Teach students to judge online information, with real examples, from age 11

The problem: young people meet far more information, and misinformation, than any previous generation, but are often taught to avoid "bad sources" instead of how to judge them.

The proposal: a regular strand in the curriculum from about age 11, using real examples and practical routines. Critical thinking is the careful analysis of claims and evidence to form a reasoned judgement. Students practise a few repeatable moves: who is behind this, what is the evidence, what do other reliable sources say, and what would change my mind? They check images and claims themselves, and discuss why persuasive content spreads.

Who acts: education ministries set the strand; teachers are trained and given a bank of current, local examples; librarians and journalists contribute.

Costs and trade-offs: it needs teacher training and regular updating of examples. It should avoid teaching cynicism, "believe nothing", and instead teach calibrated trust.

First step: a pilot in a group of schools, with before-and-after tests of students' ability to evaluate claims.