MOE responds to parents' criticisms on Israel-Hamas lessons

Teachers don’t impose views; aim is to give students a safe space’ to grasp issue, it says

- Amelia Teng and Ang Qing

Teachers do not impose their personal views on students or advocate the interests of any particular parties, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) in response to concerns about recent character and citizenship education (CCE) lessons on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In response to queries, MOE said the lessons conducted by schools on the conflict aim to give students a "safe space" to understand the complex situation, develop their own views and appreciate diverse perspectives involved.

The intention was also for students to learn to discern information about the issue and understand the situation from Singapore's perspective, including the need to preserve cohesion and harmony, it said in a statement on Feb 23.

The ministry was responding to criticisms about how primary and secondary schools were discussing the Israel-Hamas conflict with students. Several parents had put up social media posts expressing their unhappiness with the lesson content and how their children were taught about the conflict.

Open letters to the Ministry of Education and e-mails to Education Minister Chan Chun Sing were also circulating online as at Feb 23, while MOE's Facebook page was peppered with comments about the lesson material.