Politics · United Kingdom · 4 hrs ago
BBC removes Bitesize material on migration and climate policy for review
The BBC has removed material from its Bitesize education website after criticism of its content.
The pages included an online game about migration and a page featuring political figures, including climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The material covered migration and Net Zero, a term used for policies aimed at balancing greenhouse gas emissions with removals.
The BBC began taking down the material after senior managers ordered a review, and replaced some pages with a notice saying they were under review.
Bitesize is used by 1.7 million pupils a week, according to the story.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott urged the BBC to remove or suspend material she said did not meet impartiality standards, while the BBC said it was reviewing the examples under its editorial guidelines.
The BBC has not said what the review will conclude.
The BBC has removed material from its Bitesize education website and placed it under review.
The material included content about migration and climate policy, as well as a page featuring political and climate figures.
The Daily Mail reported that the BBC review followed its reporting on a migration-themed online game.
A BBC spokesperson said the corporation was reviewing the examples against its editorial guidelines.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott urged BBC director-general Matt Brittin to remove or suspend material she said did not meet impartiality standards.
- Who
- The BBC removed the material. Shadow education secretary Laura Trott and former BBC television controller Danny Cohen also commented.
- What
- BBC Bitesize material about migration, climate policy and political figures was removed or placed under review.
- When
- The material began to be removed early last week, according to the article, published on 25 October 2026.
- Where
- BBC Bitesize, the BBC's education website.
- Why
- The BBC said it was reviewing the examples for relevance and compliance with its editorial guidelines. The article said the review followed concerns about impartiality.
The BBC
Critics of the material
Impartiality
The BBC
The BBC said it was reviewing the examples against its editorial guidelines.
Critics of the material
Danny Cohen called the material blatant breaches of impartiality, and Laura Trott urged the BBC to remove or suspend material she said failed its standards.
Content for pupils
The BBC
The BBC said content must be relevant to its audience and compliant with its editorial guidelines.
Critics of the material
The Daily Mail described the material as pushing extreme views and said it encouraged pupils to support contentious policies.
The BBC was accused of encouraging pupils to support open borders and an amnesty for illegal migrants, according to the article.
The material highlighted by the Mail on Sunday began to be removed from Bitesize, according to the article.
Laura Trott wrote to BBC director-general Matt Brittin urging him to remove or suspend material she said failed the BBC's impartiality standards.
- Website
- BBC Bitesize
- Pupils
- 1.7 million pupils a week use the website, according to the Daily Mail
- Review notice
- This content is currently under review
- Published
- 25 October 2026
What people are saying
We recognise the trust parents and teachers place in Bitesize.
These are such blatant breaches of impartiality that it is no surprise the BBC has removed this material, even more so given it was targeted at children.
The BBC should transparently explain to licence-fee payers why this was allowed to happen and what steps it will take to ensure it is not repeated.