Schools are a hostile environment for Conservatives

Career changes are often difficult to navigate, but being in the public eye definitely makes the whole process even more difficult.

This is the reality that many former members of parliament, who spent their careers in various professions before entering politics, are facing after the July general election.

Former MP and teacher Jonathan Garris says he has not had a job interview in the three months since losing his seat in the Stoke-on-Trent constituency.

He believes this is because his political views have alienated principals who might normally have offered him contracts.

Mr Garris blamed his application’s refusal on his short-lived role in the Conservative Party.

“I think my views are unpopular in some schools and some teachers,” he says.

He added that not all teachers feel that way, but overall he believes the profession has a left-of-center political bent that doesn’t align with his views.

Garis said that when he first stood in front of a classroom, he felt the teaching profession was more tolerant of a wide range of opinions.

“When I left the profession, I felt it had gone in a completely different direction,” he told the BBC.

“(It) was actually a much more hostile environment for people who probably tended to be more centre-right and conservative.”

Garis also worries that some teachers are imposing their political beliefs on students in the classroom.

He believes these conversations are better for parents and should be had outside the classroom.

“I think too many teachers want to be political activists in the classroom and try to impose their views on the kids,” he says.

Mr Garris has been a member of the Conservative Party since the age of 18, and prior to the 2019 election he was active as a political campaigner while also working as a teacher.

But he said he made sure to separate his roles as a teacher and politician and carefully agreed with his bosses how he would manage his role within the party.

He understands that some students and parents may not agree with his political views and that there may be friction if he returns to the profession.

During that time, he claimed he had no desire to pursue a career in the media, although he enjoys the role of a one-off TV presenter.