this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024
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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.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is nothing new. I was taught about analysing bias etc in news sources during "citizenship" classes 20+ years ago. Before that, it was called PSHE if I remember correctly.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

it seems like an updating , reanalysing and emphasising in the curriculum

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I have mixed feelings. The UK has an incredibly broad definition of extremism. Socialism and antifascism are considered extremist ideologies.

The justification is to stop people like the ones doing pogroms rn, but giving the state power will always be a double-edged sword, one where the edge that swings left is sharper.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

giving the state power will always be a double-edged sword, one where the edge that swings left is sharper..

Uhh, beg pardon? How so?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Capitalist economies accumulate wealth and power into the hands of capitalists. Capitalists are not threatened by fascism, they're threatened by socialism. Therefore, capitalists will always attack the left more strongly than the right, and they wield more power than the working class in a liberal society.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Idk critical thinking skills might be good as long as it's not politically backed to single out a specific ideology or propaganda source.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't know about you, but I have a sinking feeling that a country organized on liberal principles will integrate liberalism into its education.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This already happens, most people that become socialists only do it by university age, I still think teaching kids to identify fake news is a good thing, maybe they radicalize even earlier thanks to that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I know it already happens. I'm worried it will intensify.

I myself became a socialist late into middle school, but I recognize that I'm an edge case.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Just teach the kids elementary logic. That shit did more for my critical understanding of the world than anything. You can actually mathematically lay out an argument and prove it.

If more people understood the fundamentals of logic, Conservatism wouldn't stand a chance. Not a single mainstream conservative ideal passes a logic test.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

1000%. And the fucked up thing is that I didn't (formally) learn about it until college, and even then, it was an elective course that basically nobody took. The only reason I ever took it was because I hadn't declared my major yet. Turned out to probably be the most important classes I ever took throughout my entire education.

As someone in a STEM field, it's a major bummer to see how one-dimensional a lot of my peers' education was. And it becomes pretty obvious, pretty quickly.

I get why it's silo'd like that, but I really wish majors like engineering would require a bit of a more well-rounded education. I may have inadvertently turned a 4 year program into 5.5 years, or whatever (plus all that additional debt), but I think it was worth it in the long run because now I can understand the reasons my society is collapsing while I watch, rather than just watching!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

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.

That these lessons haven't been at the core of those subjects since forever is horrific.

We have the same problem in NZ. Several generations of citizens generally lacking basic information processing skills. I suppose they make better consumers.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago

Correction. English children will be taught this. Education is a devolved matter in the UK so this will not apply to the other parts of the UK

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

BuT WHo DeCIdEs WHaT iS MiSInfOrMaTIoN #1984 ???

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Whoah there - you're referencing a work by a socialist, that's extremist!

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

"Kids, when you see someone talk about the climate catastrophe or rebellion, report them immediately!"

I know this is a bit of a shitty take, but there just isn't a fix for shitty information constantly streaming in. As long as we allow some insane people that think maximizing profit above anything else to own the means of communication, things are going to continue to get shittier.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Critical Thinking has been an established subject in many schools for a long time. My former GF did it in her last year as a mandatory subject.

The problem up until now is it has been mainly an A-Level subject and only really offered in Grammar schools.

I'm glad it's being rolled out

Here's one of the syllabi if anyone is interested

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Another data point. I was taught critical thinking, particularly as it pertains to news sources as part of GCSE English - in 1987 at a normal comprehensive school in a fairly deprived area. Maybe the problem is that you can lead a horse to water etc.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I don't remember having the option as i was nearing the end of my education in the late noughties (also a comprehensive). Perhaps it was more prevalent before

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 month ago

Maybe sanction the media outlets for pumping the hate and bullshit out, gbnews for example with all of the blatant racist bullshit they push.

The BBC also do it, but is generally state sanctioned and much more insidious, e.g. support for Israel, attacks on the left.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I learned critical thinking and news analysis when I was in school. No wonder England is doing so poorly if their kids aren't

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

I learned critical thinking and news analysis when I was in school.

It wasn't part of the curriculum when I was in school, but our physics teacher went above and beyond to make sure we got some lessons in critical thinking and skeptical media consumption.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 month ago

Wells Fargo good! MAGA good. BLM bad, really bad. LGBTQA, bad, really really bad.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I'm an oldish dude with fairly conservative liberal views and I think it's absolutely essential that our children get taught this. The risk that this is Orwell's 1984ish is minimal and the benefits far outweigh it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

1984 is a direct result of not teaching critical thinking etc.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Isn't critical thinking taught everywhere?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

If that were the case, the world wouldn't be as fucked up and run by morons as it is today. Unfortunately, a lack of critical thinking makes someone very easy to control and mislead, so not teaching critical thinking is very much in the interest of the ruling class to keep the populace subservient.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 month ago

Lol, no. How would shitheads get elected that way?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

This is supposed to be happening everywhere. In the US, librarians mostly lead this initiative.

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