I think most people are agreed about the damaging impact of far-right material (and, indeed, any material promoting conspiracy theories, racial or religious intolerance, or violence and hate). We have learned, I think, that merely exposing it does not sterilize it; quite the contrary, it normalizes it, and makes it seem acceptable. We also know that repressing it (or, in the jargon on the day, to 'cancel' it) doesn't make it go away. What, then? The solution offered in this article is that "Anti-racism must be central to the curriculum and schools and colleges must also be supported and equipped to provide a curriculum that challenges all forms of bigotry, prejudice and hatred." Well, I agree, but we must be clear that we can't fight propaganda with more propaganda. Education must enable students to construct a defense against propaganda, not merely compliance with what we teach them.
Today: 0 Total: 1738 [Direct link] [Share]
