Analysis: how France and England use schools to counter radicalisation

It is important for schools to address sensitive topics such as radicalisation, but it is also crucial that teachers are given the training and support necessary to do so in the right way, says PhD candidate Jonathan James (UCL Institute of Education). The murder of the schoolteacher Samuel Paty, beheaded by 18-year-old Abdoullakh Abouyedovich Anzorov in October 2020 after Paty had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during a civic education lesson, has understandably caused shock and fear among teachers in France. Many teachers were already struggling to manage classroom discussions on sensitive topics such as the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo's publication of the controversial caricatures. Some now fear for their personal safety. My PhD research explores the impact of Islamist terrorism on education policy and practice in England and France. As I come to the end of my study, these events give rise to an unwelcome sense of déjà vu. Controversy and criticism.