The instructions are contained in textbooks used in a number of schools around the county, which also teach children that it is "discrimination" to provide toilets only for men and women.

The guidance, found in books designed to help 16-year-old pupils prepare for their Pearson Edexcel GCSE in citizenship studies, has prompted criticism from free speech campaigners and women's groups.

Schools have been called on to drop the textbook (Image: Supplied)

In one section the guide states that Britons have a responsibility "to use freedom of speech but not offend", and that "freedom of speech may be misused to promote extremist views".

It adds: "This should be limited so it protects rights and does not discriminate against others."

Lord Young of Acton, director of the Free Speech Union, said the advice was "wrong in law" and called for future editions to be corrected.

Lord Young of Acton (Image: Roger Harris)

"In our work at the Free Speech Union we quite often encounter this misunderstanding about free speech - namely that it doesn't include the right to say anything offensive," he said.

"That is wrong in principle since it's far too subjective a test. It's also wrong in law, as Lord Justice Sedley made clear in his landmark free speech judgment."

This references remarks made........

© Norwich Evening News