Petition challenges addition of Nakba to Canadian faculty curriculum

As of Wednesday night, over 3,500 people had signed the petition in response to a movement handed on at the British Columbia Lecturers Federation (BCTF) Annual Normal Assembly on March 16 to foyer the ministry on the themes.

“We’re involved, mother and father, who want to petition the Ministry of Training & Childcare to reject this proposal outright,” petition organizer Maria Kleiner wrote. “The function of a trainer in a baby’s life is paramount and shouldn’t be used to advance any political agenda. By introducing such a change to the curriculum, it can potentially extend focused hatred of particular kids, thus creating an unsafe studying environment.”

Kleiner argued that some subjects had no place within the classroom, no matter how the BCTF felt about them.

Socialist journal Spring mentioned that throughout the BCTF movement referred to as the continual foyer for the inclusion of the “Nakba,” “1948 Arab-Israeli Warfare,” and “navy occupation of Gaza and the West Financial institution” in grade 6-12 Social and Historical past curricula.

The 2024 BCTF AGM doc on resolutions mentioned that the lecturers wanted these occasions explicitly included in the curriculum when the subjects arose in the classroom.

BCTF had beforehand donated to UNRWA

In November, the BCTF handed resolutions to donate $50,000 Canadian to the United Nations Reduction and Works Company (UNRWA) and name for “an instantaneous ceasefire, the discharge of all hostages, and a finish to occupations.”

“These with the ability to take action should take motion now to save lots of lives and convey about lasting peace,” mentioned BCTF president Clint Johnston. “My hope, the collective hope of thousands and thousands internationally, is that the worldwide neighbourhood can come collectively to discover a path to peace for the folks of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.”