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SecondaryCitizenship

Protect Students from Extremism by Taking a Positive Approach to Prevent

Shielding young people from the influence and impact of extremism can be an inspiring experience, says Joe McElroy – with the right expert support…

Joe McElroy
by Joe McElroy
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SecondaryCitizenship

Since July 2015, teachers have had to hold ‘due regard of the need to prevent young people from being drawn into terrorism’. This is easy to set down in law, but what does it actually mean in practice?

There has been plenty of advice from government on how to spot the signs of potential radicalisation and how schools can modify their safeguarding practices to ensure children at risk are fully supported.

However, in the face of increasing levels of intolerance online and in our communities, it would be beneficial if young people were given multiple opportunities to build their resilience to extremist beliefs and hateful ideologies in their day-to-day teaching and learning.

This is where the role of classroom teacher is so important. By empowering young people to develop their ideas about what it means to live in Britain today in a safe, school-based environment, teachers can help them become responsible and proactive citizens.

Using a multi-faceted approach, schools can enrich their curriculum and fulfil the Prevent duty with the support of projects and resources that educate our young about diversity, increase their empathy towards others, and think critically about hateful ideologies.

Read on to find out more about some of the latest approaches now available to schools and colleges…

1 | Extreme Dialogue

Supporting children to respect each other’s opinions about subjects as controversial as extremism is a daunting prospect for even the most experienced teacher.

Through a series of compelling films and supporting classroom resources telling the stories of those affected by all forms of extremism, from Islamism through to the far-right, Extreme Dialogue is a programme that gives teachers and young people the confidence to explore challenging topics together.

Learning about extremism from others’ perspectives helps to depersonalise the learning, creating a safe learning environment for students aged 13 and older.

Book expert-led training or classroom delivery, provided by ISD and the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation, on 020 7493 9333 or visit extremedialogue.org.

2 | Choose Your Own Adventure

The National Citizenship Service (NCS) Challenge is producing a game in which players take on the role of a young person in the UK with a different background from their own and make decisions on their behalf.

Touching on the experience of NCS graduates and linking users with other offline community initiatives, the project aims to increase empathy and reduce social segregation.

The game should be available by the end of the year and schools who want to get involved in the trial phase of the project are encourage to contact their local NCS provider for details on how to participate.

3 | Trans*Form Youth Action

Transgender issues are becoming increasingly relevant to young people today.

The result of a partnership between charity Youth Cymru, theatre company Mess Up the Mess, Wales Millennium Centre and YouTube stars My Genderation, Trans*Form Youth Action is a drama project that promotes positive narratives about trans people.

Throughout the autumn term this year, Trans*Form will be running trans awareness training for teachers and creative workshops for up to 60 young people to help them explore their own ideas about gender identity.

The project aims to improve the lives of trans students in schools by improving young people’s understanding of them, which will help to alleviate the pressing problem of transphobic bullying and build broader tolerance towards others in schools.

4 | Virtual Inclusion: Tackling Hate and Extremism in the UK

What if your students could spend time in someone else’s shoes? Using virtual reality software, the Open University is developing a series of 360 degree ‘field trips’ in which pupils in primary and secondary schools view the world from the perspective of someone else their age from an alternative background.

Experiencing the positive aspects of another culture as well as examples of hate that they may experience in their day-to-day lives, students will be able to increase their resilience to hate and extremism.

Once an initial trial has been completed, the resources and films will be made widely available on OpenLearn and YouTube by the end of the year.


Joe McElroy is an education associate at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

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