Schools in the United Kingdom will begin to teach students how to spot fake news and extremist content in the aftermath of riots that spread across the country last week.
Schools across the U.K. will look to revamp their curriculum to help children identify and dismiss extremist content by “embedding” critical thinking lessons in subjects such as English and math, according to a report by The Telegraph.
“It’s more important than ever that we give young people the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge what they see online,” Bridget Phillipson, the U.K.’s secretary of state for education and minister for women and equalities, told the Telegraph.
Police officers face protesters during an anti-immigration demonstration outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, England, on Aug. 4, 2024. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
“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,” she added.
Phillipson said the country would still place “high and rising standards in core subjects,” which she said were “non-negotiable,” but that the new curriculum would widen “access to cultural subjects and give pupils the knowledge and skills they need to thrive at work and throughout life.”
The push to revamp U.K. schooling comes after days of riots across the country in response to a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed event, resulting in the deaths of three girls and leaving several others wounded.
The murders were allegedly committed by an 18-year-old British citizen who was born to Rwandan immigrants, with the protests tapping into widespread concern about immigration in the country.
In response, the government has warned of a crackdown on online content deemed extremist or that could “incite violence.”
Police officers intervene as anti-racism activists gather at Guildhall square to face off with far-right protesters after they announced a protest in Plymouth, England, on Aug. 5, 2024. (Behlul Cetinkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Content that incites violence or hatred isn’t just harmful – it can be illegal,” the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service said in a post on X on Wednesday.
Phillipson argued that the revamped curriculum would help students identify and dismiss that content, stressing that both far-left and far-right views would be highlighted.
An example of how U.K. schools could use current classes to introduce their pushback against extremist content would be for English classes to teach students how to break down news articles and the language used as compared to “fake news” examples, the report said.
Computer classes could teach students how to identify and avoid unreliable sources of information while being able to spot the difference between websites that offer legitimate journalism and those that contain bias or propaganda. Students could also learn to spot the difference between authentic photographs or those that have been photoshopped or otherwise altered.
A chair is thrown at police officers as trouble flares during an anti-immigration protest outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, England, on Aug. 4, 2024. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
Meanwhile, math classes would help students better understand how to analyze and put statistics into context, the report notes.
The curriculum review will be led by famed U.K. education expert professor Becky Francis, with the goal being for her to report back next year and put a plan in place in time for September 2025.