This week, we examine the politics behind new teaching resources on antisemitism, Jewish history and the Holocaust in Australian schools. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and his state and territory counterparts have backed resources proposed by the Social Cohesion Education Advisory Council. With the Holocaust already taught in Australian schools, what gaps are the new materials meant to fill, and how much say will classroom teachers have in how they’re used?
We look at what it takes to teach students about contemporary antisemitism while giving them room to explore Jewish identity, Zionism and the range of Jewish perspectives on Israel. How should a teacher respond when a student asks about the Israeli government or wants to examine the evidence behind allegations of genocide in Gaza? What happens when students from Palestinian and other Arab backgrounds bring their own experiences to the discussion? We also ask how schools decide which histories of genocide and mass violence students encounter, from the Armenian genocide and Rwanda to the violence inflicted on First Nations peoples in Australia.
With 72 per cent of Year 10 students falling short of the proficiency standard in civics and citizenship, we ask what would help young Australians weigh evidence, understand how power works and argue a case.
We examine the prospect of $2 million penalties for universities that fail to address antisemitism, how the policy fits with Special Envoy Jillian Segal’s broader agenda, and what evidence regulators would need to act. How should universities distinguish targeted harassment from political expression, such as displaying a Palestinian flag? And if the rules are unclear, how many vice-chancellors will decide it’s easier to cancel a Gaza lecture than defend it? That’s where a policy aimed at protecting students could start to narrow academic freedom.
