Tucker Carlson called for cameras in classrooms to make sure teachers don't tell kids about critical race theory

• Tucker Carlson called for cameras in schools to monitor for teaching about critical race theory.

• The academic subject, which analyses systemic racism, has been attacked by Republicans.

• The controversy is a new front in the battle over how American history and racism is taught.

• See more stories on Insider's business page.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday called for cameras to be installed in classrooms to monitor for teaching of critical race theory.

The suggestion was a new step in a sustained campaign by Carlson and other conservative figures against critical race theory.

The way the academic discipline, which seeks to analyse systemic racism, is taught is classrooms has become a new front in the culture wars raging between conservatives and progressives.

On his show, Carlson said: "The overwhelming majority of Americans - and pollsters have found this pretty clearly - think this is insane," Carlson said.

"They think you should judge people by what they do, not on the basis of their skin color."

"We can't really be sure until we finally get cameras in the classroom, as we put them on the chests of police officers, until we finally get a civilian review board in every town in America to oversee the people teaching your children, forming their minds. And let's hope we get both of those very soon. But until we do, we can't know exactly how widespread this is."

In recent years, elements of critical race theory have been taught in classrooms, which advocates say helps educate pupils about pervasive racist attitudes and the long history of racist oppression in the US.

Some Republicans say the discipline is divisive, and seeks to indoctrinate children with a partisan view of US history. In typically hyperbolic terms, Carlson on Tuesday called the subject a "civilization-ending poison."

Republicans also see political benefit in the controversy, with Trump allies telling Politico recently that focusing on the issue could help them win back centrist Republican voters.

Republicans at national, state and local level are seeking to stop education systems emphasizing critical race theory.

Critics of the bills say that critical race theory is in fact not taught in most schools, and that the Republican pushback is a broad attempt to suppress discussion of structural racism.

Carlson in his remarks Tuesday acknowledged that he did not know "exactly how widespread this is", which he said was another reason to install the cameras.

Read the original article on Business Insider