. Life is not an exam,” reads a leaflet, which has a number of spelling mistakes, about her tour.
“And no one made you invigilator. ”If your friends want to change your opinions, change your friends. Know why you believe in your views, welcome the thoughts of others. Own your opinions and stand strong.“
A representative for Hopkins did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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