British pupils and parents criticise schools’ reluctance to discuss war in Gaza
When the war in Ukraine broke out, 14-year-old Zino Masoud’s north London school held an assembly about the conflict.
When the Israel-Gaza war began, he assumed it would be similarly discussed. It was not.
“It’s weird, because for Ukraine, it’s OK to discuss the problem, but for this, you have to stay neutral,” he told The National during a “school strike”.
Thousands of youngsters took part in demonstrations across Britain this week.
Organisers said it was an opportunity for young people, as well as adults, to voice their concerns about the death toll caused by the war.
During the strike, schoolchildren read out messages in support of the Palestinians.
Zino’s experience of what he believes is a double standard highlights the tension that exists at schools in Britain as they wrestle with the sensitivities of how to handle the war.
Former teacher Michael Davies told The National that requests for teaching material about the conflict had tripled since the war began.
His organisation, Parallel Histories, has devised methods for teaching the conflict empathetically, giving parallel accounts of events from both Israeli and Palestinian perspectives.
“We’ve had a 300 per cent increase in requests for material compared to the same time last year,” Mr Davies said.
The most challenging part of teaching the conflict’s history, Mr Davies said, is that both sides want their grievances recognised. “It all boils down to who is the victim. It’s as simple as that,” he said.
As long as this was acknowledged, then both sides were less likely to contest a narrative they disagreed with, he said.
“Even though Israel has been victorious since 1948, but particularly since 1967, they still have, as part of their national identity, clung on to the idea of victimhood,” he said, citing an Israeli historian.
Jewish schools and Muslim-majority schools had previously come together to discuss the conflict in workshops organised by Parallel Histories, he said, although now this could be more challenging.
Some Jewish schools that Mr Davies had worked with in the past were hesitant to continue after the October 7 attacks.
Parents taking part in the school strike, organised by the Stop the War Coalition, also questioned the lack of discussion of Gaza.
Rosie Naz was accompanied by her daughter, Elfida, 10, who she describes as “someone who loves writing poems and literature”.
“The teachers gave her homework which was to write a poem, and she wrote one about Palestine, but they told her that’s irrelevant,” Ms Naz said.
“We’re supposed to be a diverse country and a diverse school but for some reason when it comes to Palestine, they just don’t talk about it. If they are taught about what’s happening in Ukraine, why shouldn’t they be taught about what’s happening in the Middle East?”