When
Where
Why
Join our rally to tell the Education Department to stop silencing Palestine in NSW schools.
Speakers include:
Abigail Boyd Greens MLC
Lena Mozayani - teacher from Palestinian background from Teachers & School Staff for Palestine
Miriam - PSA for Palestine
Angus Dermody - USYD student & Students Against War activist suspended for speaking up for Gaza as part of the encampment protest
Noura - High School Student
Rally Chair: Diane Wanasawage from TSS4P & a NSWTF Fed Rep
Teachers in NSW have been prevented by the NSW Education Department from showing any form of support for the victims of the genocide in Gaza.
Displays of human sympathy and support that are commonplace in NSW schools around issues like climate action or anti-racism, or government-supported wars like Ukraine, have seen students and teachers face threats and disciplinary action.
Teachers have been told that they can't display images of the Palestinian flag or wear the keffiyeh, the Palestinian scarf. Principals have told teachers that anything about Gaza in the classroom must go through them first. Students have been given detention for drawing the Palestinian flag on their hands.
On "Harmony Day" (the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination), when students are encouraged to celebrate diversity, wear cultural dress and display their flags, at least 10 schools banned students from wearing Palestinian colours or cultural dress, or displaying the Palestinian flag. These bans are clearly discriminatory and racist towards Palestinian students.
The International Court of Justice found in January that there is a "plausible case" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Teachers and students cannot and should not be expected to remain silent on genocide.
Our students need to know that adults, school communities, and our appointed government officials do not approve of the indiscriminate slaughter of children.
We will present our open letter at the rally. The letter calls to:
• Allow displays of images of the Palestinian flag
• Affirm that there are no restrictions on wearing the keffiyeh in schools
• Allow fundraising initiatives (e.g. in staff rooms, SRC initiatives etc) to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as is allowed in schools for other issues.
• Rescind the document, “Supporting the school community during the current conflict in the Middle East”, that removes teacher autonomy.