The UK government announced on Sunday that as part of upcoming changes to the national curriculum, schools in England would be required to teach students how to identify extremist and online content that spreads “putrid conspiracy theories.”
In order to incorporate critical thinking into a variety of disciplines, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said that she was starting a review of the curricula in elementary and secondary schools.
It comes after a spate of disturbances in over a dozen English towns and cities in the wake of the knife assault in Southport, which authorities attribute to far-right agitators and false information on the internet.
Three children were killed in a stabbing spree that was allegedly carried out by 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, a British national. Although they have stated that the incident is not being considered terrorism, police have not revealed a possible motivation.
Online speculation in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy falsely claimed Rudakubana was a Muslim immigrant.
“It’s more important than ever that we give young people the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge what they see online,” Phillipson told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
“That’s why our curriculum review will develop plans to embed critical skills in lessons to arm our children against the disinformation, fake news and putrid conspiracy theories awash on social media.”
As part of the proposed reforms, students would analyze newspaper articles in English sessions to identify clickbait that has been manufactured, and they would also analyze statistics in context in computer classes.
Revisions would not take effect until the September 2025 school year, as the review is not scheduled to submit its conclusions and recommendations until the following year, the Telegraph reports.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggested on Friday that the actions may be taken immediately, and they will be paired with stricter control of social media platforms and online material.
