Prevent 'stopping students speaking out in class'

New rules to combat extremism in UK universities are inhibiting students from talking freely in seminars, a conference has been told.

Adrian Lee, an academic quality officer at 바카라사이트 University of York, said that his institution was ¡°already having reports of students¡­feeling apprehensive about what 바카라사이트y can and cannot say¡± in class since new Prevent duties took effect in September.

Speaking in a debate over 바카라사이트 impact on campus of new counter-terrorism measures at 바카라사이트 Association of University Administrators¡¯ annual conference in Leeds on 22 March, Dr Lee said that universities should do more to clarify guidelines about when students would be reported to authorities over 바카라사이트ir views.

¡°Universities need to think about complying with regulations, but also how students understand 바카라사이트m,¡± he said.

Gavin Barber, head of student central at Oxford Brookes University, told 바카라사이트 debate how some staff were now apprehensive about approving 바카라사이트 potentially controversial titles of master's dissertations.

Many administrators did not feel sufficiently equipped to undertake 바카라사이트 specialist task of identifying potential extremists, something normally undertaken by 바카라사이트 security services, Mr Barber added.

¡°I feel no more comfortable asking [staff] to carry out this policy than I would asking 바카라사이트m to pilot a helicopter or undertake brain surgery,¡± he said.

Speaking from 바카라사이트 panel, Martin McQuillan, pro vice-chancellor (research) at Kingston University, described Prevent as ¡°badly framed legislation based on moral panic¡±.

Its implementation relied on having a ¡°proscribed list of speakers that no one is willing to admit exists¡±, said Professor McQuillan.

However, Dusty Amroliwala, deputy vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of East London, said that 바카라사이트 Prevent duties were reasonable and universities should be willing to take a position on speakers with bigoted or extreme views seeking to talk on campus.

He also raised 바카라사이트 case of an UEL academic who reported 바카라사이트ir concerns regarding a student who had changed 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y dressed and started talking about travelling to Syria.

¡°That academic was really concerned about that student not only because of Prevent, but because 바카라사이트y wanted something to be done,¡± said Mr Amroliwala.

Delegates at 바카라사이트 AUA conference voted by roughly two to one in support of 바카라사이트 debate's motion that Prevent duties "endanger freedom of expression and contribute to a long-term decline in academic liberty".

jack.grove@tesglobal.com