Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools

For many years there’s been widespread concern about the impact of online misinformation and disinformation and how this is manifesting in schools and impacting young people. The Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools grew from this deep concern about the growing prevalence of these issues and also the need for support or guidance available to schools on addressing them.

The Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools brought together fourteen expert Commissioners from across the education, youth, media, legal, academic sectors, supported by an advisory board of civil society leaders which included our own Meg Henry and Linda Cowie, Co-Directors of The Linking Network.

The Commission sought “to shine a much-needed light on the ways in which online conspiracy theories, misinformation, and disinformation are manifesting in the lives of young people” and therefore, engaged with the three groups with a high stake in this debate: young people, school staff and parents.

The report uncovers the challenges that school communities face in addressing conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation amongst young people. But the report’s headline findings assert that “this problem is best tackled, at least in part, by schools”, with the crucial qualification however, that “teachers and the wider school workforce need more support if their work in this area is to be successful.”

At The Linking Network, supporting teachers to tackle online misinformation and disinformation, particularly in secondary schools, is a vital element of our work. We know that dispelling misinformation is vital to understanding and celebrating difference, creating space for connections to form.

Our resources such as Seeing the Bigger Picture: How to avoid misinformation explores why it is good to be sceptical about what information is available on the internet and encourages young people to ask questions about the reliability of information online. We also have a series of short animations Deconstructing Propaganda. These powerful short videos support teachers to help pupils deconstruct and understand 7 different specific techniques used in propaganda. They are excellent dialogue starters and can be used to prompt further conversation.

The report also highlights that, through the Personal Development element of school life which includes wider opportunities, including tutor time and trips, visits, and external speakers, there is greater scope for schools to find space within the curriculum to deliver education on conspiracies, misinformation, and disinformation. Yet, this should be seen as a supplement to the imparting of knowledge that happens in the classroom within subjects and must not be the sole place in which schools take on this important issue.

Some of the report’s key recommendations state:

• Political leadership is needed from the DFE, OFSTED, MATs to signal to school leaders and staff that they can and should be addressing conspiracy belief without fear of reprisal.
• Expert-led, research-informed and sustained CPD must be made available for school staff and leaders
• There needs to be a whole community approach to addressing conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation in schools.
• Specific training on conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation should be included in safeguarding training and processes
• Teachers must be supported to debunk conspiracies with regularly updated resources and best practice guides
• Training on addressing conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation should be embedded into training for early career teachers and trainee teachers
• Education on conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation should begin in Primary school, where children’s trust in adults is generally still high
• Media Literacy and criticality should be embedded in the curriculum and integrated across subjects including English Language, History, RS, Citizenship, Science, Computer Science and Maths.

If you are interested in learning more about the work in this area that is being done by The Linking Network, then please contact info@thelinkingnetwork.org.uk