To think if you're a teacher, you challenge any conspiracy theory nonsense in class?

So what if you have a student who expresses the belief that the holocaust didn't happen?

I have been in this exact situation. Holocaust denial is considered a red flag for possible extremism so we had to make a Prevent referral.

Where a student expresses beliefs that are so extreme they raise a safeguarding concern then all staff in schools should know exactly what to do as there is a clear protocol to follow. When the views expressed are bizarre but not anything that could he interpreted as hate speech, or evidence that they/others may be at risk, then it's more up to the discretion of the individual teacher.

I agree. It's being used as a tool by ne'er do wells ( sorry, toddler-tired, can't think of a better word right now) a little sprinkle of truth and a can't you see they're lying to you...

I used to teach RE.

One year 7 assessment I marked was full of such hatred and vitriol from a (white, British) child against Muslims - post 9/11 but this kid wasn't even born when it happened, and so far from the topics we'd covered that it sparked a huge safeguarding and Respect investigation. This was definitely an opinion he'd picked up at home and was a huge concern.

We did do a huge series of lessons about conspiracies after that, the curriculum around school pshe was updated as a direct result.

Any teacher worth their salt can at least challenge a conspiracy theory, challenge the student to back up their claims, and challenge them to research properly rather than rely on heresay, online trolls and other bs sources.

So the conspiracy theory about weather modification seems to be that it's not a brilliant and harmless idea.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2NvR0jxKdKx559K9XWRdLlG/could-climate-modification-save-the-planet

So cloud seeding. Yes it happens, but it definitely wasn't responsible for the recent Dubai floods.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/17/cloud-seeding-dubai-floods

However, it seems the 1952 disaster in Devon was

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/aug/30/sillyseason.physicalsciences

https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/exposure-to-chemicals-in-sunscreen

Some sensible ideas for people who want to decrease reliance on sunblock.

The problem most have is, do they trust their teacher, the news, a tic toc with lots of 'followers', youtubers, their mates friends and family, Joe bloggs down the pub, random articles they find online 😉.

Lots of adults struggle and believe anything, it's easy for some 'influencers' to influence and its easy to persuade some people allsorts is true, if you add a few grains of truth... then expand with nonsense. Happens all the time. Fear and mistrust grows.

It quite literally is often a case of simply googling it. And people won't.

As if it’s enough to just do a ‘simple Google search’.

Miss! Miss! They put dead babies in the vitamin pills!

No they don't! that's a ridiculous conspiracy theory!

That will be the exchange. I've been called a conspiracy theorist for knowing about the above and many other entirely true things. Why? Where is that coming from? It's particularly annoying when discussing current atrocities not widely shown in our news. Imagine being a young person and dealing with these attitudes

Also it fits the actual definition of conspiracy.

I did once get told that covid jabs would make you magnetic and the kid had this gem from TikTok (totally trustworthy news source according to a year 9). I tried in vain to stick metal things to my arm - even she laughed and we had a useful chat about critical thinking and realism as a class.

Shutting down discussion of real things breeds conspiracy theories and mistrust

All of the things I've posted are absolutely true and easily verifiable within two seconds of a simple Google search. I deliberately included ludicrous sounding ones. Yet its met with suspicion and a begrudging 'a grain of truth'. What would a clued up student make of that?

Asking why do you think that? is better, you learn something everytime. Whether that's something you didn't know, or more importantly what a student is thinking, where they are getting their information from etc.

So what if you have a student who expresses the belief that the holocaust didn't happen?

@OhMaria2

When you say 'dead baby vitamin pills', do you mean this? If so, it was an absolutely disgusting and dodgy criminal enterprise, hardly a conspiracy.

abcnews.go.com/Health/chinese-made-infant-flesh-capsules-seized-korea/story?id=16296176

Who decides what’s crazy though? I think religion is as mad as Flat Earth, but I can’t challenge that.

I just ignore and redirect. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. We have to tolerate alsorts from learners, a bit of Chemtrail/Illuminati/Covid was faked is the least of our worries.

I've not heard of lots of them. I think a grain of truth is easily exaggerated into more if someone wants to, has an agenda and has a YouTube or tic toc following. It doesn't follow that what is claimed is entirely true though.

That only makes sense in a world where absolutely everything is an opinion, regardless of empirical evidence. In that case, I guess we should just let the students write anything they want on maths exams. After all, what makes the teacher think they are right and the student is wrong?

What makes you think that you are right and that they are wrong? The child is entitled to their opinion. Don't try and enforce your views on them.

Schools can't do everything they are there to do their job not be replacement parents because it seems a lot of parents can't rub two brain cells together these days

In no date order or order of importance, things people have said are silly silly conspiracy theories

Weapons of Mass Destruction not existing.
Mass surveillance of the population by western governments.
All of the plots to other throw governments by the cia.
Consent free human experimentation in various countries including sticking radiation rods into women's vaginas (USA)
Pedophile elites/child trafficking. And the cover ups and lack of arrests
UK government keeping files on teaching assistants, librarians, climate activists and no, seriously, x files fans. You name it, they'll spy on it.
Western news outlets conspiring to cover up war crimes of allies beginning with I. And their own!
Cloud seeding/ weather manipulation.
Criminal behaviours of pharmaceutical companies.
Facial recognition in electronic billboards!
Light bulb cartels!
Dead baby vitamin pills!

How outlandish is too outlandish to be true?

Surely it's the responsibility of everyone to counter this bollocks when you hear it. It's dangerous. Would you not do the same for racism, sexism etc it all leads to radicalisation which is dangerous all round

I'm support staff, so oddly enough sometimes in a teachers classroom with them. And it certainly had nothing to do with the lesson they where supposed to be teaching. If it had only happened once I may not have said anything, but it happened on a number of occasions. Totally unprofessional, oddly enough they didn't do it again after I'd reported it.

I agree. Basic spreading of hated needs calling out. Some of the conspiracy theories such as lizard people running the world... 🤣