KUCHING, Oct 25: The Ministry of Education (MOE) should focus on its core duties and not drag school children into the complex conflict between Palestine and Israel.
In a memo to heads of mission schools today, the Anglican Bishop for the Diocese of Kuching and Brunei Darussalam and Mission Schools president, the Right Reverend Datuk Danald Jute, stressed that the MOE and Sarawak Education Department should not waste their time, energy and resources in organising events related to a solidarity week in support of the Palestinian cause.
“They cannot expect teachers and students to participate in it. It is not appropriate to involve schools and school children!
“The Ministry of Education need only focus on its core business and not drag our young kids into this complex conflict and sully their young minds by way of drumming in upon them a one-sided narrative. Even worse, to put out an unsubstantiated storyline as though it were true fact,” he said in the memo which he confirmed to have issued.
He raised these concerns following a notice allegedly from MOE dated Oct 21 and Oct 23, 2023, requesting all education institutions under the Ministry to implement and observe a solidarity week in support of the Palestinian cause from Oct 29 to Nov 3.
In the memo, Danald also cited a video allegedly prepared by the Sarawak Education Department in which the State education director “accusingly stated that the Al Ahli Hospital was bombed by Israel when the tragedy which killed hundreds of people was in fact the result of a misfired missile from within Gaza itself.”
“We cannot allow this sort of video to be shown in our schools,” he added.
Danald believes that the Palestinian people people deserve better, both from their own leaders as well as the Israeli authority.
He called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and for an immediate ceasefire so that food, water and vital medical supplies can be safely delivered to the hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians in Gaza.
“We believe that children must be taught to respect one another irrespective of one’s religious and ethnic backgrounds. Children must be reminded that in all wars, there are no winners—only deaths and suffering.
“For that, we must stand in solidarity with all the innocent victims on all sides. Let us pray and work for peace,” he concluded. — DayakDaily
