This is very true of HE also. One of my university professors brought up the subject of Brexit during a 1-1 tutorial, and I said I that I happened to have voted for it, and I was then told to "keep that opinion to yourself" and "not to broadcast it". This was at a good uni as well, one that I worked hard to get into. It didn't seem that odd at the time as the whole institution and most/all of the students are very left-leaning.
Was he telling you to keep it to yourself to protect you or was he not wanting to do what university’s are designed for and debate, discuss and learn?
It always makes me laugh when people who never leave the education system, never had a real job, have such strong opinions on things.
I have a few mates who went to uni and just kept continuing to take further and further education, never had a real job never explored and been across the world and had different experiences yet they seem to shout the loudest about stuff they don’t know about and how they could magically fix the worlds problems.
Jordan Peterson had a good lecture on the overwhelming left bias in the education system. And how the centre is the new right. And it’s constantly moving the goalposts.