Children accidentally come across far-right material online while innocently conducting research on school projects, a teachers’ conference has heard.
Delegates discussing the influence of the far right in schools heard that children’s access to social media and smartphones meant they were more at risk of being exposed to extremist material than ever before.
In one example quoted during the debate, a teacher described how students searching the Internet for Holocaust information about their homework were as likely to find articles written by Holocaust deniers as true historical narratives.
The debate was presented at the annual conference of the NASUWT Teachers’ Conference amid growing concerns in schools about what has been described as “insidious radicalization” of children.
Teachers said the accidental use of hate speech by politicians and leaders “is quickly filtered into our schools and our students’ homes.” They also said the pandemic had increased the risk for young people who were forced to spend more time online during the blockade.
Speaking at the conference, Rachel Minto of North Tyneside said she was concerned and appalled by the gradual normalization of far-right views and described the ease with which fascists gain access to young minds.
“Gone are the days when far-right information and propaganda were confined to the back rooms of skinny pubs and clubs. This material can now be accessed 24/7 with a few swipes on your phone.
“What’s more worrying is that children may come across this material by accident while innocently researching school projects. A Google search for the Holocaust can yield information provided by Holocaust deniers as easily as legitimate or sound historical documentation.
Candida Mellor, a French teacher also from North Tyneside, said: “We need to actively train our students in online infiltration of far-right messages. These insidious organizations use subtle tactics to indoctrinate many vulnerable children. “
She called for more support for teachers. “I need training on how to help my students understand what these messages are and how to avoid them, how to understand how they affect them.”
NASUWT Secretary General Dr Patrick Roach said the official number of reported hate crimes had risen to more than 124,000 a year in England and Wales, nearly three-quarters of which were racially motivated.
“We are concerned about cases of far-right extremism and hate crime in the United Kingdom. Over the past decade, the government has launched a hostile environmental program that has created conditions for hatred to flourish.
“Schools are not immune, as children and young people are often exposed to hate speech on social media and elsewhere. More needs to be done to address and address the problem of extremism in schools and colleges.
“Coordinated action at the government level is urgently needed to support schools in tackling the problem and to support students and teachers who have been targeted and victims.
“Anti-racism must be at the heart of the curriculum, and schools and colleges must also be supported and equipped to provide a curriculum that provokes all forms of bigotry, prejudice and hatred.
Conference teachers on Monday voted for the union to lobby the government to invest in new international education programs to promote diversity and create better training for members to help them oppose far-right views when they emerge in the classroom.
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