Pro-Palestine action by teachers slammed

The Victorian government has rebuked Melbourne teachers taking action in solidarity with Palestine after the opposition accused Premier Jacinta Allan of going soft on striking students.

Two Australian Education Union sub-branches, covering the inner city and Maribyrnong, started a week of action yesterday to show support for Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war by wearing a keffiyeh to school or inviting advocates into classrooms.

The keffiyeh is a traditional Palestinian scarf that has been worn by many protesters at Free Palestine rallies.

Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll condemned the action, which came days after a student strike for Palestine.

‘‘This action is inflammatory, it’s divisive, and only sows more seeds of disharmony in our community,’’ he said.

Carroll said about 20 to 25 teachers from some government schools in Flemington, Fitzroy, Collingwood and Princes Hill supported the motions, which were not endorsed by the education union. However, a government school teacher and member of the innercity sub-branch said she believed staff at about 50 schools were involved.

A separate motion, signed by 115 teachers and school staff, called on the Victorian branch of the union to condemn what it described as ‘‘Israel’s campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing’’. The union last month condemned both Hamas and Israel for targeting civilians in the conflict.

Lucy, who did not want her surname published out of fear of repercussions, said participating teachers arrived at school yesterday with watermelon badges, keffiyehs and ‘‘Free Palestine’’ stickers. Watermelons, which share the colours of the Palestinian flag, have become a symbol of Palestinian resistance.

Education Department deputy secretary David Howes issued a statement to teachers making it clear that the action was not supported and that staff should be cautious of causing distress or isolating students.

‘‘It is important to be reminded that school staff should not use their professional position to make political statements or seek to influence the political views of students,’’ he said.

Howes and Carroll both reminded teachers of their obligations ‘‘to be unbiased, objective and not have political or personal agendas in the classroom’’.

Jess Wilson, the Coalition’s spokeswoman for education, said the department should have directly instructed staff not to participate and ought to have listed the consequences for doing so.

‘‘This departmental advice does not come close to communicating the harmful and divisive nature of this politically motivated campaign to teachers, students and school communities,’’ Wilson said.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin in a statement called on teachers and schools to condemn the ‘‘fringe extremists’’.

‘‘Sadly, there are teachers who want to recruit children rather than educate them,’’ he said.

The teachers’ week of action comes after hundreds of protesters joined the School Students for Palestine rally in Melbourne’s CBD last Friday.