Teachers' Union Demands Social Media Ban for Under-16s, Brands Tech Bosses 'Sleazy Degenerates'
The National Education Union (NEU), Britain's largest teaching union with 600,000 members, has launched a blistering campaign calling for a ban on social media for children under 16. In a fiery speech at the union's annual conference in Brighton, General Secretary Daniel Kebede accused technology company executives of being 'sleazy degenerates' who deliberately design platforms to harm young people.
Platforms That 'Reward Cruelty and Spectacle'
Kebede asserted that social media giants are exposing children to 'online worlds that reward cruelty, speed and spectacle' while intentionally amplifying misogynistic content to drive engagement and advertising revenue. He claimed these companies treat humiliation as a business model, keeping children hooked on harmful content.
'We must tell the truth about who is profiting from this,' Kebede told delegates. 'The social media giants, owned by sleazy degenerates, who design platforms to keep children hooked, who amplify misogyny because it drives engagement, and who treat humiliation as a business model.'
Survey Reveals Alarming Online Influence
The union's concerns are supported by a recent survey of 10,578 NEU members, which found:
- 52% had witnessed racist behaviour from children
- 56% had observed misogynistic attitudes among pupils
The NEU believes these harmful attitudes are largely imported from online influencers and extreme internet forums, with teachers left to 'repair the damage with nothing more than goodwill and grit.'
Campaign for Legislative Action
The union is campaigning for two specific government measures:
- A complete ban on social media access for children under 16
- Making smartphones illegal in all schools across Britain
Teachers report that phones are causing significant classroom disruptions, including bullying and distractions, while pupils are adopting extreme views encountered online. The government has confirmed it is consulting on both proposals, with Tory Lords attempting to add these measures to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill currently progressing through Parliament.
Political Shift: From Labour to Greens
In a significant political development, Kebede revealed that teachers have lost faith in the Labour Party due to persistent underfunding in schools and have shifted their allegiance to the Green Party. This marks a dramatic change from the 2019 conference when then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn received a standing ovation.
'It should surprise no one that the Green Party now commands the greatest support among NEU members,' Kebede stated. 'People are not volatile – they are responding to what they see, and to what they do not.'
Green Party leader Zack Polanski was the only political leader invited to speak at this year's conference, reflecting the union's changing political landscape.
Concerns Over Special Educational Needs Funding
The NEU leader also criticised the government's recent White Paper recommending that mainstream schools take on more responsibility for children with special educational needs. The union remains sceptical that schools will receive adequate funding to employ the extra staff required to properly support these pupils.
'If the Government is serious about children achieving and thriving, it must be serious about sustained, long term investment in education,' Kebede argued. 'Anything less is simply asking working people to carry a promise that was never properly funded.'
He warned of the risk of 'responsibility being pushed downwards' onto schools already struggling with overcrowded classrooms and insufficient resources. The Department for Education has been approached for comment on these concerns.
