Education ministry slams viral ‘extremist’ Palestine solidarity programmes

 

Pictures and videos of Palestine solidarity school programmes in several schools went viral earlier amid reports of students and teachers carrying toy guns at the events.

PETALING JAYA: The education ministry has slammed several Palestine solidarity school programmes that have gone viral on social media following reports of students and teachers carrying toy guns at the events.

The ministry said it will not compromise with any activities with “extremist” elements, adding that the use of replica weapons, icons and symbols in a provocative and confrontational manner is “strictly prohibited”.

“This programme for the Palestinian Solidarity Week does not adhere to the guidelines set by the ministry,” it said in a statement.

The ministry said, instead, it encourages activities such as video screenings, poetry, poster paintings and donation collections for the Palestinian people.

“All institutions under the purview of the ministry must adhere to the established guidelines,” it added.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for better control of the Palestine solidarity programmes in schools following reports of students and teachers carrying toy guns at several events.

He said the matter was discussed in a Cabinet meeting and that while schools were encouraged to show solidarity with the Palestinians, such programmes were not mandatory.

A 55-second video that went viral yesterday on social media showed an event held in a school involving what appeared to be a man wearing a bulletproof vest, a balaclava mask, and pointing a toy rifle at students while leading a group of teachers into an assembly.

One of the teachers was seen holding a placard while others waved the Palestinian flag or wore Palestine-themed scarves across their faces and shoulders. Some also held toy rifles.

Several social media screenshots of an event at a school in Klang, which has also gone viral, showed children wearing green bandanas with the words “Save Palestine” across their forehead while carrying toy guns.

Yesterday, the ministry pressed on with its directive to all schools and colleges to organise a “Palestinian Solidarity Week” despite criticism from many quarters, saying it was in line with the government’s civic education syllabus.

The Palestinian Solidarity Week, set to run from Oct 29 to Nov 3, will involve all educational institutions under the purview of the ministry, including schools, vocational and matriculation colleges, as well as teacher training colleges across the country. - FMT