How your child's school can respond to ongoing conflicts
During periods of heightened community tensions following an outbreak of conflict across the world, or similar distressing incidents that gain significant news coverage, we support schools to take steps to ensure they remain calm and supportive learning environments where all pupils feel safe.
It’s important that young people are encouraged to see the classroom as a safe space to voice their opinions and feelings about things going on around the world, such as ongoing conflicts, that might be considered sensitive, emotive, or distressing. We understand that this can be difficult for teachers due to the nature of the subject and concerns around having the appropriate understanding of the issues at hand. Teachers and staff should ensure pupils are aware of opposing views on political issues that are brought to their attention.
To support with this, we published a blog on Educate Against Hate that focuses on providing practical tips and guidance to teachers when speaking with learners about the news, ongoing conflicts, and other difficult topics. The blog included advice such as encouraging the use of news articles from trusted and reputable sources as a focal point of conversations and debates, supporting learners to identify mis and disinformation and ‘fake news’, and ensuring that learners are aware of how they can politely disagree with another opinion that might be voiced in the midst of discussions about sensitive issues to limit incidents of bullying.
Additionally, while specifically in response to Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023, the Education Secretary, the Minister for Schools, and the Minister for Skills wrote to all schools and colleges to provide support and advice that can be used when engaging with learners on sensitive issues such as ongoing conflict.
Within the letter, senior leaders and teachers were directed towards resources hosted on Educate Against Hate to help them in managing difficult discussions and conversations with students and learners around the conflict. The quality assured resources that we host on Educate Against Hate enable teachers and senior leaders to engage with young people on discourse around examples of ongoing conflict in a sensitive and balanced way, as well as empowering them to challenge extreme and hateful narratives if required. In addition, we host resources that can support with the challenging of discrimination and intolerance, as well as materials that the education sector can use to reinforce the importance and upholding of our fundamental British values (FBVs).
Schools are also encouraged to ensure that any political expression amongst learners is conducted sensitively and in a way that does not disrupt the running and organisation of the setting or learner’s education. By law, schools are required to maintain political impartiality and should ensure the balanced treatment of political issues. Teaching about political issues supports learners to understand the society in which they live in and enables them to be prepared for life in modern Britain. It can be helpful for teachers and staff to play an active role in supporting pupils to understand political issues, as well as highlighting ways in which learners can be more actively involved in political activity and making a difference. However, in doing so, teachers are required to avoid promoting their own political views and maintain their duty to remaining politically impartial.
If you are unhappy with the way that your child’s school has dealt with the handling of sensitive issues such as ongoing conflicts, you should contact the school directly. This may be initially through a phone call, a visit, or an email to the school’s main office to determine who is most appropriate to speak to about your concerns. Following this, if you remain unhappy with the outcome of the conversation, you should follow the school’s formal complaint procedure. All schools are required to have a complaints procedure available to parents that can likely be found on the school’s website.