Not content with its efforts to limit free speech on social media platforms, Britain’s new Labour government is also gearing schools up to “arm our children against … disinformation.”
After last week’s riots, prompted by the Southport stabbing, ministers will now include plans “to embed critical skills in lessons” in the next curriculum review, due next year. These will see pupils as young as five given what the government describes as the “knowledge and skills” to spot “disinformation” online.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told The Daily Telegraph it is “more important than ever” to make young children aware of “the disinformation, fake news and putrid conspiracy theories awash on social media.”
The Transgender Trend campaign group responded to the news by asking the all-important question: “Who gets to decide what is ‘fake news?’”
“Does this include gender identity ideology and news stories that call a man woman/she/her? Somehow we doubt it,” they added.
Swedish primary school children have already been taught how to spot ‘fake news’ since 2017.
According to the Telegraph, the Labour government’s plans will help young children to spot “all extremist content,” including what the newspaper describes as “far-left conspiracy theories and religion-based propaganda.”
This new “critical thinking” will be embedded in English, ICT (information and communication technology), and Maths lessons.
Children’s campaign group UsForThem said that a “better way to protect children from the cesspit of social media [would] be to simply restrict their access to social media and smartphones in the first place.” But if the new government is anywhere near as tech-obsessed as the last Conservative administration, that is highly unlikely to happen.
The recommendations of the new curriculum review are set to be introduced in September 2025.