“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
A learning resource pack in England that encourages children as young as three to adopt an anti-Semitic, pro-Palestinian agenda has been temporarily pulled out of the classrooms.
As part of a larger Beyond the Wall program, the five-part resource was developed by the Edukid charity and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), which serves as the union base for 325,000 teachers—the largest trade union in the UK.
The purpose of the project is to cover themes of “occupation, freedom and resistance” through the established principles of the UN Human Rights of the Child.
Critics find the project extremely troubling.
Director Sam Westrop of the counter-extremism think-tank Stand for Peace stated that the “NUT’s political propaganda and misrepresentation serves the extremist agenda.”
A school sign in England.
One part of the resource pack entitled “My Name is Saleh” relates the story of a Palestinian child named Saleh, 10, who got injured by Israeli settlers as he played in the snow. He was also questioned by police for throwing a snowball and later released, and an Israeli watchtower overlook settlers throw objects at his home. (The Guardian)
As well, instead of referring to “Israelis” in the accompanying video, they are called “Jews.”
This is not the reason that the pack was pulled, however. It was withdrawn by NUT for further investigation after a picture surfaced on Facebook of a Palestinian boy holding a gun, who was featured in the pack. (The Guardian)
Now that the material has gone public, Tom Wilson from The Henry Jackson Society warned that the project has the capacity to “[incite] tensions between faith communities in the U.K.”
“When dealing with a subject as complex as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is so important to avoid giving young people a distorted or one-sided account,” Wilson stated. “It is a particularly shameless example of political activism masquerading as a legitimate form of education.”
The British Jewry Board of Deputies added that “the literature presents a one-sided and partisan view of the political situation.” They have asked to meet with NUT to discuss their concerns.
The NUT, who approved last year to “boycott the goods of companies who profit from illegal settlements, the Occupation and the construction of the Wall,” said in a statement:
“The NUT remains confident in the materials, but we are always prepared to consider any concerns about publications we have any involvement with,” adding, “Legitimate support of the United Nations’ definition of the rights of the child are something that we will of course uphold.” (JC)
An Israeli first-grade student is ready to learn on the first day of school.
While the learning pack promises the exploration of “identity, community, culture, faith, values citizenship and conflict,” it is one-sided, having no profiles of Jewish-Israeli children. It also ignores security threats to Israel when describing measures taken for national security. (Breitbart)
Edukid Chief Executive Chris Turner claimed, however, “We’re trying to be as neutral as possible, and don’t want to take sides. We’re trying to break down stereotypes.” (Jewish News)
The Department of Education has left the decision to use the materials in the hands of the teachers, telling The Jewish Chronicle, “The law is crystal clear: all political discussions in school should be unbiased and balanced. Teachers should only use teaching materials which are suitable for their children and we trust them to decide which resources to use in their lessons.”
Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the NUT, told the Guardian, “We don’t intend to junk this project at all, but we are willing to listen to concerns about balance. That balance is not necessarily uncontroversial either but we are keen to engage with it. We are not backing away from this issue.”
“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1)
