Education settings play an important
role in keeping young people safe from different forms of harm,
including from substance abuse, gangs, neglect and sexual
exploitation.
All
schools and registered childcare providers are required to help
prevent the risk of people supporting terrorism or
become terrorists.
This is known as the Prevent
duty.
The Prevent duty requires specified
authorities such as education, health, local authorities, police
and criminal justice agencies, such as prisons and probation, to
help prevent the risk of people supporting terrorism or becoming
terrorists.
It is a key part of the
Government’s counter-terrorism strategy.
The education sector plays a vital
role in safeguarding students from radicalisation and intervening
early to divert them away from extremist influences.
It’s important to remember that a
Prevent referral is not an accusation of criminality and
shouldn’t affect someone's education or career prospects.
Instead, it helps those around them to work together to ensure
they have access to specialist support to keep them and
others safe.
Last year, the education sector
contributed the highest number of referrals
to Prevent - across all sectors where the duty applies - to raise
concerns about someone being
radicalised.
The Prevent duty guidance has recently been updated. Here we explain everything you
need to know.
Why has the Prevent duty
guidance been updated?
The updated guidance covers a
wide range of sectors, not just education settings, and there are
no new legal requirements or additional responsibilities for
those in the education sector.
It provides greater consistency,
clarity and access to good practice throughout. The guidance will
come into effect no earlier than 31 December
2023.
The Prevent guidance helps those who
have a statutory obligation, including education settings to take
action to help stop individuals being radicalised and turning to
terrorism, to understand how they can comply with their
duty.
It explains the policies and training
providers should have in place and how to create an environment
where ideologies which are used to radicalise people are
challenged and not permitted to
flourish.
The guidance has been updated after
an independent review found there were some areas where we could strengthen the
programme and we've worked closely with those sectors impacted,
including education, to improve
them.
What support is available for
education settings?
Education settings looking for more
information on what the changes to the guidance mean for them can
find them here:
