Save the children

Internet access has made youth vulnerable to the ocean of extremism. Children are susceptible to online radicalisation

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.                                                                                                                 Frederick Douglass

The aftermath of the APS and BKU attacks saw demands for the deployment of quick-response forces and Frontier Constabulary on campuses, along with higher boundary walls. However, there is hardly any attention given to the psychological consequences of beefing up security at educational institutions. The mere conversion of schools into forts, the naming of schools after martyred students of the APS and keeping the students under the shadow of guns may neither keep them free from extremist tendencies, nor secure from the wrath of inhumanity. By creating such a scenario, extremists were successful in bringing their ideological war to our campuses. Our intelligentsia, particularly the universities, failed to carry out research on how to prevent such events from taking place. Furthermore, they failed to consider the psychological impact of the countermeasures taken for the safety and security of educational institutions.

Social media helped in the dissemination of extremist passions. Without any physical interaction, the youth were lured through cyberspace.

To tackle the growing menace of home-grown extremism, governments across the world were compelled to opt for novel approaches. In 2014, schools in the UK were asked to teach children as young as four about the dangers of violent extremism. In Pakistan, in the post-APS and BKU attacks scenario, mock security exercises are being carried out by police contingents in the presence of students. Such exercises are being carried out without the assessment of their psychological impact.

In Australia, initiatives involving partnerships within communities are emphasised. The federal attorney general’s department developed close liaisons with communities. Since 2011, it funded 50 projects worth AUD $4.2 million. However, in our context, an ‘over-reactive’ approach further multiplied the fear. An Australian government website titled ‘Living safe Together’ motivates individuals to report extremism online and also shares the actions taken by the government to quell extremism. In our context, we are often in a state of denial, hence we shuttle between denial and confusion. Clarity is the only virtue that can tear apart the thick clouds of extremism.

The ongoing onslaught of extremism and terrorism also convinced the UK, in 2013, to introduce a counterterrorism strategy known as “Prevent strategy” (PS). PS requires an assessment of the preventive role of schools and teachers. In the UK about 8 million children are studying in 24,400 schools. Part 6:11 of the PS encourages that educational institutions should impart information on how a person is attracted to the operational or ideological orbit of extremist organisations. Part 8:35 of the PS requires ducational institutions to equip youths with the knowledge and skills to challenge the narrative of the extremists. Although we have been confronted with the menace of extremism for more than four decades, we often explore the solution of every problem by employing force.

All schools are required to prepare the students for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences in life. To counter extremism and ensure an effective liaison between teachers and the police in 2009, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) drafted a set of guidelines known as Prevent, Police and Schools. In our context such organised interaction between the police and teachers seems a distant mirage. In 2011, a survey conducted in schools in the UK showed that 84 per cent of those attending the schools had an awareness of the “Prevent strategy” and the importance of schools in the prevention of violent extremism.

Australia also appears to be knowledgeable about the prevention of violent extremism. Studies show that two-thirds of the arrested young extremists were under the age of 30 and 62 per cent of them had not completed high school. The situation warrants an understanding of the role of education in the prevention of extremism. Internet access has made the youth vulnerable to the ocean of extremism. Children are susceptible to online radicalisation. In such situations, the role of teachers, other than that of parents, is of crucial importance.

Like other institutions, it is also the duty of the schools to prevent students from being drawn into the vicious circle of extremism. However, such prevention is not possible without the knowledge of the teachers regarding processes and stages of radicalisation. Hence, ‘push and pull’ factors leading to violent extremism are to be made an integral part of teachers’ training curriculum. In the UK, to perform such task is known as “Prevent duty”. To instantly report symptoms of radicalisation among children in the UK, a helpline has been introduced. Building pupils’ resilience to radicalisation by providing a safe environment for debating controversial issues is one of the crucial responsibilities schools are to perform. Teachers should inculcate in pupils positive traits like tolerance, resilience, determination, self-esteem, confidence and respect for diversity. Students are to be taught how to stay safe online. To practically guide parents and teachers how to keep children away from the influences of extremism, a website called ‘Educate Against Hate’ has recently been launched in the UK. The website guides parents on how to talk to children about radicalism, symptoms of extremism and how to redress such phenomenon. In the changed scenario, teachers shall be trained in their roles in the de-radicalisation processes. However, in our context, during the recruitment and training processes, it is imperative to assess and ensure that teachers are not infected with radical passions.

Growing children have the tendency to explore answers to the questions related to faith and identity. Some of them are keen to verify such answers .In such searches for meaning, vulnerable individuals may be misled by extremists.

Undoubtedly, mere fortification of schools and arming the academia may not save us from the ire of the fanatics, hence the role of teachers and parents in de-radicalisation, is inevitable. Force is not the sole solution to the problem, hence educational institutions in Pakistan need to be persuaded to be an active partner in “Prevent duty”.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2016.

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