Fact Check: Farage claims “woke ideology” dominates schools (June 2025)
🗣️ The Claim
In June 2025, Nigel Farage alleged that UK schools are dominated by “woke ideology” and that children are being “indoctrinated” with progressive views on issues such as gender, race, and history.
📍 The Context
- Farage has frequently invoked the term “woke” in speeches and media appearances, often using it to criticise equality, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.
- The claim plays into his broader culture war rhetoric, aimed at framing schools as politically biased.
- This argument has been a recurring theme in Reform UK’s campaigns to appeal to socially conservative voters.
🔎 The Facts
- Ofsted Inspections
- Ofsted reports across England show no evidence of systematic political indoctrination in schools.
- Inspections focus on safeguarding, teaching quality, and curriculum breadth.
- Where issues of bias are raised, they are isolated cases, not sector-wide trends.
- Curriculum Requirements
- The national curriculum is set by the Department for Education and covers subjects such as English, maths, science, and history.
- Guidance encourages teaching about British values, tolerance, and respect, but does not prescribe a “woke” ideology.
- Academic Analysis
- Education researchers note that accusations of “woke indoctrination” are political framing rather than empirical findings.
- Surveys of teachers show the majority are focused on core subject delivery and exam preparation, not political messaging.
- Pattern of Claims
- Farage has made similar assertions about universities and the media, typically without supporting evidence.
- Independent fact-checkers have previously found these claims to be exaggerated or baseless.
✅ Verdict: False
There is no evidence that UK schools are dominated by “woke ideology.” Ofsted inspections and curriculum guidelines show that schools focus on teaching required subjects, not political indoctrination. Farage’s statement is a political narrative, not a factual claim.