Gaza-backing teacher union told: Just focus on classrooms
BRITAIN’S largest teaching union will declare ‘solidarity’ with Palestine and produce ‘educational resources’ for use by its members.
Bosses at the National Education Union (NEU) want teachers to ‘increase understanding’ of the plight of Gaza.
The proposal, which is backed by the Left-wing union’s executive board, will be debated at its annual conference next week and is expected to be passed.
But last night, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan reminded teachers that they have a duty to remain impartial and branded the motion as ‘ wholly inappropriate’, adding that it reflects the union’s divisive ideology’.
‘This motion... ignores the horrific terrorist attacks committed by Hamas,’ she said.
‘Teachers have a duty to remain politically impartial and to ensure all sides of contested views are presented fairly and without bias or prejudice.
‘These proposals will cause significant hurt to members of the Jewish community and the thousands of Jewish children and parents in British schools.’
Jewish Tory MP Robert Halfon, who recently stepped down as universities minister, also criticised the motion. ‘ Perhaps the NEU should concentrate on teaching and education,’ he said.
‘No wonder some Jewish members have left the NEU. If this motion was passed the NEU would be an uncomfortable place for some Jewish members.’
The move comes after the new general secretary Daniel Kebede, a Corbynite, was forced to apologise for using an anti-Semitic phrase before he was elected.
The proposal was contained in a wide-ranging motion which called for the NEU to declare support for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Stop the War Coalition.
It also wants coordinated trade union ‘solidarity’ efforts with Palestine, and for support of ‘boycott, divestment and sanction tactics’.
It accused the British Government of ‘being an enabler’ of Israel’s ‘anti-Palestinian racism’.
And it called on the leadership to ‘publish and circulate educational resources that members can use to increase understanding of Palestine and Israel’. It risks encouraging teachers to break impartiality rules if it leads to the use of antiIsrael resources in the classroom.
But Mr Kebede said: ‘Our union has a long history of standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people. It’s a union position.
‘Teachers dealing with this issue... will do so in a way that’s supportive and allows young people to form their own opinions.’
‘Significant hurt to members’