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The Government has apologised for causing offence as it withdrew a teaching pack telling children to think about the July 7 terror attacks from the bombers' perspective.
The pack, put together by the borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, was displayed on the Department for Children, Schools and Families' Teachernet website as a way of addressing controversial issues.
But ministers decided to withdraw it after admitting it was "misguided and inappropriate".
A DCSF spokesman said: "While the resource in no way looks to justify or excuse the terrible events of 7/7, and is designed to educate against violent extremism, we appreciate that it may not be appropriate for use in schools. It's important young people discuss these difficult and controversial issues in a controlled environment but, in this case, ministers apologise for any offence caused."
The resource, Things Do Change, looks at life in multicultural Britain.
The first module examines all faiths and the "golden rule" of treating others as you would want to be treated. But a later module focuses specifically on the July 7 bombings and the impact on different communities in Britain. It suggests students could: "Prepare a brief presentation on the 7/7 bombings from the perspective of the bombers."
The resource also suggests pupils could look at the attacks from the perspective of Muslims in Britain, non-Muslim Asians in Britain and other Britons in general.
Sail Suleman, author of the pack, told the Times Educational Supplement (TES): "Radicals, extremists and fundamentalists come in all different forms. We're looking at why people become extreme. Is it right? Is it wrong? Is it justified? Why do young people go out and do what the bombers did? Was it pressure from individuals they were hanging out with? Hopefully, we'll encourage pupils to stay away from those individuals."
All of the 7/7 bombers - Siddique Khan, Shezad Tanweer, Hasib Hussain and Jermaine Lindsay - were originally from West Yorkshire.
The resource was adopted by the DCSF as part of a toolkit to help schools tackle violent extremism.
Reader views (1)
"It suggests students could: "Prepare a brief presentation on the 7/7 bombings from the perspective of the bombers."
Says just about everthing of the state of England today really doesn't it.
- P I Staker, London, 20/02/2009 14:03
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