Suella Braverman has said a Reform UK government would require schools to fly the Union flag and have pupils sing the national anthem, arguing that children should be shown what patriotism means.
Reform’s education spokesman made the proposal while addressing the party’s conference at the NEC in Birmingham on Saturday.
She said there was a need to show young people “what patriotism looks like”, as the party set out plans to place national identity at the centre of its education agenda.
The proposal would make patriotic observances a routine part of school life, rather than leaving individual schools to decide whether to fly the flag or sing the anthem.
Reform has previously said it would introduce a more patriotic curriculum, with greater emphasis on British history and culture, if it formed the next government.
The party has also proposed requiring schools to display a portrait of King Charles in a communal area and to mark St George’s Day in England.
Education is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Reform has said schools in Scotland and Wales could receive funding to fly the Union flag alongside their respective national flags.
The plans are part of the party’s wider argument that schools should foster a stronger sense of national pride and belonging among pupils.
