Do Schools have a Duty to prevent Extremism?

[Laika]

The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act in the UK has established a duty on schools to "prevent people being drawn into terrorism". I have to admit, I appreciate the sentiment behind it. No parent wants there child to grow up to become a Terrorist and become a mug shot on the front of the morning paper or 24/7 news headline. Given the how suggestable children and adolsecents are as they explore the world, and how stubbornly the latter assert their independence often oblivious to the consequences, it does make some sense to approach the issue through the medium of education in the "battle for ideas", at least from the comfort of a Whitehall office.

A recent news story however illustrates just how absurd and difficult this policy is to enforce, with a school in hampshire ringing the police after a student visited the offical UKIP website after a class discussion on immigration, which was considered to have "politically incorrect" and "extremist views".

Spoiler: Full Article

A school in Hampshire called in police after a pupil viewed the UKIP website on a class computer, it has been reported.

15-year-old Joe Taylor says he viewed the political party’s website following a classroom discussion on immigration. He says he was subsequently reported to the police by teaching staff who raised concerns that he was viewing “politically incorrect websites”, indicating “extremist views”.

The incident allegedly happened at Wildern School in Hedge End, Southampton. The boy’s father, Mick, has told The Daily Express that his son was taken out of class and interviewed by Hampshire police.

Mr Taylor said: “On Monday I received a phone call and they said he’s been looking at some politically incorrect material at school. My first reaction was to ask them if it was porn, but they said no- it was the UKIP website. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“We went into reception with the police officer and their first question to my son was ‘why are you a political activist for UKIP’? I asked 'why are you worried about the UKIP website' and they said, ‘well, we don’t think it’s right’.

“I was furious that they flagged him for looking at the UKIP website. I think it’s outrageous really. They tried to call him a political activist for UKIP and they asked him ‘why do you believe that’s the way forward?’

“I’m a UKIP supporter and I said ‘What’s wrong with that?’. They really quizzed him over UKIP. They are almost like the thought police. It’s shocking really.”

In a statement, Wildern School head teacher Marie-Louise Litton said: “Following an incident Wildern School contacted 101 for advice and were referred to the specialist team who made the decision to arrange a meeting with the student and their parent in school on 24th February. No further action was proposed.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-ukip-website-on-class-computer-a6899641.html

If it helps, about age 15, I was reading a Second Hand Copy of Lenin's "The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky" after bringing it in my backpack to read in the school library during a lunch break. I still remember feeling uneasy trying to hide the name on the cover and the portrait of the author on the front page, so even then I knew I was in "difficult" territory. it's main effect was that I avoided reading Lenin's works entirely (it's writing style would now be generouslly called "trolling") but still kindled my interest in this very "alien" set of ideas that seemed to have some "deeper" meaning for it's advocates. Much later in Sixth Form, my interest deepened and started to sympathise with the ideas more but even that was still pretty lukewarm and superfical.
I'm not sure "intervention" would have really halted my curiousity as I did have a intellectually rebellious streak even then- with a great deal of naiveity thrown in. it probably just would have upset me (being 15 and not really capable of "deep" thought on the subject). Even if I could definetively say I had wanted someone to stop me reading it, and there are times that might have been welcome, I still think I would have been a much more intellectually and emotionally impoverished person for doing so.

So, I'm wondering whether you think getting schools to "protect" or "police" their students from extremism (feel free to pick the word that suits) is a good idea?

I can see the point behind it, but if it is anything as ineffective as the average sex education class, we're going to be over-run by extremists any day now.

(edit: Voted "Don't Know").

 

[YmirGF]

I'm more disturbed that your leaders think that they can regulate this sort of thing. It's more than a bit of a slippery slope.

 

[Tumah]

No where did I see that the question is meant towards public schools alone. I imagine an extremist private school would not be inclined to preventing extremism.

 

[Quintessence]

In order for me to entertain something like this, it needs to be demonstrated that implementing a particular policy has a measurable and significant effect on reducing the alleged problem and does not have unacceptable deleterious side effects. If it is not possible for this to actually be regulated without unacceptable deleterious side effects, then duty or not, there is no point to trying to implement policies that cannot and do not work or have costs that outweigh benefits.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I would say yes, if we accept the premise that school is for the raising up of children, both academically, and as pertains to their character. Since public schools are paid for by tax dollars, and are intended to serve the American Republic, this should especially be the case- as pertains to public schools...

 

[Laika]

No where did I see that the question is meant towards public schools alone. I imagine an extremist private school would not be inclined to preventing extremism.

The legislation affects Local Government, Criminal Justice system, Education and Child Care, Healthcare and Policing. It appears to affect ALL schools. Specific concerns have been raised about discrimination against Muslim Students, as well as restrictions on Free expression on University Campuses.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...t_data/file/97976/prevent-strategy-review.pdf

Objective Three: working with key sectors
3.36
A wide range of sectors in this country are helping to prevent people becoming terrorists or
supporting terrorism. The way Government works with particular sectors will vary.
3.37
Priority areas include education, faith, health, criminal justice and charities. The internet is also
included here as a sector in its own right although delivery of Prevent programmes through the
internet is a theme running through this review and strategy.
3.38
Some progress has been made in and with all these sectors. Some sectors (like faith) have been at
the forefront of work to tackle radicalisation in this country. But more can and must be done. Like
other areas of Prevent, programmes must be proportionate to the risks we face; we look to engage
with these sectors because they are capable of addressing and resolving some of the challenges
we face.
Prevent Strategy 9
3.39
There should be no ‘ungoverned spaces’ in which extremism is allowed to flourish without firm
challenge and, where appropriate, by legal intervention.

That last line gives me chills. no "ungoverned spaces"... yikes! (Below is advice for educators and it specifies who it is directed to- again, it is very broad).

This advice is for:
•
Governing bodies, school leaders and school staff in maintained schools
(including nursery schools), non-maintained special schools, proprietors of
independent schools (including academies and free schools), alternative provision
academies and 16-19 academies
•
Management committees and staff in pupil referral units
•
Proprietors and managers and staff in registered childcare settings

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...39598/prevent-duty-departmental-advice-v6.pdf

 

[Laika]

I'm more disturbed that your leaders think that they can regulate this sort of thing. It's more than a bit of a slippery slope.

 

[Mindmaster]

The problem with regulating extremism is it invariably falls onto revolutionary ideas, aka it totally backfires. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter or revolutionary. These laws basically allow a government to get more extreme itself contrary to the notion they are positing. It gives them free reign to prosecute any dissident opinion or quash valid conceptual challenges by brainwashing youth and indoctrinating them. Most revolutionaries are the youth, and apparently your country knows that.

Basically, welcome to your police state. I hope you enjoy more of the same, because that is all you are getting.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I think it would be better to have an honest discussion on world events, which does include imperialism, colonialism, and even modern examples of militaries being used for no other reason than to further political and economic interests.
It would be better to reach out to those students who seem to be more likely to become radicalized (and, with this, even something just as simple saying "hey" and making efforts to make them feel not alone would do wonders).
Sometimes the best way to fight an enemy, especially more specifically an ideology, is not to physically fight and give it a forbidden fruit aura, but to be honest with it, and if it is really bad, let people see for themselves the barren wasteland that it is. Yes, many Muslim extremists are fighting against Western corporate colonialism, but they'll kill you just as quick for even thinking about leaving. It's honest, direct, and opens the discussion for solutions that do not involve bombs, invasions, and boots on the ground.

 

[Mycroft]

Schools have a duty to educate appropriately. Extremism, in the end, is countered by appropriate education.

The problem is that very few schools bother to appropriately educate.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I think this fits in well with the modern goal of pretending like something is being done.

 

[Deathbydefault]

Voted for the "other" option.

I believe it would be wise of youth education based institutions to teach and promote common humanism and human rights, along with their specifics.
Doing so will probably eliminate quite a few younger people from involving themselves with terrorists or their ideology.

 

[metis]

I don't like the "Extremism" part of the question, so I voted "I don't know". Yes, they should try to teach against terrorism, but the issue of extremism poses the problem of how far do opinions have to go before they're considered "extreme"?

 

[Deathbydefault]

how far do opinions have to go before they're considered "extreme"?

When they begin to violate human rights and personal freedoms.

 

[LuisDantas]

I'm more disturbed that your leaders think that they can regulate this sort of thing. It's more than a bit of a slippery slope.

I have to agree.

 

[Father Heathen]

Depends on what you consider "extreme".

 

[metis]

When they begin to violate human rights and personal freedoms.

Then yes, I do believe that schools need to address that.

 

[Sunstone]

I think public schools have a responsibility to teach certain basic, human values, rights, and duties that are necessary for a fair and just society. Those values, etc, are inherently anti-extremist, if by "extremism" you mean a willingness to use unwarranted violence to accomplish political, religious, social, or economic goals. Beyond that, I think public schools have at least an equal obligation to rigorously teach critical thinking, which -- I believe -- tends to counter some forms of extremism.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

It's a nice sentiment as you said @Laika, and you pointed out the perfect example yourself of where it can go stupidly wrong, with a school calling up the police because a boy was looking at a UKIP website.

It's not a good idea and is prone to far too many errors. If a student was reading 'extremist' material anyway, getting the police involved or intervening would indeed probably just encourage the boy even more. It would also fan the flames of the 'persecution complex', and that these people may actually end up more convinced that the extremist position must be correct, because the establishment is trying to silence their views rather than engage in conversation.

 

[Quintessence]

If schools attacked extremism America would probably stop paying for public school to prevent the country from falling apart.

How do you figure this would happen?