(Newswire.net — December 22, 2015) — Schools and their students are always an easy target for extremists; they are not heavily guarded and therefore are accessible in many ways. One of the easiest ways to get to students is the Internet. They use the web in school and that is how they may become susceptible to radicalisation.
The UK Ministry of Education has spotted the problem and decided to introduce some new protective measures into their schools. These measures are supposed to protect students from being harmed by extremism and radicalisation, so the schools will be obliged to set online filters and take greater care of how their students use the Internet.
The motive for the introduction of these new measures were some recorded cases of students who had accessed information about IS by using a school computer and later on tried to go to Syria or even managed to get there. Two girls from Bethnal Green Academy aged 15 and 16 went from London to Istanbul, trying to reach Syria.
According to their headteacher, the school didn’t find any evidence that the girls had been subjected to radicalisation at school, since pupils cannot access social media at school. Nevertheless, their destination raised suspicions.
Concerned about these events, Nicky Morgan, education secretary said: “As a parent, I’ve seen what an important role the Internet can play in children’s education. But it can also bring risks, which is why we must do everything we can to help children stay safe online at school and at home”.
After these measures are implemented, all the teachers and parents should be able to protect their students and children from extremism by showing them what the safe way to use the web is. Other problems like pornography and cyberbullying will also be included.
David Cameron, British PM also commented on the other way of radicalisation, which is extremist teaching. He said that religious schools would be inspected and if they were found to teach intollerance, they would be closed. During his visit to Manchester, he said: “Let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with children learning about their faith, whether it’s at madrassas, Sunday schools or Jewish yeshivas”. “But in some madrassas, we’ve got children being taught that they shouldn’t mix with people of other religions; being beaten; swallowing conspiracy theories about Jewish people”.
“These children should be having their minds opened, their horizons broadened, not having their heads filled with poison and their hearts filled with hate”.
“So I announce this today, if an institution is teaching children intensively, then whatever its religion, we will like any other school make it register so it can be inspected”. “And be in no doubt: if you are teaching intolerance, we will shut you down”.
The schools which would undergo this inspection are all religious institutions like Christian Sunday schools, Jewish yeshivas and around 2,000 Muslim madrassas. Religious supplementary schools would be required to register with DfE even if they are not subjected to inspection. The manner of carrying out these inspections has not yet been determined, as well as who should carry them out, Ofsted or some other body.
Whether these inspections would prove useful or counterproductive it remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the authorities are resolute to protect students from harm.