Momentum strongly condemns the recent visit by the Deputy Leaders of the Labour Party to the Higher Secondary School, a State post-secondary educational institution. This action represents a clear and unacceptable intrusion of partisan politics into a space that should remain dedicated to learning, critical thinking, and the free development of young people.
Post-secondary students are young adults, many of whom are eligible voters and who are in the process of forming their own independent political views, Momentum said. Precisely because of this, educational institutions have a duty to safeguard a neutral environment, free from undue partisan political influence or the appearance of endorsement of any political party.
The presence of high-ranking partisan figures within a school setting risks creating implicit pressure on students and blurs the line between education and political campaigning. It raises serious concerns about fairness, ethics, and respect for democratic principles, especially when access to students is not equally granted to all political actors, the party added.
Furthermore, this case shows how the Labour Party is taking its incumbency power to new levels, by using its position in Government to enter public institutions and reach out to young voters in an environment where they should be protected from partisan influence, Momentum said.
Momentum believes that schools must never be used, directly or indirectly, as platforms for political messaging. Students should be empowered to engage with politics on their own terms, not exposed to one-sided political visibility within institutions that hold authority over them.
We call on educational authorities to:
- Clarify the circumstances under which this visit was approved;
- Establish clear and transparent guidelines regulating political visits to educational institutions;
- Ensure that all students are protected from partisan influence within their learning environment.
Democracy thrives when citizens are free to think critically and make informed choices without pressure. Protecting the neutrality of our educational spaces is essential to safeguarding that freedom.