To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of extremism in schools.
holding answer
The Government are clear that there should be no place for extremist activities in any school. That is why the Secretary of State for Education has established a dedicated unit within the Department for Education focusing specifically on preventing extremism.
The unit will focus on safeguards such as strengthening inspection arrangements. The Department for Education is working with Ofsted to ensure that inspectors have the necessary knowledge and expertise to determine whether extremist and intolerant beliefs are being promoted in a school. New arrangements for inspecting maintained schools, Academies and Free Schools are being developed and relevant training on aspects of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development will be provided to inspectors. Specialist inspectors that undertake work relating to independent schools are soon to receive more detailed training. We are sending a clear message that extremism will not be tolerated in schools.
The full range of the unit's work will be set out in the Government's ‘Prevent’ strategy, the preventative strand of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST.
Prevent is currently under review and the new strategy will be published shortly.
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