Some teachers from the Educators for Peace and Justice in Toronto, are finding themselves in hot water after creating a conference looking at the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Apparently, the teachers focused their workshops on pro-Palestinian views and neglected to educate on the Israeli viewpoint.
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=b6a30e9b-957a-4d7e-8043-a19386edeeae
The bias of the writer can easily be seen, yet I find it particularly interesting that the writer chose to refer to the students as puppies and assuming that they are passive individuals that could easily be swayed into believing the messages they hear, without thinking critically and examining the other side.
“The organizers — not themselves high school students, but the “pigs” in this neo-Orwellian story — only allowed “puppies” — high school students with identifying student cards — to attend a five-hour session of anti-Israel propaganda. No teachers, parents or media were permitted to attend, so we really have no idea of what went down there.”
I do feel that it is an educators responsibility to provide the information on both sides of an argument and have students think critically and decide their own view. Yet, assuming that a brain washing event was hapening is disrespectful and slanderous of these individuals that are educating about important social issues. Why wasn’t the media or other adults allowed on the premise? Safety concerns perhaps? Maybe the author of this story should participate in some dialogue herself before she prints this story.
