Extremism prevention: future workshops in schools

2023-11-06 19:03:00

In the future, special prevention workshops will sensitize Austria’s students to the topic of extremism and provide educational work. The new project from the Ministry of the Interior and Education was presented on Monday evening in St. Pölten.

Police prevention officers want to pass on their knowledge and experiences. It started yesterday at the Federal Training Institute for Social and Elementary Education in the Lower Austrian capital. The service is currently aimed at adults and teachers, and the workshops will be rolled out in interested schools next year. According to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (VP), the subject areas include the prohibition and symbols law as well as democracy, human rights and the fight against anti-Semitism – “currently very, very important,” as Karner emphasized. Since February, 60 police officers have been trained at the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN).

“Radicalization online”

According to Karner, this number should increase to 200 officers by the end of 2025. People from the DSN to individual police stations are used. “Radicalization starts on a small scale, with young people, online,” said Karner. Education Minister Martin Polaschek (VP) also emphasized the importance of “giving students the appropriate skills and know-how” in order to “better equip them for corresponding situations”. Schools must convey knowledge about the dangers of extremism, but also values such as tolerance, respect and religious freedom.

“Extremism in every form is poison for our society,” emphasized State Secretary Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP). It is “alarming” that extremist tendencies are increasing. Young people in particular are susceptible to extremist propaganda and more educational work needs to be done here.

A round table with various players on the topic of preventing extremism and fighting radicalization was also announced.