Supporting Teachers to Respond to the Summer’s Civil Unrest

The civil unrest, racism and violence that began after three girls were murdered in Southport has impacted many communities around the UK, fostering divisions and making individuals feel unsafe in the place they call home. That the acts of violence were met by counter protests, legal recriminations and acts of upstanding, in which community members turned out en masse to support those targeted, highlights the supportive undercurrent present in UK society. 

However, there is still work to be done to try to heal over the societal divisions thrown into relief and/or caused by the riots, and to allow people to come together to understand their common humanity. This work is particularly important in schools as classrooms may contain individuals who participated in the rioting, or who are acquainted with those who did, as well as individuals targeted by the violence. Creating a classroom community in which the tumultuous events can be unpacked, understood and processed is vital to foster cohesion. 

Moreover, the fact the rioting was triggered by the spread of false information on social media platforms, much of which was rooted in xenophobia and Islamophobia, highlights the need for young people to develop media literacy skills in order to avoid being manipulated by information they encounter online. 

Join us for a teacher conversation in which we share ideas on how you can support your students in processing the summer events, and heal any divisions that were exacerbated – or caused – by them. We will also share resources on how to counter Islamophobia and how to develop the media literacy skills needed to avoid falling prey to misinformation and disinformation. 

Activities and resources from the session will be provided and there will be the opportunity to share experiences with and learn from other teachers. 

This event is aimed at teachers in the UK.