Reform UK: Hail the King – Introducing Patriotic Schools Program with Royal Portraits and English Flag

Reform UK Proposes Education Measures Requiring All Public Schools in England to Fly the British Flag and Display at Least One Portrait of King Charles

At the same time, it committed to introducing a “patriotic curriculum” within the first 100 days of taking office.

The new policies, announced today, will also require schools to celebrate specific occasions, granting the Education Secretary the authority to intervene in cases of non-compliance.

Funds will be allocated for the installation of flagpoles where necessary, while schools with multiple flagpoles will be allowed to fly the St George’s Cross as well.

According to the plans, British history will account for at least 60% of the history curriculum. Mandatory topics will include key events and periods such as the Magna Carta, the Wars of the Roses, the English Civil War, the Glorious Revolution, the Act of Union, the Enlightenment, and Victorian Britain.

The party has stated that teaching about British or European imperialism or slavery should be “combined with the teaching of a non-European event of the same nature, to ensure balance.” History and social science curricula will also undergo regular review and oversight “to ensure balance” and to educate children about their national heritage.

Reform UK describes this approach as presenting “the true history of these islands, including all successes, failures, and turning points,” free from what it calls “a progressive lens” or “contemporary narratives.” The party argues that schools in Britain teach children to “be ashamed” of the country’s past and fail to educate about the Britons who fought for freedom.

Furthermore, Suella Braverman, Reform UK’s education spokesperson, presented the plans on St George’s Day, stating: “Previous governments have allowed a curriculum that undermines national identity.” She promised a “patriotic, balanced curriculum that promotes love for this great country.”

Braverman emphasized that both Conservative and Labour governments have failed to provide young people with an adequate curriculum, prioritizing academic rigor and national identity over promoting mass immigration.

“Reform will end this. As Education Secretary, I will introduce a new curriculum that will revive national pride and ensure that every child leaves school with an understanding of the privilege of being British,” she added.

Braverman also noted: “Six out of ten young women now believe Britain is a racist country. Half of young people do not know what the Magna Carta is. Only one in ten says they would fight for this country. This is not just ignorance; it is a failure of education, as Britain’s history is one of the greatest ever told.”

These proposals are based on policies originally announced in Reform UK’s 2024 election manifesto titled Our Contract with You and have been reiterated in recent statements under the leadership of Nigel Farage.

Reform UK pointed out that, following a previous government offer of free royal portraits in public schools, uptake was only 34%. The party has stated it will seek to implement similar policies in Scotland and Wales if it gains power there, although education is devolved in those countries.

Lastly, there have been numerous controversies regarding the progressive ideology dominating schools in Britain.

The Telegraph newspaper reported that students are taught that Joan of Arc was non-binary, that black people built Stonehenge, and that the history curriculum is being “decolonized.”

Earlier, on St George’s Day, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned “plastic patriotism that erodes the ties that bind us” and stated he would challenge those “attempting to exploit our flag to spread hatred.”