School Investigated for Asking Pupils if Hamas Attack on Israel was "Fair"

A school is currently under investigation after its pupils were asked whether Hamas's attack on Israel was "fair." The Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, expressed her shock and horror upon discovering classroom material that seemed to justify the October 7 attacks. The controversial slides from an unnamed secondary school were shared on Mumsnet, which led to widespread outrage.

Education Secretary Launches Urgent Review

Gillian Keegan stated, "I'm horrified to see this. Hamas is a terrorist organization, and their actions are indefensible. Anyone encouraging support for them should face legal consequences. Extremism has no place in education, and as a result, I have initiated an urgent review."

Parent Raises Concerns Over One-Sided Perspective

A concerned parent, who shared the material on Mumsnet, revealed that their child was presented with 11 slides about Israel's land acquisition and the suffering of Palestinians. In contrast, the Holocaust was only mentioned in one line, and the October 7 attacks received just two lines. The parent described this as creating a very "one-sided" portrayal of the conflict and believed that it was encouraging students to justify terrorism. They have demanded a meeting with the school's head to address their concerns.

Serious Approach to Classroom Absences

Ms. Keegan has previously been involved in issues related to the Israel-Palestine conflict when students missed lessons to participate in protests supporting a ceasefire. She emphasized that schools should consider such absences as a matter of utmost seriousness.