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Conflict in the Middle East
Original poster

There are good reasons for avoiding talk of this conflict in schools

281 replies

mids2019 · 30/03/2024 06:27

Schools in England accused of closing down debate on Israel-Gaza conflict https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/29/schools-england-accused-closing-down-debate-israel-gaza-conflict?CMP=share_btn_url

If we wish pupils to discuss this conflict in schools it should be added to history lessons as part of modern history with an unbiased appraisal of the complex nature of the middle East especially post WW2. As say discussion about WW1 or the Napoleonic wars the conflict should be put into context of wider global geopolitical pressures with a nuanced analysis with importantly no bias.

What we don't want and I think the article below implies are discussions where pupils get to rant about 'evil Israel' and a school sanctioned display of Palestinian solidarity which some children may feel will allow them to express anti Semitic sentiment. I could easily see a passionate class pupil lead discussion leading to some pupils saying the problem couk d be solved as not having Israel in the first place and criticise Britian in its role in the formation of Israel. We have to avoid this.

Teachers are right to not want to allow discussion on class where tanti Semitic or anti Israel views could be be openly expressed with little sanction. Schools have quite rightly very severe policies on discrimination and racism and it would be easy for the pupils or even a teacher to overstep the mark in these areas.

We also have to consider the feelings of Jewish and Muslim children who may feel they may be targets for bullying as a result of these 'discussions'.

I fully support school decisions to not allow formal discussion of this topic currently though we do discuss the events of October 7th and the resultant war in my home with the aid of reputable media and valid wider historical context.

Schools in England accused of closing down debate on Israel-Gaza conflict

Government adviser says teachers feel ill-equipped to talk about controversial topics but avoiding debate risks fuelling anger

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/29/schools-england-accused-closing-down-debate-israel-gaza-conflict?CMP=share_btn_url

OP posts:
Meadowfinch · 30/03/2024 07:01

OP, your concern about 'Israel bashing' should also cover a concern about 'Muslim bashing'. They are two sides of the same coin.

Original poster
mids2019 · 30/03/2024 07:01

@gestroopd .

I think also the discussion you mentioned did not have any Jewish children present if I am not incorrect? It would be interesting to see if the German girl if she supported the Israeli people in their conflict felt comfortable in reality.

Was the point of the discussion not to debate but to allow a release or diffusion of anger amongst Muslim pupils to allow them to gel the school 'had their back'.

OP posts:
Original poster
mids2019 · 30/03/2024 06:57

@gestroopd

the lesson in question seems to have gone well but with such a conflict that arises passions it may be difficult to have 'respectful diagreement' . Israel and Gaza are not currently respectfully disagreeing about the status of the Palestinian people of prospective state currently. This is an active horrific war.

my dear is that some students do not wish a respectful debate which I approve of but wish there to be a space for Israel bashing. I agree with your point that not all Jews or Israelis agree with all the actions of their state but can you see it would be easy for pupils to conflate the Israeli state/Israel and the Jewish people as a whole of you are not careful with a diverse class?

I feel there is too much risk of bias creeping into such a discussion with toxic results.

OP posts:
Original poster
mids2019 · 30/03/2024 06:47

@Meadowfinch .

Absolutely. The history of the middle East is extremely complex and worth of unbiased debate as part of any history curriculum. We routinely have debates about the causes of the world wars (which were horrific events in many ways) in history classes but there is a way of doing this.

If the government and schools wish to extend modern history curricula to include the middle East (resource allowing) so be it but it will take planning.

I think there is a danger about pupil lead 'debate' and I think the implication of this article is that should be a school sanctioned space to in effect allow pro Palestinian and by extension anti Israel protest. I fear any discussion of not extremely well regulated would lead to pupils sharing views for Tik Tok and the discussion would become toxic very rapidly.

OP posts:
gestroopd · 30/03/2024 06:47

My child goes to a religious school where the teachers are practicing and there are a lot of Muslim children, some have fled war themselves. There is also a German girl in class (Germany is a radical supporter of Israel). There have been discussions in class. Rather than ban it, her teacher has monitored it and from Day 1 made extremely clear that EVERYBODY is allowed their opinion and it's ok to think differently. What's absolutely unacceptable is to be disrespectful.

It has worked very well. It also defused it somewhat by normalising the topic and not making it a forbidden topic by banning it! The children are learning very valuable lessons about respectfully disagreeing. They respectfully disagree and then all go off and play in their normal groups at play time (the political division cuts across friendship groups).

Re your post though. I criticise the British government, the French government, the US government and the German government in my political discussions. I criticise the Egyptian, Saudi and Jordanian governments too. I'm not anti-Muslim, anti-Christian or anti-secular anti-EU, anti-British or anti-North American. If I criticise the Israeli government, I'm not anti-Jewish. A government is a political body.

It's also insulting and anti-Jewish to imply that Judaism supports what the political entity of Israel is doing to civilians under its occupation now. Judaism does not support this.

My avoidance of the term Semitic is not anti-Jewish either. It's for precision. Not all Semites are Jewish (far from it), just like not all Jewish people are Israeli or all Israelis support what is happening in their name (when they're actually told the truth). Accuracy is important in this.

Meadowfinch · 30/03/2024 06:38

I think, as with all things, there's a time & place.

6th form Philosophy class or debating team, yes reasoned discussion would be ok. But stopped at the slightest sign of a religious rant.

Otherwise, no, I don't blame the teachers at all. Partly because of the threat of terrorist response and the inability of some groups to keep things in proportion but also because our schools have a curriculum and there is no spare time to cover it in a comprehensive manner.

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