Escalating violence between Israel and Palestine prompted a strong response from leaders of South African education last month.
A message of solidarity to the people of Palestine was signed by Minister of Eduction Kader Asmal, his deputy Mosibudi Mangena, and other high-ranking officials, including seven of the provincial MECs.
The two MECs who declined to add their signatures are KwaZulu-Natal’s Gabriel Ndabandaba, and the Western Cape’s MEC Andre Gaum.
The message of solidarity states, “We wish to highlight the plight of the Palestinian children who have been robbed of their dignity and fundamental human rights, particularly that of education, as a result of the military aggression that has been unleashed by the State of Israel.”
A Unicef report released in April gives the following examples of how education in Palestine has been devastated by Israeli offensives:
– At least 166 schools have been destroyed or damaged. This includes a girls’ secondary school in Tulkarem – ironically named Salaam (“peace”) – which was declared unusable after being hit about 20 times by tank fire;
– at least three schools have been taken over by the Israeli military and converted into army posts;
– Bethlehem University and An Najah National University in Nablus are reported to have been taken over by the Israeli army.
The number of school-goers unable to continue with their education at present is in the thousands. Penny Johnson from Birzeit University, located north of Jerusalem, further notes that, “Children in cities, camps and villages under curfew and attack have not only been unable to go to school; they have experienced days or weeks of terror and physical and psychological distress, which may have long-term consequences.”
The infrastructure and systems of the Palestinian Education Authority have also been severely affected. The Ministry of Education located in Ramallah was damaged in the recent Israeli attack, and computers and documents -including years of student records – were allegedly removed.
Both Ndabandaba and Gaum’s refusal to lend their support to the minister’s message has drawn criticism from educationalists. Ndabandaba’s reason for refusing to sign is that, “Innocent people, including schoolchildren, are being massacred by both sides. Any expression of support must therefore not be biased towards one side.”
However, Salim Vally from the Education Policy Unit slams this view: “There are only two sides to this conflict – one stands for justice and the other for injustice. The Palestinians are struggling for self determination and liberation.”
Gaum voices similar reasons to Ndabandaba for withholding his support, adding that “teachers should deal with the issue with care in the classroom and in no way take sides”.
Vally is equally damning of this view: “Especially in light of our own history, we can’t afford not to take a stand against these human rights atrocities.”