Teach children how to think, not what to think

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has identified a real problem, but she must ensure that true critical thinking is encouraged

The appalling riots which scarred English towns in recent days have highlighted the growing dangers of misinformation and the role tech platforms play in accelerating its spread. 
Many internet users still appear unaware that the content they are served might be false or highly manipulative. The majority of secondary school children use social media every day, and a growing number rely on apps such as TikTok to inform themselves about current events.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has identified one way to disarm the growing threat disinformation poses to the young. She has told The Sunday Telegraph that, under new plans, children will be taught how to spot extremist content and fake news online. 
As part of her review into the curriculum, critical thinking skills will be “embedded” across lessons in multiple subjects. This means that pupils studying English may be taught to dissect newspaper articles in a way that would help them differentiate true reporting from fabricated clickbait. In computer lessons, pupils could be taught how to spot fake news sites. Maths lessons could be changed to include analysing statistics in context. 
Ms Phillipson has stressed the importance of critical thinking. In a world dominated by social media, Socrates’ dictum that “strong minds discuss ideas” takes on modern relevance. For young people to actively consider how they can tell apart truth from falsehood and then come to conclusions they can justify is a positive step. But the approach comes with risks as well as opportunities. Time devoted to creative thinking must not come at the price of a reduction in substantive subject-based learning. Ideas and constructive conversations must also be prioritised over superficial chatter, however much it may play into cognitive biases. 
These proposals must not turn into an excuse to regurgitate undigested fashionable nostrums. The challenge will be to ensure that young people are taught to think critically about all forms of extremism. Ms Phillipson has acknowledged that extremist content does not just come from one part of the political spectrum and that children should be made aware of far-Left conspiracy theories and religion-based propaganda. That is to be welcomed. 
But knowing the biases that so often have cropped up in the past in our school system, there are risks. No one would claim that the teaching profession is a simulacrum of society as a whole. There are lessons to be learnt from past attempts to suffuse climate change into all areas of the curriculum. Critical thinking must be an opportunity for pupils to come to their own conclusions, not just to parrot a party line.