The so-called “anti-extremism think-tank” Quilliam Foundation has developed a new software that will help teachers spy on school kids’ potentially “extremist online activity.”
According to the BBC, the software will alert teachers if pupils use specific terrorism-related terms or phrases or visit extremist websites on school computers, laptops or tablets.
Teachers will be encouraged to look for “a pattern of behaviour” rather than raise the alarm after a single warning.
Quilliam Foundation, which is headed by Maajid Nawaz, is widely viewed within the Muslim community as an organisation which promotes Islamophobia and neocon values under the guise of fighting extremism.
Jonathan Russell, political liaison officer at Quilliam Foundation, said: “The internet has made it easy for young people to access extreme or radical material. While measures such as the UK government’s Prevent Strategy already existed, it’s now clear that more needs to be done to counter radicalisation early on.
“Protecting young people from the dangers of radicalisation requires positive online counter-extremism, and empowering teachers with technology like Impero’s keyword library is an important part of this process.”
Sally-Ann Griffiths, of Impero Software, which designed the program, added: “With a widely reported increase in the number of children being radicalised, it’s vital that schools put measures in place to prevent pupils coming to harm online.
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“By defining terms such as ‘yodo’, a phrase used by jihadist sympathisers meaning ‘you only die once’, the glossary gives teachers, who are part of the solution to the problem, the tools they need to identify, intervene and safeguard at-risk pupils.”
The Counter Terrorism and Security Act, which became law in February, puts a responsibility on schools to prevent youngsters falling into the clutches of extemist groups. And Prime Minister David Cameron says schools must also actively promote “British values” and will be judged by the schools’ watchdog Ofsted on how well they teach them.
But the National Union of Teachers has expressed fears this could lead to debate on contentious issues being shut down.
It also said some teachers feared they could be prosecuted if they dealt with a situation in the wrong way.
At a recent NUT conference teachers complained that they’re being used to fight against Islamic extremism in schools, likening themselves to “stormtroopers.”
They claimed teenagers were staying silent in classroom discussions for fear of being reported for radical views, effectively “shutting down debate” in schools.
“We are really being expected to be the frontline stormtroopers, who listen, who spy, and notify the authorities about students that we may be suspicious of,” said Jan Nielsen, an NUT member from Wandsworth, south London.
