Lessons on Israel-Hamas conflict will be further customised for different age groups, teachers to get more support: Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE: Lessons on the Israel-Hamas conflict that are taught during Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) classes will be further customised for different age groups of students, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing said on Monday (Mar 4), adding that teachers will get more support.

For younger students, the lesson material will be further simplified, focusing on sensitising them to the plight of innocent victims, Mr Chan said in parliament.

This will teach them how to express sympathy for and empathise with others, and how to manage their emotions regarding the conflict, he added. 

Schools will teach older students to be more discerning of different sources of information.

For the “most mature” students, lesson materials will be updated based on more recent events to help them better understand Singapore’s national interest, Mr Chan said.

For example, the materials will address Singapore’s response to the Oct 7 Hamas attack. While the country recognised Israel's right to self-defence, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said last week that its military response has gone too far.

"The catastrophic situation in Gaza demands a humanitarian ceasefire to alleviate the suffering of the civilian victims and to enable humanitarian assistance to reach them immediately,” said Mr Chan, echoing Dr Balakrishnan's statement in parliament. 

Schools will also explain Singapore’s “principled position" on the Israel-Palestine issue over the decades, the Education Minister said.

This will cover how Singapore voted in favour of resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire at international platforms, and how it has contributed to capacity-building efforts for the Palestinian Authority. 

These materials for older students will also address how Singapore will continue doing its part to advance international efforts toward reaching a two-state solution at the United Nations. 

“We will certainly continue to reflect the diversity of views from our community within our lesson material, and it is a key learning objective for our students to understand how to manage differences and diversity with respect and sensitivity,” Mr Chan said.

“To the extent possible, we will also design the lesson material to avoid parts being taken out of context selectively.” 

NAVIGATING A COMPLEX WORLD

This is the second time the Education Minister has addressed the issue after concerns emerged online last month about what schools are teaching students about the conflict in Gaza. 

Some people claimed that students were presented with a narrative that was not neutral or objective as it only covered the developments from October, without giving a historical context of the wider conflict between Israel and the Palestinians that goes back several decades.

Others claimed that teachers were not allowed to give further input beyond what was prescribed to them.

Mr Chan explained on Feb 25 that the CCE lessons on the Israel-Hamas conflict are designed to help students understand their own emotions, empathise with others, as well as reflect on how to safeguard cohesion and harmony in a multiracial society.

They are not intended to be history lessons nor are they meant to ascribe who is right or wrong, he said, reiterating this in parliament on Monday.

“It is impossible to do so in an hour-long session, and it was never our intention in the first place,” he added. 

Mr Chan said on Monday that schools have received feedback from parents and other stakeholders. Some thought the issue was too difficult for Primary 5 and 6 students to understand, and others questioned why some slides focused more on recent events in the long history of the conflict.

Some also suggested that the lesson be dropped completely.

“But will this be better for our students and society in the long term? If we agree on the intent of CCE, then we must keep striving to improve our delivery,” said the Education Minister. 

“We are fully committed to equipping our teachers to help our children better navigate this complex world.”

SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS 

Teachers will be better equipped to engage their students in these lessons, said Mr Chan. 

The Ministry of Education (MOE) will organise extra CCE workshops for teachers who want the extra support, for them to go through the lesson plans with specialists and experienced teachers.

“Resource persons” will also assist with these workshops, said Mr Chan, noting that this is on top of the teachers’ preparation within their own schools. 

Given the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of teachers, some schools have organised their teachers in teams to conduct the CCE lesson, he added. 

“For a sensitive topic like the Israel-Hamas conflict, having teachers from different backgrounds and faiths conduct the lesson together is also a powerful example to our students, of how while we can have different beliefs, we can come together as Singaporeans to discuss complex topics sensitively and respectfully,” said Mr Chan. 

MOE and school leaders are aware of the challenges teachers may face in delivering CCE lessons, especially those that touch on sensitive issues, he stressed. 

“Speak with your school leaders. We will support you in carrying out your professional duties.” 

Mr Chan noted that by now, teachers have prepared and taught this CCE lesson for a few weeks.

“Some were initially unsure whether they had sufficient content mastery to teach the lesson. Some needed more time to process their own views and feelings about the conflict,” he added. 

For teachers who were still uncomfortable with conducting the lesson and asked to be excused, their school leaders supported their requests, said the Education Minister. 

“By and large, most took on the challenge and carried out their duties professionally, because they understood the importance of the task. And we are grateful to them for stepping up, despite any initial hesitations.” 

In response to a clarification from Member of Parliament Wan Rizal (PAP-Jalan Besar) about the slides created for the lesson, Mr Chan said that MOE discussed publishing the slides. 

"We've come to this one conclusion that even the slides will not do justice to the teaching by the teachers because the slides do not speak," he added, stressing that teachers also customise their lessons according to their students. 

MOE would rather meet with parents or members of the public face to face and explain how the slides are used, said Mr Chan. 

"Because we have tested this, and no matter how we try to make the slides public or available, if it's done selectively without interpretation, we will still come back to the same issue."