Education Ministry unveils new yearly program to address racism and incitement
The plan is an expansion on the lessons and activities conducted at the opening of the school year in the aftermath of Operation Protective Edge
By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI Students at Hadassah college(photo credit: Courtesy)
The Education Ministry unveiled on Sunday its new annual school program for tolerance and the prevention of racism as Tolerance Week is being observed in schools across the country.The program, titled “Dealing with tolerance, prevention of racism and a shared life in the education system,” aims to encompass all age groups, from preschool through high school, for all sectors in Israeli society.The plan is an expansion on the lessons and activities conducted at the opening of the school year in the aftermath of Operation Protective Edge. Students spent the first two weeks of the school year addressing the events of the summer, as well as issues of racism, intolerance and incitement among students and on social media.The past few months have seen an increase in tensions among the sectors in society and an increase in violence at sporting events. In light of this, the Education Ministry decided to formulate the annual comprehensive multi-disciplinary program emphasizing social equality and the respect of the other regardless of race, gender or religion.As part of the program, students are set to address the phenomenon of racism and incitement in an effort to develop an open dialogue and increase awareness of the issue through the use of historical and cultural references. In addition, the program aims to provide students with democratic values as well as introduce between groups of students in different sectors of society.Preschools and schools are scheduled to incorporate the plan into the academic school year and will hold events surrounding special days such as International Tolerance Day, Human Rights Day, and the International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism. In addition, teachers in the fields of history, language, geography, citizenship, and literature will aim to incorporate the subject into their lesson plans.
