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<p>The updated and refreshed guidance places no additional burdens on the education
sector. There are no new requirements as a result of the refresh or additional responsibilities
for the sector. The guidance reinforces that settings should understand their Prevent
duty requirements as part of their wider safeguarding and welfare responsibilities.</p><p>The
Prevent duty should not limit academic research but encourage debate, challenge ideas
and advance knowledge on contentious topics. The government has legislated to ensure
that universities in England are a place where academics, students and visiting speakers
can express a diverse range of views without fear of repercussion.</p><p>In the most
recent published assessment by the Office for Students (OfS) on the implementation
of the Prevent programme in the English higher education sector in 2019, they found
no cause for concern that free speech was being undermined by Prevent in external
speakers’ policies and their implementation. The assessment is available here: <a
href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.officeforstudents.org.uk%2Fpublications%2Fprevent-review-meetings-programme-findings%2F&data=05%7C02%7CChanelle.Stuart%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C3645b75497b6483d2f0d08dc1689929c%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638410027347878878%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=L6KyykU5x8i5V1p7AO9Ye5Sz2VZwginChfWmOcv0MbM%3D&reserved=0"
target="_blank">https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-review-meetings-programme-findings/</a>.</p><p>Institutions
should encourage students to respect other people with particular regard to the protected
characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010 Institutions should also be mindful
of their commitments to protecting freedom of speech, provided that the speech is
lawful.</p><p>A full Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken in line with responsibilities
under the Public Sector Equality Duty. The Home Office commissioned an independent
research agency to conduct in-depth research with frontline staff, particularly those
with Prevent-specific responsibilities, across the key sectors of education, healthcare,
local authorities, police and prisons & probation, to make sure that the new guidance
is as robust as possible. This consultation covered England and Wales.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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