School officials join radicalisation fight

Senior Education officials will examine what is being done and if further action can be taken to address the threat of schoolchildren being radicalised.

Federal Minister for Education Christopher Pyne

State education ministers are meeting in Brisbane for a showdown over school funding. (AAP) Source: AAP

Senior education officials will support law enforcement agencies to prevent Australian schoolchildren from being radicalised and lured overseas by foreign fighters.

Education ministers agreed on Friday that the officials would work together to identify what is being done and what further action can be taken to address the rising terror threat.

But there are no plans to encourage schools or students to "dob in" radicalised children to authorities.

"We're talking about making sure that at-risk youth do not take the wrong course at school," federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne said.

"There are at risk young people in our schools who are being groomed by our enemies overseas to act against Australia's security interests."

Queensland Education Minister Kate Jones said although education officials would examine what was being done in schools to combat radicalisation, there was no formal strategy or plans for teachers to play a major role.

"We absolutely believe that it's not the role of teachers to do the heavy of lifting, that we actually have to work at this as a whole community," she said.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said it was important to engage students at risk of radicalisation rather than marginalise them further.

"I think language is really important - this is about supporting programs that enhance social cohesion," he said.

Mr Pyne said he had written to ministers across Australia about issues at some Islamic schools in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

"I am not saying they're about radicalisation, there are other issues involved as well but there is a level of community concern," he said.

The education ministers are expected to report on their findings by September.


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Source: AAP


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