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Schoolchildren to be taught how to spot fake news and conspiracy theories online

"It's more important than ever that we give young people the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge what they see online."

Emily Sergeant - 12th August 2024

Children in England are to be taught in school about how to spot extremist content, fake news, and conspiracy theories online.

In the wake of the recent Southport attack at the end of last month, and the widespread protests and riots that followed in the days and weeks after, new Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has now spoken about her plans to launch a review of the school curriculum, both in primary and secondary schools, in a bid arm children against “putrid conspiracy theories”.

Ms Phillipson says the Department for Education (DfE) is keen to embed critical thinking skills into multiple subjects of the school curriculum, and is aiming to widen students’ access to different cultural subjects.

Ultimately, the Government wants to “give pupils the knowledge and skills they need to thrive at work and throughout life”.

But what will this look like exactly?

Our work at @educationgovuk is already underway.

We’re resetting the relationship between the government and those working in education.

Together, we’ll deliver change: the best start in life for every child, high & rising standards and a country where background is no barrier. pic.twitter.com/tojQvUOete

— Bridget Phillipson (@bphillipsonMP) July 8, 2024

Well, as Ms Philippson told The Telegraph this past weekend (10 August), this could mean that schoolchildren would spend time analysing articles in their English lessons to help them learn how to them distinguish between fabricated clickbait and accurate reporting, while in their ICT or computer lessons, they may be taught how to spot fake news sites, and in their maths lessons, analysing statistics in context would form part of the new curriculum.

“It’s more important than ever that we give young people the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge what they see online,” Ms Phillipson told The Telegraph.

“That’s why our curriculum review will develop plans to embed critical skills in lessons to arm our children against the disinformation, fake news and putrid conspiracy theories awash on social media.

“Our renewed curriculum will always put high and rising standards in core subjects – that’s non-negotiable.”

The news that the Education Secretary is to launch a review of the current school curriculum comes after the moderation and regulation of social media, as a whole, has also been under scrutiny following the UK-wide unrest and disorder in the wake of the Southport attack.

While the ‘Online Safety Act – which is a regulation of social media platforms – became law in the UK back in 2023, it is yet to fully come into effect nationwide.

Read more:

• Government condemns ‘far-right thuggery’ following UK-wide protests after Southport attack
• Police praise ‘great defiance to disorder’ by Greater Manchester’s communities amid ongoing protests
• Government launches ‘crucial’ new mission to plug England’s skills gaps for next decade

London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, declared his view last week that the Act was “not fit for purpose”, which has apparently prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to hint that he would look at ways to strengthen social media regulations.

Featured Image – gov.uk