Union leader urges subjects to be embedded in England’s curriculum to provide students with a ‘dialogic approach’.
The leaders of the most extensive education union in the United Kingdom have urged the government to integrate philosophy into England’s school curriculum, permitting students more time to discuss challenging global topics such as war in the Middle East.
Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, stated that there isn’t enough space in the school’s curriculum for classroom discussion of critical issues as schools sought the best way to mark the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the war in Gaza.
In some places, teachers are nervous about discussing conflicts, while some schools hold discussions on the subject during tutor time and assemblies.
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There is also a growing concern about the number of students and teachers in England whose families are directly affected by the conflict. Kebede told the media, “I know many students hear about and feel worried about the news of the escalation.” “They’re seeing it, hearing it on the news, and hearing other adults discuss what’s happening.
“I know teachers who have family who were affected by October 7 and what happened in Israel, and I know of teachers who have students who are in other surrounding Middle East countries affected at the moment. So it is a tough time for all people who have relations abroad in the Middle East.
“I’ve come across schools dealing with things well – they’re not ignoring the situation and are acknowledging children’s anxieties through tutor time, or there have been assemblies. I’ve certainly met teachers who perhaps feel a bit more nervous about talking about the conflict.”
Kedebe mentioned that teaching staff knew the requirement for them to be politically neutral. “But it is valid and sensible to talk about the conflict, and it obviously does relate to many parts of the curriculum.”
He said, “I think we should embed philosophy for children across the curriculum and reduce curriculum content. I used to teach philosophy to children. It’s a dialogic approach that allows children to form their own opinions and come to a clearer understanding themselves of the world around them. But it’s not always easy to find the time to do that in today’s education system.”
Tell Mama, a body that tracks complaints of anti-Muslim hate, and Community Security Trust (CST), which is the response for monitoring incidents of antisemitism, have reported an increase in incidents in schools.
According to CST, 12 months following October 7, 2023, there have been 141 antisemitic incidents affecting Jewish schoolchildren on their way to and from school, 102 targets on Jewish schools and 180 affecting Jewish children and staff at non-Jewish schools. Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, confirmed £7m of funding to fight antisemitism in education on Monday.
In a similar time frame, Tell Mama also recorded 141 hate incidents in schools connected to the war in the Middle East, with students from Middle Eastern and/or Muslim backgrounds being referred to as “terrorists” and “Hezbollah”.
The director of Tell Mama, Iman Atta, stated: “Schools need to facilitate dialogue that encourages those of many identities to talk about who they are, what they believe and what commonalities we all share and build towards collective understanding and empathy.”
The author of Teaching Classroom Controversies, Glenn Bezalel, a deputy head at the City of London School, stated that many schools shy away from teaching or discussion conflict.
He stated: “Schools are afraid of getting it wrong and potentially ending up in the eye of a media storm.” “It’s too complex to understand for many teachers who don’t have sufficient training. Pupils with direct links to the conflict have said how school is and should be a safe haven where they can enjoy time with their friends and focus on their studies – the last thing they want is an emotionally driven discussion that could get out of hand so easily.
“Keeping children safe is our overriding responsibility. It is too raw and emotionally fraught right now to expect pupils to have a cerebral and disinterested debate when they may well have family members who have fallen victim to the conflict.”
Unique bodies like the education charity Solution Not Sides (SNS) are assisting some educational institutions. SNS focuses on creating safe spaces, critical thinking, respectful disagreement, and empathy. Over 11,000 students in the UK completed SNS’s youth education programme in the past academic year. At the same time, an additional 2,000 community leaders and teachers were trained in navigating “Israel-Palestine polarisation and hatred”.”
Sharon Booth, the charity’s director and founder, posted on the SNS website, “The pain of this year for our communities has been overwhelming. The progress we make from here will be paramount. It’s time to educate, de-escalate, and give the next generation the opportunity to define a future of equality, peace, justice, and a rejection of hate.”
A spokesperson from the Department for Education stated that schools should promote respect and tolerance between people of different beliefs in a safe and controlled environment. “We know navigating these concerns can be challenging, which is why we provide extensive advice and resources, such as approved lesson plans, through our Educate Against Hate service.”
The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Pepe Di’Iasio, stated, “Teachers and leaders will be doing all they can to provide appropriate support in places where this is required.”
