Workplace day of action
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has called a workplace day of action Thursday 12th February, to challenge complicity in Israel’s genocide and demand justice for the Palestinian people. You can read the call in full here.
Disarm Education supports this call to challenge the complicity and collaboration with arms companies within our educational institutions. This ranges from work experience and careers opportunities, sponsorship and funding, governance and curriculum.
What can you do?
Hosting a workplace meeting on Disarm Education at your workplace is a great way to start a conversation in your workplace on the importance of cutting ties with arms companies, particularly in the context of UK arms companies’ complicity in the genocide in Gaza.
Education workers across the UK will have different levels of consciousness around the ties between arms companies and schools/colleges. For many education workers, this may be the first time they are hearing about these ties and having a meeting on this will be an important consciousness raising tool. Other workplaces, where ties are more pertinent, may have had this topic raised before and instead you can use the workplace day of action to build power for the campaign. There are a range of different things you can do at your workplace depending on the context. Some of these may include:
For schools/colleges first hearing about the campaign:
Having a discussion circle on Disarm Education. You can find key facts about the campaign and discussion questions below. This will allow you to start building strength in the workplace to pass an affiliation motion in the future/get support to establish commitments in your school/college to end ties with arms companies.
Doing a photo-op with Disarm Education leaflets and/or Palestine Flags.
For schools/colleges where there is already support:
Passing an affiliation motion so your workplace branch is affiliated to Disarm Education. You can find a model motion here. This is the first step to build towards writing a letter/having a meeting with your headteacher and/or board of governors to establish commitments in your school as this means you will have the strength of your workplace branch behind you.
Model Message
PSC have called for workers in the UK to take action on the 12th of Feb to challenge complicity in Israel’s genocide and demand justice for the Palestinian people. In 2025, the NEU officially affiliated with Disarm Education, a campaign to establish commitments in schools/colleges to prevent and cut ties with arms companies. Disarm Education are calling on educators in the NEU to take workplace action on the 12th of Feb about the presence of arms companies in schools/colleges. We are having a meeting on [time/place] to discuss the campaign, and [any other agenda points] - please reply to the message below to confirm your attendance!
Staying safe and Building Power
While keeping arms companies out of education may seem like a straightforward message, colleagues across the country have been victimised for showing solidarity with Palestine and it is important we keep ourselves protected. The NEU democratically voted in its national conference to support the campaign, so this already gives a level of legitimacy but there are a few other precautions you can take while organising:
If you are having a discussion circle in your NEU group, lead and facilitate the sessions with a few other colleagues who you trust. This has two benefits: 1) it ensures that you’re not singled out if there is contestation and 2) it shows other members that there is already support behind this campaign and can encourage others to speak out in favour.
If you are presenting this campaign to your headteacher/board of governors or organising to establish ‘ethical careers’ commitments, it’s really important that you have the backing of your NEU members. Make sure that you pass a motion in support at a workplace meeting so you can demonstrate evidence of having a democratic mandate. Ensure any letters are signed collectively by the membership. Take at least one or two other colleagues with you into any meetings with SLT.
Fact Sheets
The following links will take you to short fact sheets on Disarm Education:
UK Arms companies in Schools/Colleges
Next Steps
Step 1: Put a message in your NEU workplace group to organise the workplace day of action for 12 Feb and pledge to take part in the day of action
Step 2: Contact Disarm Education at disarmeducation@proton.me to let us know if you’re doing a workplace action so we can share
Step 3: Think about your action. Host a workplace meeting, take photos of Disarm Education leaflets and Palestine flags to raise visibility of the campaign. Find printable leaflets here.
Step 4: Pass a motion to affiliate to disarm education. Join the campaign and encourage all your members to sign up. You can join the campaign at disarmeducation.org/get-involved