Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Teachers are set to debate whether Britain’s largest education union should circulate material to “increase understanding of Palestine and Israel”, after it was revealed the history of the conflict is taught in fewer than one in 50 UK schools.
Delegates at the National Education Union annual conference in Bournemouth next week are due to vote on whether the union should support the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
The motion proposes that the executive should “publish and circulate educational resources that members can use to increase understanding of Palestine and Israel”.
It accuses Israel's government of being “racist” and suggests it is the “main driver” of the conflict, violence and war.
The motion says: “The UK government must stop being an enabler of Israel's apartheid policies, violence and anti-Palestinian racism.”
It suggests it is trying to “criminalise peaceful tactics of boycott, divestment and sanctions promoted by the global Palestine solidarity movement”.
The motion calls on the union's executive to reaffirm its support for PSC and Stop the War Coalition and back campaigning “to defend the right to pursue boycott, divestment and sanctions tactics”.
The National reported earlier this month that just 44 schools – representing less than 2 per cent of all state secondaries in the UK – taught a GCSE history module in 2023 about the history of the conflict, stretching from the British withdrawal and creation of Israel in 1948 to the Oslo Accords of 1995.
Only 1,812 GCSE students registered at exams for the module across the 44 schools, UK exam board Edexcel told The National.
The figure represents 0.5 per cent of GCSE history entries for that year, according to figures from the Nuffield Foundation.
OCR, another exam board, dropped its GCSE module covering the subject in 2019. It offers it for A-level, to an even smaller pool of history students.
Pro-Palestinian protests in London – in pictures
The continuing war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's deadly raid into Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,200 people and saw militants seize about 250 hostages.
Israel's retaliatory strikes have left more than 32,000 Palestinians dead.
UK educational charity Parallel Histories, which supplies teachers with resources on the conflict that tell the story from the Israeli and Palestinian perspectives, said demand for its material has tripled since the October 7 attacks and ensuing Israeli response.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said teachers are “very nervous about having such discussion around such difficult subjects in school at the moment”.
“It's a very sensitive issue. Very difficult. In our union, we've been very clear that we absolutely condemn the attack from Hamas and the taking of hostages,” he said.
But he added that there was a “real humanitarian disaster” and young people wanted to talk about it.
Mr Kebede said: “Schools are the best place for young people to talk about difficult subjects, but I think there is a nervousness among the profession.”
Department for Education (DfE) guidance says teachers should avoid expressing their own political views to pupils unless they are confident it will not amount to promoting that view to pupils.
When asked about the teaching union taking a political stance on the conflict, 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 – discussing this issue – will do so in a way that's supportive and allows young people to form their own opinions around a world that is incredibly complex.”
Mr Kebede, who is due to speak at a Palestine solidarity demonstration on Saturday, said: “I think the majority of the public clearly want a ceasefire. They want to see humanitarian aid flow into Gaza.
“It's not a position that is, I think, far from where the majority of people are.”
MATCH INFO
Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 4
Osasuna: García (14')
Real Madrid: Isco (33'), Ramos (38'), Vázquez (84'), Jovic (90' 2)
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
RESULT
Arsenal 2
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 45 4'
Eddie Ntkeiah 51'
Portsmouth 0
Race card
4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
4pm Zabardast
4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
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