Government’s lead on academic freedom cautions of significant danger to integrity if expression is restricted

Universities in England should rearrange classrooms and use the Chatham House rule to help students overcome their fears of discussing controversial topics, according to the government’s lead on free speech.

Arif Ahmed, the Office for Students’ director of freedom of speech and academic freedom, said there was a significant danger to academic integrity if speech and expression were restricted on campuses, and he urged universities to take positive steps to tackle student reticence.