Islamist extremists are adopting the same tactics as paedophiles in seeking to groom and exploit young people, education secretary Nicky Morgan and Bethnal Green academy headteacher Mark Keary said at the launch of a new website for parents and teachers on curbing radical influences.
Speaking on the issue for the first time since the immediate aftermath of three pupils from the academy travelling to Syria, apparently with the aim of joining Islamic State, Keary said it was still unclear what caused the girls to turn their backs on their families.
“We will continue to draw on our experiences to help inform and shape policy, share best practice and work collaboratively with colleagues to find solutions to protect and keep our children safe,” Keary said.
Morgan said groups such as Islamic State have developed “sophisticated social media strategies to allow them to spread their lies and propaganda on an unprecedented scale”.
“It’s hard to comprehend that promising girls from this school took the decision to leave their homes and their country to join a brutal terrorist group. But I do know this, they didn’t take that decision alone – instead, they were systematically targeted and groomed,” Morgan said in her speech at the academy in east London.
The education secretary was quick to praise Keary and his staff for their response to the disappearance of the three girls – Shamima Begum, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase, aged between 15 and 16 – in February last year.
“I spoke to Mark shortly after the girls fled and was impressed by his determination to ensure that other students’ education was not interrupted,” Morgan said.
“And for the whole school’s commitment to ensure that pupils here continue to thrive in a safe, tolerant environment where the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance are enshrined in everything you do.”
Launching the website Educate Against Hate, Morgan said the threat to young people from radicalisation was unlike any that British society had faced before, with extremist organisations targeting vulnerable children in the same way as paedophiles had done in the past.
“Schools worry about the welfare and safety of children day in and day out, whether it’s sexual exploitation, drugs, online abuse. Some children can be generally less resilient to these sorts of pressures because of things like self-esteem and confidence issues,” Morgan said.
Peter Wanless, chief executive of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said the likes of Isis were employing “tried and tested techniques” similar to those used in online sexual exploitation.
“We are contacted daily by worried parents and children themselves on all sorts of issues, including radicalisation and dangers associated with extremism,” Wanless said.
“Spotting the signs of such abuse has never been more important if we are to help protect children from sexual exploitation, gang-related activity or other hate crimes.”
As well as the new website, Morgan unveiled a consultation into tracking “unregistered” children who have been removed from school by their parents. Many local authorities in England have little or no information on what happens to children who are withdrawn from formal education.
Morgan has also asked Ofsted to increase its investigations into unregistered, illegal private schools, and to make it easier to close down such schools.