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Britain launches new measures to protect schoolchildren from extremism

Xinhua, January 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Tough new measures to protect children from the "spell of twisted ideologies" were announced Tuesday by Britain's education secretary, Nicky Morgan.

A new landmark website giving advice to parents and children on preventing extremism has been created as part of a package to protect children from extremism.

Morgan announced the program at the Bethnal Green Academy, the East London school where four of its girl students left for Syria to join the terror group known as Islamic State.

The new 'Educate Against Hate' website offers parents, teachers and school leaders advice to protect children in and out of school to keep them safe from extreme views.

The move comes a day after Prime Minister David Cameron announced a 30-million-U.S. dollar fund to help Muslim women learn to speak English to help them integrate into British society.

Other measures announced Tuesday at Bethnal Green Academy include a significant escalation of investigations into unregistered, illegal independent schools by the official education regulator, Ofsted. This follows the closure of three unregistered schools in Birmingham last month.

There will be a new tougher approach to prosecuting illegal unregistered schools, with a commitment to strengthen powers to close such schools.

There will also be a consultation on registering children who, like the Bethnal Green four, go missing from school.

Morgan said: "We are determined to keep children safe in and out of school. Today's announcement of resources and tougher powers to protect young, impressionable minds from radical views sends a clear message to extremists: our children are firmly out of your reach."

Government Security Minister John Hayes said: "We have seen all too starkly and tragically the devastating impact radicalization can have on individuals, families, and communities. Terrorists have targeted our young people with their poisonous propaganda with terrible consequences."

"The Educate Against Hate website has been created in response to requests from teachers and parents for more information about the signs to look out for and advice on where to turn to for support if they are concerned."

Last month, the British government announced that all schools would strengthen measures to protect children from harm online, after concerns that children who had travelled or attempted to travel to Syria were able to access material about Daesh (Islamic State) and foreign fighters via school computers. Endit