Parents Complain of Anti-Israel Bias in Homework
Martin van den Hemel - Richmond Review
A complaint of an anti-Israel bias to a lesson given to a William Bridge Elementary Grade 6 classroom about the violence in the Middle East has created plenty of buzz in Richmond.
The parents of a Jewish student contacted the Jewish Tribune which on Wednesday published an article about the handout under the headline "Hamas-friendly homework assignment: Parents shocked by anti-Israel bias in curriculum."
According to the article, the parents who recently emigrated from Russia were concerned that in the handout, "Hamas isn't a terrorist group as designated by the Canadian government, but merely a 'militant Islamic group.'"
But University of B.C. professor Derek Gregory, who is an expert in the Israel/Palestine conflicts in the MIddle East, looked at a copy of the plan and described it as a "model of clarity and moderation."
He did note that the lesson plan—produced by Victoria-based LesPlan—was misleading in the way it identified Gaza as "one of two Palestinian territories located in Israel's borders" because the conflict is in part grounded in the very definition of those borders.
"That apart...if this is directed at schools, as I imagine it is, it does a wonderful job of conveying the complexities of the situation and encouraging constructive, critical thought."
Gregory wrote in an e-mail that the lesson plan "could not be construed as being 'pro-Hamas' by any reasonable or informed observer."
He noted that the violence committed by Hamas is fully acknowledged, "but so too is the predicament of the Palestinian people, and to ignore Hamas's social welfare programmes and focus only on its paramilitary activities would reduce education of the level of caricature."
Sara Saber-Freedman, executive vice president of the Canada-Israel Committee, commended the school for seeking to engage its students in current events, and said she realizes it can be difficult to strike a balance.
"We have some real concerns about the way in which the LesPlan material that we have seen treats the Gaza conflict of January 2009, and will seek an opportunity to discuss those concerns directly with LesPlan," Saber-Freedman wrote in an e-mail.
William Bridge principal Patrick von Hahn said the discussion that has flowed from this controversy is healthy.
But there are no current plans to make any changes to the homework, although he said that "as educators, we are always open to re-evaluating sources and resources...and need to have that open-door policy."
Eric Wieczorek, president of LesPlan, said complex issues like the clashes in Northern Ireland, Darfur and Tibet are among the other current event topics that LesPlan has covered.
"We're always open to any suggestions on how to make it better. We're not trying to be anti-Jewish or anti-Israeli or anti-anything. If people have concerns, we really appreciate them coming to us," Wieczorek said, noting that he received no calls from the parents who complained.
Romy Ritter, regional director of the Canadian Jewish Congress, said she's taken a look at the homework and found it problematic.
"I did feel that there is some anti-Israel bias contained in the material and I believe it warrants further investigation."