SINGAPORE: Responding to some concerns online about what schools are teaching on the Israel-Hamas war, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that teachers do not impose their personal views, “nor do they advocate for the interests of any particular parties involved in the conflict”.
For younger students, the lessons hone in on empathy for the victims of the conflict, while lessons for older students also focus on verification of information sources and appreciating diversity in perspectives, the ministry said on Friday (Feb 23) in response to TODAY’s queries.
Its statement came after numerous posts began circulating on social media channels on Friday, voicing concerns over what schools are teaching students about the conflict in Gaza.
Among others, the posts claimed that the narrative presented to the students was not neutral or objective since it only covered the events from Oct 7, without giving historical context of the wider conflict between Israel and Palestine that dates back some seven decades ago.
The posts also said that teachers were not allowed to give further input in the lessons beyond what was prescribed to them.
TODAY understands that the topic on the Israel-Hamas conflict has been covered in Character and Citizenship Education lessons from February this year.
TODAY also understands that its contents cover the developments of the violence from Oct 7 up to December 2023, given the constraints of the one-hour lesson time as well as the lead time required to prepare and disseminate the resources.
Numerous key developments have happened since December, with the calls by the international community growing louder as the civilian death toll continues to climb.
For example, the world court in January ordered Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide as it wages war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
On Feb 20, 13 members of the United Nations Security Council voted in favour of a draft resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, but it was vetoed by the United States.
Lessons slides seen by TODAY included a brief one-page summary of some key events of the Israel-Palestine conflict since the 1940s.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE LESSONS
On Friday, MOE said that Character and Citizenship Education lessons cover “discussions on a range of contemporary issues”.
These include “casual racism”, mental well-being as well as global events such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The lesson on the Israel-Hamas conflict, in particular, aims to give students a safe space to understand the complex situation and develop their own views, it added.
