The government says it is the champion of free speech in universities. But its actions tell another story
Academic freedom should be sacrosanct. To foster a culture of intellectual inquiry, and develop expertise, is the point of universities. In a society that values education, those engaged in the production of knowledge – both teaching and research – must be supported. If academics or students say that restrictions are being placed in their way, this is a serious problem.
Ministers say a climate of intolerance has developed in the UK’s higher education sector. Introducing a bill aimed at reversing this trend, the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, quoted the 17th-century poet John Milton: “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.” Sadly, such claims to cherish free speech above all else cannot be taken at face value. On the contrary, the government is treating universities as a battleground in the anti-left culture war that it is waging.
