Get the “Prevent” duty out of our classrooms

children hold signs that say "the un says suspend prevent duty" and "get prevent duty out of our classrooms"

The UK government's "Prevent" duty is not keeping children safe. It is keeping them under surveillance. Tell your MP it doesn’t belong in classrooms.

As a parent, you deserve to know your child is safe at school - not being surveilled.

As a student, you deserve to ask questions, grow, and learn - not be treated like a suspect.

As a teacher, you deserve to teach with trust - not fear.

Right now, hundreds of children as young as 9 are being swept into the UK government’s flawed “Prevent” duty, with lasting and harmful consequences.

Under this policy, teachers are asked to report students to counter-terror police for signs of “radicalisation”, often relying on vague or subjective judgements.

The result?

Disproportionate harm to Muslim and neurodiverse children
Erosion of trust between students and teachers
Unnecessary trauma for families

What you need to know:

11–15-year-olds are the most reported group under the "Prevent" duty
Hundreds of children under 10 are being referred every year
93% of referrals lead nowhere — but the damage is already done.

Children across the UK deserve a better approach. Email your MP today and demand an end to Prevent in schools.

“Prevent doesn’t help with safeguarding, it makes it worse. Many children are already suffering with anxiety and other issues. Prevent breaks trust.”

- Fatima*, teacher.

*Name annonymised

998

Help us get to 1,500

It’s time to replace the "Prevent" duty with evidence-based safeguarding that supports young people, instead of stigmatising them.

Use our quick tool to send a message directly to your MP — it only takes two minutes.

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I am writing as your constituent to outline my concerns about the operation of the Prevent duty (Prevent) in schools, and to ask that you share these on my behalf with the Security Minister, Dan Jarvis MP.

As you will be aware, Prevent is part of the UK government’s strategy to counter-terrorism. For many years, it has faced significant criticism – including on the lack of any medium-long-term evidence of its effectiveness, its financial cost and, its disproportionate impact on individuals from marginalised communities.

I am especially concerned about the impact Prevent has on children, young people and teaching professionals in schools. With that, I ask that you consider the following points:

Children and young people make up the highest number of referrals, despite the vast majority not deemed suitable for intervention from the Government’s deradicalisation programme. In 2023/24, 11–15-year-olds accounted for the largest proportion of referrals (40%), with almost 5% being children under 10 years old. For many, falling within scope of Prevent can be an incredibly stressful experience for the individual and their family – especially given the lack of parental engagement, limited information-sharing from authorities following a referral and absence of public transparency.

Prevent disproportionately impacts Muslim and neurodiverse children and young people. It relies on non-specialists – including teachers – to identify whether a person is showing signs of radicalisation. At times, this comes down to ‘gut feeling’ – inevitably creating situations where harmful stereotypes and a lack of understanding may influence a decision to refer someone.
 
It puts an undue burden on teaching professionals and risks irreparably damaging the trust between students and educators. With a high proportion of children and young people referred, it is no surprise that the education sector was the leading source of referrals (40%) in 2023/24. Under Prevent, teaching professionals are expected to consider referrals as part of their safeguarding work – adding increased pressure to an already demanding workload and risking the incredibly important relationship of trust between teacher and student.

I am aware that the Government has recently reaffirmed its commitment to Prevent, however I urge that special consideration be given to its continued application in schools. I am calling for the Prevent duty to be removed from educational settings. Instead, there must be a renewed focus on effective evidence-based safeguarding practices, and action to address the underlying causes that may make children and young people vulnerable to radicalisation.

I look forward to hearing your views, as well as seeing the reply from the Minister.

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Get the “Prevent” duty out of our classrooms

The UK government's "Prevent" duty is not keeping children safe. It is keeping them under surveillance. Tell your MP it doesn’t belong in classrooms.

Children across the UK deserve a better approach. Email your MP today and demand an end to Prevent in schools.

“Prevent doesn’t help with safeguarding, it makes it worse. Many children are already suffering with anxiety and other issues. Prevent breaks trust.”

998

Help us get to 1,500

email your MP now

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It’s time to replace the "Prevent" duty with evidence-based safeguarding that supports young people, instead of stigmatising them. Use our quick tool to send a message directly to your MP — it only takes two minutes.

Get the “Prevent” duty out of our classrooms

The UK government's "Prevent" duty is not keeping children safe. It is keeping them under surveillance. Tell your MP it doesn’t belong in classrooms.

Children across the UK deserve a better approach. Email your MP today and demand an end to Prevent in schools.

“Prevent doesn’t help with safeguarding, it makes it worse. Many children are already suffering with anxiety and other issues. Prevent breaks trust.”

998

Help us get to 1,500

email your MP now

It’s time to replace the "Prevent" duty with evidence-based safeguarding that supports young people, instead of stigmatising them.

Use our quick tool to send a message directly to your MP — it only takes two minutes.