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The use of former US vice-president Al Gore’s film, An Inconvenient Truth, in British schools has been criticised by a judge who found that it contained nine scientific errors.
The claimant, Stewart Dimmock, objected to the political message of the film, suggesting that its showing in schools amounted to “political indoctrination” as outlawed under the Education Act 1996, ss 406-407.
Dimmock’s counsel said that the showing of the film without a balancing alternative view was part of the “New Labour thought police” campaign.
Nicholas Hancox, a solicitor and editor of Butterworths’ Law of Education, questioned why the government would distribute copies of the film if not to influence the political opinions of the pupils who would watch it.
“Ministers have attempted to drag Mr Gore’s propaganda within the law by issuing a huge and closely written guidance note,” he says.
Following the case, the government has revised and re-issued hard-copy guidance which must identify the errors within the material to encourage informed discussion and ensure that the government is not promoting partisan views and is free from error.
