Government launch website to protect children from 'twisted ideologies' of extremism
A new website has been set up to give parents and teachers advice on protecting children from extremism.
The site, called "Educate Against Hate", will offer advice based on resources and guidance drawn up by the Government and charities including the NSPCC and Childnet.
It will have advice on:
How parents should talk to children about extremism.
Warning signs that may suggest a child is being radicalised.
Steps concerned parents can take.
It is part of a new raft of measures aimed at keeping children safe from "the spell of twisted ideologies", Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said.
Under the reforms, there will also be an escalation of Ofsted's investigations into unregistered, illegal schools, and tougher action to prosecute these schools.
This will include giving the watchdog more resources to carry out inquiries, according to the Department for Education.
The website will be launched by ministers at Bethnal Green Academy in east London.
The academy was in the news last year after it was revealed that three female pupils - Shamima Begum, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase - travelled to Syria.
They were last contacted in the Islamic State (IS) stronghold of Raqqa, their families' lawyer said.
The academy has been working to promote the best ways of protecting children from extremism, the DfE said.
Ahead of the launch, Ms Morgan said:
Security Minister John Hayes said: "We have seen all too starkly and tragically the devastating impact radicalisation can have on individuals, families and communities.
Terrorists have targeted our young people with their poisonous propaganda with terrible consequences."
The measures are the latest in a series of reforms announced by the Government to tackle extremism last month that included schools being asked to filter internet access for pupils', amid concerns that some children are being targeted online by recruiters for militant groups like the so-called Islamic State.
Tasnime Akunjee, lawyer to the families of the three east London schoolgirls, confirmed they had travelled to IS's self-proclaimed capital but said contact with them had been lost some weeks ago after the bombing campaign by Russia and the US-led coalition.
"They are in Raqqa, or were there certainly up until a few weeks ago," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
He agreed it was a "hellishly dangerous " place and added "contact has been lost with them for some weeks now, so to be honest we have no idea what their status is at the moment".
But Mr Akunjee was sceptical about the potential impact of the DfE plans saying existing counter-extremism Prevent strategy had "collected criticism all along the route".