ABSTRACT
In 2014–16, a number of top British schoolchildren left their homes and studies to join terrorist groups in Syria. This provoked a wider debate around counter-extremism education in schools. The terms ‘extreme’ and ‘extremisation’, which have a negative connotation, provide a better basis for classroom discussions than the ambiguous or positive terms, ‘radical’ and ‘radicalisation,’ although the latter is employed by the UK government to denote ‘extremisation.’ Islamist and far-right extremism have parallel senses of victimhood and grievance, a shared enemy, the establishment, and seek to appeal to a common target audience, disenfranchised youth. They also have a symbiotic relationship that some researchers describe as ‘cumulative’ or ‘reciprocal’ extremism and/or radicalisation. This symbiosis has important implications for education systems. In order to prevent extremisation, it is helpful to enable young people to question binary world views spread by opposing narratives. We propose that to counter extremisation, educators should strive towards three primary goals; (i) discussing grievances and anxieties safely; (ii) fostering critical thinking skills, and; (iii) promoting an inclusive identity based on universal human rights. We conclude with an illustrative case study summarising and analysing two citizenship classes taught at a UK sixth-form from 2015, covering ‘British values’ and ‘extremism.’
