Counter-terrorism project in schools to be scrapped

London: A Home Office counter-terrorism programme that encourages teachers and community leaders to identify and report Muslim teenagers and others they suspect to be at risk of becoming involved with violent extremists is to be scrapped.

MPs have criticised the £12.5 million (Dh74.36 million) Channel project for triggering accusations about teachers and community leaders being asked to spy on Muslim youths.

The Home Office funded-project was set up in April 2007 as part of the government's wider Prevent counter-terrorism programme, which is now under review.

In the first 20 months of its operation 228 people aged 15 to 24 and nearly all male were identified as potential terrorists at risk of radicalisation and referred to the police. Although the majority were Islamists they also included far-right racists.

Teachers and community leaders were asked to identify individuals who had not committed any criminal offence but who were accessing terrorist websites or frequently talking about taking part in violent activity.

Ethos

Fears about the "anti-Islamic" ethos of the project has led to many of the 7,500 schools potentially involved opting out.

Professor Ted Cantle, who chairs the Home Office community cohesion review team, told the Times Educational Supplement that ministers are unlikely to continue the Channel project in its current form.

"There will be a separation between counterterrorist work and the efforts of schools to integrate communities. I hope the present government doesn't make the same mistakes, which have alienated communities," he said.

"I don't think the identification of children at risk of terrorism will continue. It has caused an awful lot of trouble. Most teachers don't have an in-depth understanding of Muslim communities."

Graham Robb of the Youth Justice Board said senior police officers had made clear that existing child safety procedures run by schools and social services were satisfactory for dealing with vulnerable children.

The Home Office said the wider Prevent programme, including the Channel project, was under review. "We believe it isn't working as well as it could and that is why we are reviewing it. We want a strategy that is effective and properly focused," a spokesman said

Sir Norman Bettison, the West Yorkshire chief constable responsible for the national programme, has in the past cited the example of Hasib Hussain, one of the 7/7 bombers, who had been regarded as a model student. But when the police contacted his former teachers they told him they had written comments praising Al Qaida in his school exercise books but it had not been seen as substantive at the time.

Once children have been identified as being at risk they are referred to a "programme of intervention tailored to their needs" which range from discussions with their families, outreach workers or their local imam, to direct intervention by the police.