Politics in the classroom

is making me glad I do not have kittens attending school.
Yesterday the Senior Cat's cousin, his wife, daughter and granddaughter came to visit. We haven't seen them for quite a while and we all thoroughly enjoyed the visit.
Conversation got around to teaching - as it often does. The Senior Cat's cousin was a teacher. His daughter trained as a teacher and has home-schooled her six children.
The Senior Cat's cousin mentioned a small piece in the paper about a teacher who has not been reprimanded for expressing her political views in the classroom. There have been complaints about her doing so and the union is supporting her "right" to do so.
There is no such right. Teachers may have strong views, indeed many of them do.  They do not, at least in state funded schools, have the right to pass those views on to their students - at least in ways which tell students "you must believe this". 
I was aware of the political views of many of my teachers - but not inside the classroom.  The Senior Cat was almost always the head of the school I attended. I saw the teachers outside the classroom. They came for meals. I was often expected to do things like the duplicating on the old Roneo and Gestetner machines. I cut up paper, stamped things, covered library books and much more. I have made sandwiches at 3 am in the morning with the domestic science and history teachers - to feed the teachers and others fighting a fire that threatened the school farm. You learn a lot about teachers that way - and you learn to keep your mouth shut too. 
Although I was aware of their views on many things I cannot remember a single occasion on which they attempted to influence me or any other student. 
It seems to be different now. Ms W came home one weekend saying a teacher had given her a certain point of view. Her father countered it with another point of view. He didn't need to approach Ms W's school. Other parents did that. The first expression of concern actually came from a parent who shared the teacher's view.  It could be done in that school - but not, apparently, in other schools.
Young T... across the way is about to start school. He is at preschool now and he is already being taught the politically correct views about a range of topics. His parents are trying to give him alternate views where they feel he needs them but they are aware it is confusing for a five year old. 
    "I don't want him just being told what to think. I want him to think for himself."
It seems though that politics, especially "politically correct" politics takes precedence. 
Yesterday it was interesting to watch the thirteen  year old who was present. The Senior Cat's cousin, her grandfather, presented her with two opposing points of view in the course of conversation. She looked confused for a little while - and then she started to think. He challenged her statements. He was helping her come to her own conclusion. 
That's the way it ought to be.