UK government apologises for 'terrorist' teaching pack

The British government apologised yesterday for a teaching pack that encouraged children to think about the deadly 2005 London attacks from the suicide bombers' point of view.

The pack was included on the Department for Children, Schools and Families' (DCSF) Teacher.net website, as part of a toolkit to help schools combat violent extremism.

But ministers decided the material - about the July 7, 2005 bombings which killed 52 innocent people in attacks on three London Underground trains and a bus - was inappropriate and have ordered it taken down, said a DCSF spokesman.

"While the resource in no way looks to justify or excuse the terrible events of July 7, 2005, and is designed to educate against violent extremism, we appreciate that it may not be appropriate for use in schools," he said.

"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 pack, entitled Things Do Change, deals with life in multicultural Britain. It was drawn up by the northern English borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire - the county where all four July 7 bombers hailed from.

A module focuses on the attacks and their impact on different communities in Britain.

The resource suggests students could: "Prepare a brief presentation on the 7/7 bombings from the perspective of the bombers."

It also suggests pupils could examine the attacks from the perspective of Muslims in Britain, non-Muslim South Asians in Britain, and other Britons.

Pack author Sail Suleman said: "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?"