The UK government announced on Sunday that schools in England may soon teach students how to identify extremist and misleading online content, including harmful conspiracy theories, as part of upcoming changes to the national curriculum.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson revealed that she is initiating a review of the curriculum in both primary and secondary schools, aiming to incorporate critical thinking skills across various subjects.
This initiative follows a series of disturbances in over a dozen towns and cities across England, sparked by misinformation and far-right agitators in the wake of the Southport knife attack. The incident, allegedly committed by 17-year-old British-born Axel Rudakubana, resulted in the deaths of three children.
While the police have not disclosed a motive and have stated that the attack is not being treated as terrorism, online rumors falsely claimed Rudakubana was a Muslim immigrant.
Phillipson emphasized the importance of equipping young people with the ability to critically evaluate what they encounter online. "It's more important than ever that we give young people the knowledge and skills to challenge what they see online," she told the Sunday Telegraph. "Our curriculum review will focus on embedding critical skills in lessons to protect our children from disinformation, fake news, and harmful conspiracy theories that proliferate on social media."
As part of the proposed changes, students might be taught to analyze newspaper articles in English classes to detect fabricated clickbait, while computer science lessons could include exercises on interpreting statistics in their proper context. However, the review's findings and recommendations are not expected until next year, meaning that any curriculum reforms would likely be implemented in the school year starting in September 2025.
In addition to these educational changes, the UK government is also planning to strengthen regulations on social media sites and online content. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hinted at imminent action on this front during his remarks on Friday.