Ukip activists should sign up to train as teachers so that they can influence what children are taught from an early age, one of the frontrunners for the party’s leadership has said.

Suzanne Evans, formerly the party’s deputy chair, told a gathering of Ukip activists that “young minds are formed in schools” and that more of the party’s supporters should enter the profession.

She proposed that Ukip-aligned teachers conduct a programme of entryism into the National Union of Teachers (NUT) with a view to making sure more teachers having contact with children were “good ‘kippers”.

Another leadership candidate, London Assembly member Peter Whittle, also told the same meeting that the law should be changed so that “every school has a union jack and a picture of the Queen”.

Asked about how she would increase the level of patriotism amongst the British public, Ms Evans told activists: “I think I’d like to start, actually – because young minds are formed in schools – with our national curriculum

“It doesn’t teach you to be proud of Britain anymore. It doesn’t teach you about the great advances that we’ve made as a country. It seems to teach about the negative stuff .

“It talks about the salve trade but forgets to talk about the amazing role that Brits had in actually abolishing it and getting rid of it. It doesn’t talk about the wonders of the industrial revolution, it doesn’t talk about how we built railways all over the world, it doesn’t talk about some of our great British people like Shakespeare … in a sense that they are British. It seems to treat him as some global playwright who came from nowhere in particular.

“I do think it starts with education, very definitely. Paul [Nuttall] talked earlier about getting rid of the Labour party – somehow I think we need to start getting good ‘kippers into teaching and into the NUT as well.”

Her comments received strong applause from the Ukip members present at the meeting. Ms Evans was speaking at a leadership hustings event in Westminster on Tuesday night. She and her closest rival and probable frontrunner Paul Nuttal used the same event to attack “radical Islam”.

Ms Evans in particular said she would tackle sexual abuse which she baselessly claimed was conducted “by mostly Pakistani and Bangladeshi men”.

Mr Nuttall claimed he would unite Ukip, which has been riven by factional struggles in recent months. He claimed that replacing the Labour party would “sweep back cultural creep” in Britain.

Key Faces of UKIP Show all 11 1 /11 Key Faces of UKIP Key Faces of UKIP Nigel Farage Getty Key Faces of UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) Migration spokesman Steven Woolfe addresses supporters and media personnel in central London Getty Key Faces of UKIP Robert Kilroy-Silk, former television presenter and newly elected member of the European Parliament for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), shows a placard against the European Constitution in front of the Houses of Parliament Getty Key Faces of UKIP Mark Reckless, Director of Policy Development addresses party members during the UK Independence Party annual conference at Doncaster Racecourse Getty Key Faces of UKIP Gerard Batten MEP poses with protesters outside parliament Creative Commons Key Faces of UKIP Diane James gives an address at the UKIP Autumn Conference in Bournemouth Getty Key Faces of UKIP Douglas Carswell MP speaks to party members and supporters during the UK Independence Party annual conference Getty Key Faces of UKIP Suzanne Evans, Deputy Party Chairman of UK Independence Party (UKIP) speaks during the launch of UKIP's election manifesto Getty Key Faces of UKIP Peter Whittle, the UK Independence Party Member of the London Assembly, is interviewed in central London Getty Key Faces of UKIP MEP Mike Hookem during a visit to Concept Metal Products & Co Ltd Getty Key Faces of UKIP Paul Nuttall, Deputy Leader of the UK Independence Party speaks at a Say NO, Believe in Britain debate at Carn Brea Leisure Centre in Pool near Redruthon Getty

“How do you sweep back cultural creep? You replace the Labour party. We take away a party that that dislikes our flag, refuses to sing our national anthem, and says nice things about the IRA. We replace them and we become the patriotic voice of working people,” he said.

Mr Nuttall, Ms Evans, and Mr Whittle are competing for the Ukip leadership alongside John Rees-Evans.