Teachers in England ‘fear they are missing signs of far-right radicalisation’

Headteachers say pandemic has worsened extremism among pupils as staff call for more training

Teachers in England who feel overstretched by pandemic catchup and curriculum demands fear they are missing signs of far-right radicalisation in classrooms, and lack the training to effectively challenge extremist views among pupils.

Swastikas doodled on a chemistry book, white-power slogans daubed on exam papers, pupils quoting from videos by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson and hate speech against refugees are a few of the more obvious signs of the influence of the far right on schoolchildren, as reported by teachers and other staff.