“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,” says education secretary.
Children in England will be taught how to spot “extremist content” and “misinformation” online as part of planned changes to the school curriculum, the education secretary announced Saturday.
Labour MP Bridget Phillipson said she was launching a curriculum review in primary and secondary schools to foster critical thinking and arm children against “putrid conspiracy theories.”
“It’s more important than ever that we give young people the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge what they see online,” she told The Telegraph.
“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. Our renewed curriculum will always put high and rising standards in core subjects – that’s non-negotiable.”
UK children to be taught how to spot extremist content and misinformation online https://t.co/qWtj2gqo0U
— Guardian news (@guardiannews) August 10, 2024
“But alongside this we will create a broad, knowledge-rich curriculum that widens access to cultural subjects and gives pupils the knowledge and skills they need to thrive at work and throughout life,” she added.
The program “may include pupils analysing newspaper articles in English lessons in a way that would help differentiate fabricated stories from true reporting.”
“In computer lessons, they could be taught how to spot fake news websites by their design, and maths lessons may include analyzing statistics in context,” The Guardian reported.
The announcement appears to be a response to the recent nationwide riots that have engulfed the UK sparked by the brutal killing of three young girls by a 17-year-old male at a dance class in Southport last month.
The knifeman’s identity has still not been released by UK authorities.
Despite the scant information on the suspect, the Guardian charges that “misinformation spread on social media about the background and religion of the suspect” is responsible for the unrest.
Specialist officers are pursuing suspected online offenders and influencers responsible for “spreading hate and inciting violence on a large scale”.
Teams are investigating hundreds of leads, the National Police Chiefs’ Council said.
The moderation and regulation of social media has also come under scrutiny after the disorder.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week vowed to stamp out the riots harshly, aimed mostly at UK nationals who are concerned about unfettered mass migration, and assured the Muslims that mosques would be protected.
“Shouldn’t you be concerned about attacks on *all* communities?” Elon Musk quipped on X.
Shouldn’t you be concerned about attacks on *all* communities?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2024
UK authorities even threatened to extradite and prosecute non-citizens abroad who are sharing footage of the riots on social media — including Musk.
