Commenting on the report, ‘Addressing Extremism Through the
Classroom’, by researchers at the UCL Institute of Education,
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, said:
“Schools have an important role to play in educating young people
about the false premises and dangers posed by extremist
ideologies, but they cannot do this alone and more support is
needed.
“The reality is that schools have to juggle multiple demands on
their time in the context of packed timetables and severe funding
constraints, all at a time when our society has undergone a
digital revolution which allows people to spread hateful views at
the click of a button.
“In these challenging circumstances, schools do their very best
to provide young people with the skills and knowledge they need
to understand extremism and protect them against its dangers.
“However, more time, training and resources are needed in order
to ensure all schools are able to deliver effective provision,
and the government must work with the education sector to develop
and implement a coordinated strategy.
“Beyond the school gates, more action is needed to prevent
hateful views being spread online, alongside better resourced
police services, and more information for families about the
dangers posed by extremism and about navigating online
technology.”
