KUALA LUMPUR – The Education Ministry’s move to initiate the Palestine Solidarity Week in institutions under its purview, including schools, has received a mixed response from educationists.
According to the ministry’s internal circular dated October 21, sighted by Scoop, all educational institutions under the ministry including schools, vocational colleges, matriculation colleges and teacher’s training institutes, are expected to observe Palestine Solidarity Week.
The letter issued by Education Deputy Director-General (School Operations) Azman Adnan has since been leaked and circulated online. It states that the week, to be held from October 29 to November 3, is part of the ministry’s effort to express unity in upholding universal humanitarian values.
As per the letter, the week is to include programmes centred around the theme of peace and humanitarianism, and is to engage school and campus communities in a “meaningful manner”.
Activities include the launch of a special fund for the Palestinian cause, watching video previews and listening to songs which are attuned to the humanitarian cause in Palestine, the implementation of spiritual activities involving Muslim students participating in “solat hajat” and prayers, special co-curricular activities in relation to the humanitarian issues in Palestine such as song-writing, poetry, and poster contest, and any other appropriate activities.
Scoop spoke to several academicians on whether this initiative is appropriate and suitable for school children or otherwise.
Parent Action Group for Education chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said that while any show of solidarity with the plight of Palestinians is good, of concern is that students are being forced to participate in agendas which are government-led.
“It should be school-led rather than the government imposing it onto students, making it the way it wants them to think.
“Such an order from the top reeks of politics in education.
“Schools (on the other hand) should be focused on getting the basics of learning right, rather than trying to provide slanted teaching of the (ongoing) conflict between Israel and Palestinians,” she told Scoop when contacted.
She also felt that students should not be mobilised at such a young age to demonstrate over a foreign political issue.
“It is contradictory if Malaysian university students demonstrate to support activists fighting for personal freedoms and human rights in our country where their rallies are regarded as anti-(establishment),” she added.
Taking a different view is Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)’s associate professor Hasnah Toran who expressed support for the ministry’s show of solidarity.
She believed the young ones should not be ignorant of such issues.
“We should not be over-protecting them. The onus somehow falls on the teachers to talk to our young ones and have conversations about Palestine.
“It would be a good move if teachers could position the event as one for future global citizens to learn about the world around them.
“Those who are not in solidarity (with Palestinians) may be ignorant, and should we allow ignorance to breed ignorance?”
Hannah said that the proposed week and its programmes should be filled with compassion, and not anger or loud shouts of belligerence.
“We should not be teaching them that rallying will solve all global issues but we need to teach them about striving for a just world, being compassionate to other humans.
“Not simply just to attend rallies but how to play a role as a global citizen…as everybody shoulders (some) responsibility and needs to take action – no matter how small,” said the UKM chairman of the Educational Studies and Community Wellbeing Department.
Meanwhile educationist and historian, Ranjit Singh Malhi, when asked for his view, expressed disappointment over the ministry’s directive.
“I have lost faith in our education system and the current leadership.
“Our national school – instead of focusing on quality teaching and learning based upon a holistic and relevant curriculum to ensure our young can thrive in the future of an uncertain world, besides functioning productively in society – are slowly but surely being transformed into religious schools.
“A bitter pill to swallow is that Malaysia’s quality of education even lags behind that of Vietnam (a lower-income nation) by a wide margin as demonstrated in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment,” he added. – October 26, 2023