British pupils could be taught how to stage school 'climate walkouts' under extraordinary EU plans

A controversial EU education programme could see British schoolchildren staging "climate walkouts" and studying woke rewrites of classic fairytales.

The lesson plans form part of the Erasmus+ student exchange scheme, which will cost the UK £570million in its first year alone.

Labour is bringing Britain into the programme, which features revised versions of traditional stories - which have been stripped of "any gender assumptions, ageism, racism or disablism".

The Department for Education points teachers and youth providers towards the plans but insists this does not amount to an endorsement.

One Government-approved provider confirmed the programme, expected to launch in 2027, carries a "strong emphasis on inclusion and diversity".

A rewritten version of Little Red Riding Hood, titled "Over the rainbow", states: "Many people believed that the forest was a threatening and dangerous place and never set foot in it.

"Red Riding Hood, however, was confident enough in her own growing sexuality and such obvious Freudian imagery did not intimidate her."

The "project ideas" are aimed at children as young as 13.

Pupils may also receive instruction on organising "school walkouts and online campaigns" to "spearhead youth-led climate activism".

Ministers present the scheme as a way to offer young people travel opportunities across the EU, but the detailed plans go considerably further.

Andrew Gilligan, a research fellow at the Policy Exchange think tank, said: "This is so stupid it's actually funny.

"But the intent is clearly deadly serious - to turn schools into factories producing a generation of activists."

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Tory MP Mike Wood said: "It is unbelievable kids are being brainwashed as part of what the EU claims is a travel scheme. Erasmus is nothing more than a Trojan horse to peddle a political agenda."

More Conservatives warned earlier this year that British children will be "brainwashed by Brussels" under Labour's Erasmus deal.

The agreement's fine print contains mandatory rules that have sparked outrage among critics, with those who fail to comply risking fines of thousands of pounds.

Participating schools, colleges and universities must incorporate EU-related topics into their teaching and work to strengthen what the programme describes as "European identity" among pupils as young as four.

Educational institutions are also required to display the EU flag prominently and acknowledge EU funding across all materials, from printed documents to social media posts.

Labour ministers describe the deal as "fair and balanced", yet it costs double the amount Boris Johnson turned down as too expensive in 2021.

Twice as many EU students stand to benefit compared with their UK counterparts.

The initial £570million fee reflects a 30 per cent discount, but ministers must renegotiate within a year, with funding set to rise by a further 50 per cent from 2028.

To fund the programme, Labour will scrap the Turing scheme, which helped disadvantaged students study worldwide at lower cost since Britain was not required to subsidise incoming foreign students.

The Department for Education said the scheme "will enable over 100,000 young people from all backgrounds to access life-changing opportunities to... study abroad".