Children will be taught how to spot extremist content and misinformation online under planned changes to the school curriculum, the education secretary said.

Bridget Phillipson said she was launching a review of the curriculum in primary and secondary schools to embed critical thinking across multiple subjects and arm children against “putrid conspiracy theories”.

One example may include pupils analysing newspaper articles in English lessons in a way that would help differentiate fabricated stories from true reporting.

In computer lessons, they could be taught how to spot fake news websites by their design, and maths lessons may include analysing statistics in context.

  • Strawberry@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    basic media literacy is really needed, hopefully it doesn’t come with any political bias built in

    • Zachariah@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      All information has a bias, so teach that it all has a bias and ways to figure out the biases. Also include that we all have biases in everything we think.

      • Strawberry@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        that is probably the best way to go about it. I worry they’ll simplify or strip away too much nuance. But if done well this can be great initiative

    • DrCake@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I think that’s pretty much impossible to achieve. One persons far-right content, is another’s “common sense”

    • Blizzard@lemmy.zip
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      3 months ago

      hopefully it doesn’t come with any political bias built in

      They would never do that! /s

      • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Reality has a well-known left-wing bias.

        That’s why the right’s only solution is to wage a war on reality.