Home Office
Plans drawn by Home Office might force childcare providers and institutions to report on children who pose a risk of terrorism. Getty Images

Under new Home Office plans, nursery staff will be forced to report on toddlers who pose a risk of becoming terrorists.

The plan has been drawn in a document that is submitted with the Government's Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill that is going through the Parliament.

Schools, including nurseries, have a duty of care to their pupils and staff. The new duty in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism will be seen in a similar way to their existing safeguarding responsibilities.
- Government spokesperson

The consultation document on Prevent states: "Senior management and governors are expected to assess the risk of pupils being drawn into terrorism, including support for the extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology.

"Identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism ...challenge extremist ideas which can be used to legitimise terrorism."

According to the department, not only should comments made against non-Muslims by a young child be reported, but equally any anti-Semitic comments shared in front of nursery staff should be held in caution, reported The Independent.

The plan, a part of the department's consultation to enhance the Home Office's anti-terrorism strategy, Prevent, however is being dismissed by critics as being draconian.

Davis Davis, the Conservative MP and a critic of the plan, told the Telegraph: "It is hard to see how this can be implemented. It is unworkable. I have to say I cannot understand what they [nursery staff] are expected to do.

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"Are they supposed to report some toddler who comes in praising a preacher deemed to be extreme? I don't think so. It is heavy-handed."

All childcare providers, as well as schools, universities, colleges, prisons and hospitals are expected to be subjected to the new rules "to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism".

Speaking to The Independent, a Government spokesperson reportedly said: "Schools, including nurseries, have a duty of care to their pupils and staff. The new duty in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism will be seen in a similar way to their existing safeguarding responsibilities.

"We are not expecting teachers and nursery workers to carry out unnecessary intrusion into family life but we do expect them to take action when they observe behaviour of concern.

"It is important that children are taught fundamental British values in an age-appropriate way."

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