According to the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools, conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation are becoming a growing challenge inside classrooms, homes and across wider school communities.
The Commission’s 2026 research insights show that concern is rising fast. Between 2024 and 2025, the proportion of parents saying their children had raised a conspiracy theory with them increased from 28% to 38%. And young people are also more aware of the issue, with a 35% year-on-year rise in those identifying misinformation as a problem in their schools.
New findings
The 2026 report sets out 10 new findings that outline the changes since its 2025 report. Children are encountering conspiracy content at a young age, and the role of generative AI is making false material easier to produce and harder to spot.
Parents are not just observers in this process – they can also play an active part in the spread of misleading information among young people. At the same time, teachers say that parents can make the issue harder to address, especially when families and schools hold different views about what is true.
Media literacy is essential
One of the report’s most important conclusions is that there is broad support for teaching media literacy in schools. Teachers, parents and young people all support the idea. However, the report warns that school staff often feel under-resourced, under-confident and nervous about tackling these issues, particularly in primary schools.
The Commission also notes some progress. Since its earlier work, the issue has risen up the agenda in Westminster, and the Government has updated Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance to include conspiracy belief, misinformation and disinformation for the first time. It has also committed to embedding media literacy in the curriculum following the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s adoption of the Commission’s recommendations. And in summer 2025, two national programmes were launched to help teachers with practical resources and training.
The report acknowledges that the work is a continual challenge. Schools are facing a fast-changing information environment and teachers are being asked to help young people navigate it every day. Supporting them well is essential if we are to help children grow up to be better equipped to tell what is real and what is false.
References
- 2026 insights – March 2026. Available at https://counteringconspiracies.publicfirst.co.uk/report-2/ (Accessed 7 April 2026)
