UK says schoolchildren shouldn’t wave Palestine flags. Ukraine flags are fine though

UK says schoolchildren shouldn’t wave Palestine flags. Ukraine flags are fine though The British government has been accused of hypocrisy after saying pupils should not display Palestine flags in school, despite the government having promoted the displaying of Ukrainian flags in schools and made other political statements on Ukraine. On Wednesday Education Secretary Lucy Powell told Sky News: "I don't think that our schools should be a place where it's about making protests and statements about geopolitical events around the world." Powell was also asked whether pupils should be "allowed to display Palestinian flags" in schools.

She replied: "That's not what we would expect in schools, that's not expected at all. Schools are a place to be impartial." Last November Powell's predecessor as education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, was filmed in a classroom with pupils waving the Ukrainian flag. Ukraine flags are fine though Britain's Education Secretary Lucy Powell pictured on 21 July (AFP)

UK accused of hypocrisy for saying schoolchildren shouldn't wave Palestine flags Submitted by Imran Mulla on Thu, 10/22/2026 - 13:32 The Department for Education has previously flown the Ukrainian flag and encouraged pupils to do so Britain's Education Secretary Lucy Powell pictured on 21 July (AFP) Off The British government has been accused of hypocrisy after saying pupils should not display Palestine flags in school, despite the government having promoted the displaying of Ukranian flags in schools and made other political statements on Ukraine. The video was published online by the Department for Education to promote the "K-Ukraine schools partnership programme". (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); On 24 August 2024 the Department for Education released a statement saying: "On Ukrainian Independence Day we celebrate everything Ukraine is fighting to defend: democracy, sovereignty and the Ukrainian way of life." In March 2022 the Department for Education flew the Ukranian flag.

The then Conservative education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, told a school leaders conference in Birmingham: "As we gather today, the Ukrainian flag flies over the Department for Education. The UK unequivocally condemns these terrorist attacks and stands in solidarity with Israel in its hour of need." R…