Government should focus on teaching students the three Rs not 'spotting' extremists - Ahmed

4.51.00pm GMT Thu 4th Feb 2010

Farid Ahmed met with students from Monoux College.

Commenting on reports that Waltham Forest council will pilot a scheme in schools today in which students will be taught how to 'spot' extremists, Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Campaigner for Walthamstow, Farid Ahmed said:

"Once again it seems that the Government is obsessed with setting up wacky and expensive schemes rather then deal with the issues at hand.

"It is vital that extremism is dealt with at the grass roots, though it is no surprise that the Government has cherry picked Walthamstow - an area with a very multicultural community - to launch this scheme.

"The sole purpose of this scheme seems to marginalise whole communities and is evidence once again of Labour's failure to come up with realistic plans.

"In comparison, we will pump £2.5bn into schools so that students are equipped to join an increasingly tough jobs market."