The NAHT has welcomed the government’s acknowledgement of the good work being done in the nation’s schools to protect young people from extremist influences.
The publication of the government's revised counter-terrorism strategy, Prevent, addresses the question of why some people become terrorists. It demonstrates that our publicly funded schools have done a good job of protecting pupils and sets out their future role in this field: providing safe environments for young people to understand the causes and consequences of political violence through their education.
Russell Hobby, NAHT General Secretary, said "The way we educate our young people shapes the society we will live in. British schools have long been dedicated to encouraging students to think for themselves and to think about others, a blend of critical thinking and empathy that is the best inoculation against radicalism and extremism.
"The report also rightly notes that schools are only one of the forces shaping young people's attitudes. There are many children in this country who receive a second education after school and at the weekends. Sometimes this education builds on and extends the foundations laid at school, sometimes it contradicts and undermines the democratic values running through our schools. It is hard whenchildren who are taught to respect themselves and respect others at school thenreceive different messages in a different environment.
"It is easier to hate someone when you don't understand them. For this reason, integrated societies and communities are often healthier than those which segregate. There are moves afoot in the education system today which run the risk of increasing segregation, with more schools built around ideologies (of faith and class), which inevitably introduce a subtle form of selection."
Further details on the Prevent strategy are available on the Home Office website.
Page Published : 23/08/2011
