3-year-olds taught to keep quiet in terror alerts

EMERGENCY training in responding to terror attacks is to become compulsory in France for children as young as three.

After suffering a series of outrages, including the truck massacre in Nice that left 86 dead last month, the French government has decided that even toddlers need to be ready.

From next month, all 12million French youngsters in education will be given three security training sessions a year. Among the issues to be covered are what to do if determined killers enter the school building.

France’s interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve has revealed that pupils will be advised on hiding, keep quiet, and following teachers’ instruction if it is possible to escape.

A game called ‘the king of silence’ has been devised for the very youngest – with teachers trained to use the phrase as a cue for children to stay completely quiet, in order to avoid alerting roaming killers’ attention.

It is hoped that this would mean even toddlers may be able to stay quiet for five minutes – which could be enough to save their lives.

The government is not relying on toddlers alone however, with money being provided for 3,000 reserve troops to be on standby if a school is attacked.