Bridget Phillipson has raised concerns about the susceptibility of children to Russian disinformation, attributing it to a decrease in reading habits. The Education Secretary emphasized that the diminishing interest in reading among young individuals could have significant implications for national security, particularly as malicious actors are leveraging social media platforms with increasing sophistication.
Phillipson highlighted the urgent need for the UK to cultivate a generation of critical thinkers who can discern misinformation propagated by state actors disguising themselves as credible news sources online. In an article for the Telegraph, she underscored the escalating threat posed by Russia and other foreign entities, stressing the emergence of disinformation as a critical battleground in the digital space.
To combat this evolving challenge, Phillipson emphasized the necessity of nurturing individuals who possess strong analytical skills, capable of discerning truth from deception in the digital realm. She underscored the importance of fostering a culture of discerning readers who can resist the allure of misinformation prevalent in online environments.
In response to these concerns, the Department for Education, under Phillipson’s leadership, has partnered with the National Literacy Trust to launch a nationwide campaign aimed at designating 2026 as the national year of reading. The initiative seeks to address the declining reading rates, which have dropped from nearly half of children enjoying reading two decades ago to just a third today.
Despite Phillipson’s efforts to introduce a Year 8 reading assessment, she has encountered resistance from teaching unions, including the National Education Union (NEU), which cautioned against an excessive focus on mandatory tests as a solution.
The UK faces a deluge of disinformation and propaganda orchestrated to undermine societal stability and erode trust in governmental institutions. The recent appointment of Blaise Metreweli as the new head of MI6 underscores the pervasive nature of these threats, with a commitment to combatting emerging challenges through enhanced technological proficiency among intelligence personnel.
Metreweli emphasized the imperative for intelligence operatives to master technology, integrating it seamlessly into their operations and decision-making processes. She stressed the importance of fluency in technology, equating proficiency in programming languages like Python with traditional intelligence-gathering skills, as part of a holistic approach to countering contemporary threats.