Published
Update
Video length: 2 min
War between Hamas and Israel: a subject sometimes difficult to tackle for Austrian teachers
Faced with children’s questions about the conflict between Israel and Hamas, some Austrian teachers are afraid to raise the subject, for fear that their classes will turn against them. The Ministry of Education has strengthened its support for teachers. – (franceinfo)
Faced with children’s questions about the conflict between Israel and Hamas, some Austrian teachers are afraid to raise the subject, for fear that their classes will turn against them. The Ministry of Education has strengthened its support for teachers.
In Bastian’s class Of Monte, civic education teacher in Vienna (Austria), there are 25 students aged 14 to 16. Most come from immigration, and some from the Middle East. On the agenda that day: the conflict between Israel and the Hamas on social networks. Bastian Of Monte is Jewish. Despite the obstacles, he wants to talk about the war with his students.
Do not leave children alone to face their questions
Bastian Of Monte was trained to intervene with disadvantaged students, but other teachers are afraid to talk about the conflict. “Some colleagues are worried that their classes will turn against them”explains Thomas Krebs, president of the Viennese teachers’ union. The Ministry of Education has strengthened its support for teachers, with workshops or training courses like those organized by Gabriel Dreier, history teacher. For five years, he has accompanied teachers to Israel for seminars on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. Many teachers emphasize that the priority is not to leave children alone to face their questions.
