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The Education Department has made clear schoolchildren are expected to attend school ahead of a student strike for Palestine this week, as it also urged Victorian parents and students to seek to understand each other’s views.
In a letter sent by schools to parents and carers on Tuesday afternoon, seen by The Age, the department acknowledged people on both sides of the Middle East conflict and said it was important every student felt safe at school.
Premier Jacinta Allan speaking to the media on Tuesday, with Deputy Premier Ben Carroll (right) and the incoming member for Mulgrave, Eden Foster.Credit: Wayne Taylor
“This is a very difficult time for the Victorian community as many Victorians continue to grieve for the ongoing suffering of those they know in the Middle East region,” the letter said.
“As the Department of Education has previously indicated, Thursday 23 November 2023 is a normal school day and normal attendance requirements apply for the full day.”
The department’s letter said it was critically important that school communities continue to treat each other with respect, understanding and sensitivity.
“It means we do not use language that seeks to hurt and damage. It means we do not uncritically accept the views of others, but seek a full understanding,” it said.
“We are conscious that many members of the Jewish community in Victoria are traumatised by the fact that hostages continue to be held and by the attacks suffered by innocent Israelis and are frightened by the global increase in antisemitism.
“We are conscious that many of those with families, relatives and friends in Gaza are grieving over the news they receive from friends and relatives and images they see of the suffering of innocent citizens.”
The advice comes as Premier Jacinta Allan resisted calls to toughen her government’s stance on the upcoming student strike and urged political opponents to avoid using local divisions for personal gain.
Allan on Tuesday reiterated her view that students should not skip school to attend Thursday’s protest and that parents and teachers – not politicians – were best placed to deal with attendance issues. Separately, she said peaceful demonstrations were a fundamental democratic right.
“A lot of the observations that have been made about what goes on in schools is made by people who clearly have no understanding about what goes on in schools when students are absent,” the premier said.
“Students are absent for a whole range of different reasons on any given day. And I know this through my own children’s attendance at a government school. The school is pretty quick to get on the phone.”
But Liberal education spokeswoman Jess Wilson said on Tuesday both the premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll needed to send a stronger message to schools amid a flurry of police reports relating to antisemitism.
“These are professional political activists that are leading this strike [and] wanting to exploit students. The government needs to be very clear that that’s not acceptable,” Wilson said.
But the premier accused the Liberals of using local tensions for political gain.
“Liberal Party politicians raising and misrepresenting comments that have been made about expectations about kids being in school, that’s what’s causing the division,” Allan said on Tuesday.
“That does not provide one ounce of support to Jewish communities who are feeling grief and loss and hurt. Equally, too, for families who have family members in and around Gaza. They are also deeply affected.
“Causing division for base political purposes does not help one child get the best education opportunity in their schools. It does not help one young Victorian. It only drives division and I should leave it to others to reflect on why they’re causing that division.”
The comments came after Jewish students and parents sent a letter with more than 6200 signatories to the premier’s office on Monday labelling the planned involvement of school children in this week’s protest as exploitative. A full copy of the letter with names attached was provided to The Age on Tuesday for verification purposes.
Organisers of the strike have asked Victorian students to walk out of schools at lunchtime on Thursday and join a protest in the CBD over Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.
Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Meredith Peace said teaching students the skills to engage critically with global issues was an important part of education.
“Students should be encouraged to talk about these issues with their families, and to develop and use their voice to speak up about matters they care about.”
On Saturday, the Allan government unveiled an additional $8 million investment in Jewish and Islamic institutions and groups to combat discrimination and provide ongoing community support. Included in the announcement were $20,000 grants for independent Jewish and Islamic schools to upgrade fencing, alarms and CCTV.
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