Proposal to teach Palestinian history in schools faces backlash [Video]

A group of teachers has successfully campaigned for the B.C. Teachers’ Federation to lobby the government to include the history of Palestinians in the provincial curriculum.

The proposal has drawn backlash from members of the Jewish community, who say the move is problematic and “one sided.” 

The resolution, passed at the BCTF’s annual general meeting in March, aims for the union to “continuously lobby” the Ministry of Education and Child Care to include the Nakba — or “catastrophe,” the Arabic term used to describe the displacement of Palestinians between 1947 and 1949 — along with the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank in the list of sample topics for schools.

Teachers 4 Palestine, a group born in the wake of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas that includes teachers of different faiths and backgrounds, was behind the motion.