Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to tackle hate crime through education in schools.

Edward Timpson

Our vision is to ensure that pupils develop the knowledge, skills and understanding to succeed academically; protect themselves from harm; and play a full and active part in society. Schools play an important role in preventing hate crime by empowering young people to question and tackle the underlying beliefs of prejudice and intolerance that can lead to hatred and bigotry.

Schools are required to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. This includes challenging prejudice and promoting tolerance. Schools are also subject to the Equality Act and to the Public Sector Equality Duty which require schools to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between communities. There are a variety of approaches that schools can adopt in meeting these duties and in raising issues relating to hate crime, including:

• using teaching materials which help pupils to understand and build knowledge of the diverse cultures and faiths in modern Britain.
• encouraging classroom debate, and giving pupils the opportunity to discuss topical issues, to challenge each other and themselves, and to build the resilience and critical thinking skills they need to challenge views which are unacceptable.
• teaching in Citizenship to include preparing pupils to take their place in society as responsible citizens.
• ensuring pupils are taught about safeguarding through teaching and learning opportunities as part of a broad and balanced curriculum – this may include covering relevant issues through personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE).

In equipping pupils for life in modern, multi-cultural Britain, the Department wants to ensure that schools have access to good quality resources to support them. In January 2016, we launched the Educate Against Hate[1] website to provide practical advice to parents, teachers and school leaders on how to protect children from extremism and promote fundamental British values. The website includes resources to assist teachers to explore hatred and its consequences with their pupils and to develop their respect for diversity in their own cultural and religious traditions and in others. It also includes the Crown Prosecution Service’s resource packs for schools on hate crime.

[1] http://educateagainsthate.com/

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