The BBC was accused of 'brainwashing' children after a Mail on Sunday investigation revealed its education website is pushing 'extreme' Left-wing views on migration, Net Zero and inequality to millions of pupils.
asserted
website → accuse → pupils
BBC Bitesize – which is promoted by almost every UK state school – encourages children to play an online game called Increasing Immigration, in which they are rewarded for choosing 'open borders' and granting an amnesty to illegal migrants.
asserted
they → promote → migrants
The website also suggests that those who voice concerns that migrants will take jobs from local people are 'prejudiced' and makes a string of claims about the economic benefits of migration.
uncertain
migrants → suggest → migration
Pupils are encouraged to campaign for controversial Net Zero policies and join human rights groups such as Amnesty International – while the website praises the divisive Black Lives Matter movement and Left-wing activists such as Greta Thunberg.
asserted
website → encourage → Thunberg
Our revelations will fuel allegations of political bias at the broadcaster and follows a series of scandals that have damaged the BBC's reputation, including its doctoring of a Donald Trump speech.
asserted
that → fuel → speech
It comes as the Corporation faces a pivotal moment in its history, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy expected to publish a White Paper on its charter renewal before Christmas.
asserted
Nandy → come → Christmas
BBC director general Matt Brittin has pledged to tackle bias by rolling out technology that monitors how often certain words or phrases are used.
asserted
words → pledge → technology
Danny Cohen, a former controller of BBC television, last night called for an urgent investigation into our findings.
asserted
Cohen → call → findings
The BBC was accused of 'brainwashing' children after a Mail on Sunday investigation revealed its education website is pushing 'extreme' Left-wing views on migration, Net Zero and inequality to millions of pupils
BBC Bitesize – which is promoted by almost every UK state school – encourages children to play an online game called Increasing Immigration, in which they are rewarded for choosing 'open borders' and granting an amnesty to illegal migrants
'
asserted
they → accuse → migrants
The BBC needs to explain why its educational website is pushing extreme Left-wing ideologies to schoolchildren,' he said.
asserted
he → need → schoolchildren
'There is such a lack of balance in so many areas of the BBC's output that it cannot be seriously defended as coincidental.
asserted
it → be → output
Launched in 1998, BBC Bitesize is one of the biggest education websites in Britain, with half of all children aged between four and 16 saying they use it.
asserted
they → launch → it
Almost 1.7 million pupils access it every week.
asserted
pupils → access → it
BBC bosses have hailed the service as a key part of the broadcaster's founding 'Reithian' values to 'inform, educate and entertain'.
asserted
bosses → hail → values
The MoS investigation reviewed material on BBC Bitesize for pre-GCSE secondary school pupils aged 11 to 14.
asserted
investigation → review → pupils
In one extraordinary example, pupils are encouraged to play a game called Increasing Immigration, making decisions aimed at boosting the number of incomers.
asserted
pupils → encourage → incomers
Each option comes with a budget 'cost' and once they've chosen, they find out the effects on the economy, public health and the environment.
asserted
they → come → economy
Instructions for the game, hosted on the Roblox platform, state: 'We don't have enough people of working age to keep our society running smoothly.
asserted
We → host → society
We should try to attract migrant workers and incorporate them into our economy.
asserted
We → try → economy
'
In one scenario, pupils are told that 'a few' immigrants are living here without proper visas or permission and can either deport them or grant them an amnesty.
asserted
immigrants → tell → amnesty
If they choose deportation they will lose one point on the economy and one on public health – and are warned: 'This can be potentially dangerous for them [the immigrants].
asserted
This → choose → them
Don't expect this to be unchallenged!'
asserted
this → expect → ?
But those who opt to grant an amnesty are told 'this will make them very happy' and win two points in the same categories.
asserted
them → opt → categories
In a second scenario, geography pupils are told that allowing people to pass through the border easily 'could really help grow our economy'.
uncertain
people → tell → economy
They are offered the option of 'open borders' – which results in their economy score rising by three points and public health by two points – or to vote that such a policy would be 'too radical', winning them no points.
asserted
policy → offer → points
Those who opt for open borders receive the optimistic message: 'I'm excited to see where this goes!'
asserted
this → opt → message
In contrast, pupils who select 'too radical' are told: 'Perhaps you're right to be cautious.'
asserted
you → select → contrast
BBC director general Matt Brittin has pledged to tackle bias by rolling out technology that monitors how often certain words or phrases are used
A third example involves 'poorly-paid, demanding' jobs available in food processing.
asserted
example → pledge → processing
Pupils are told hiring locals costs the fictional budget two points, but employing migrants costs one.
asserted
employing → tell → one
In this scenario, each option boosts the economy by the same amount, but hiring migrants costs players less.
asserted
hiring → boost → less
The BBC this weekend said players are not rewarded for choosing political positions and that points are also awarded for training local people and for closing borders.
asserted
points → say → borders
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott last night demanded the BBC remove the game from its website.
asserted
BBC → demand → website
'The BBC has crossed a line,' she said.
asserted
she → cross → line
'They have a duty to remain impartial, and yet they are using learning tools as a vehicle to push a Left-wing political agenda onto young children.
asserted
they → have → children
'Advocating open borders encourages illegal small boat crossings.
asserted
Advocating → advocate → crossings
These are the type of toxic resources dressed up as education which should be nowhere near the classroom.
asserted
which → dress → classroom
'
Accompanying material for teachers explains the game is set in 'Southern Europe', although this is unclear when playing.
uncertain
this → accompany → Europe
Elsewhere on the Bitesize website, learning material is littered with contested claims about the economic benefits of migration.
uncertain
material → litter → migration
Citizenship pupils in Northern Ireland are told that while immigrants can put pressure on housing and hospital waiting lists, they also 'contribute more in tax income that they use in services' and 'make a significant contribution to the economy: they fill skills gaps, pay taxes, and spend money'.
asserted
they → tell → money
Geography pupils in Wales, meanwhile, are told that migrants pump a 'staggering amount of money' into the economy.
asserted
migrants → tell → economy
…and 30 more, not listed.
The Aporia
