Letter from Parent In Response to School's Silence regarding the Genocide
Dear [ADD HEADTEACHER’S NAME],
Request for a school assembly to acknowledge the human catastrophe in Gaza and reflect on the 1948 Nakba.
I am the parent of child [ADD NAME] in year [ADD YEAR] and I would like to request that the school holds a special assembly to acknowledge the 1948 Nakba in Palestine and the current human catastrophe in Gaza. As a family, we are horrified by what we are watching on our TV screens and are concerned about what our teenage children may be discovering on social media. Following the attacks on Israeli civilians there was rightly an outpouring of support for them and their families, but in my opinion, this has not been replicated in the response to the more than 32,000 civilian deaths of Palestinians in Gaza, of which over 72% are women and children (as of March 2024).
For weeks the UN has been warning of starvation in Gaza. Neuroscience tells us that the impact for young children facing starvation is catastrophic for their brain development and their future physical growth, not to mention the impact that the trauma will have on their long-term mental health.
I talk to other parents in this and other schools and my son/daughter, like many other teenagers, is distressed and concerned about the images s/he sees on TV or social media and is wondering why the ongoing dire situation in Gaza is being treated so differently to other humanitarian issues around the world, such as what is happening in Ukraine. The statistics show us that the death toll in Gaza has been far greater than in any other recent wars in the world within a very short space of time. 14,000+ children have been killed in Gaza between October 2023 and March 2024, compared to 12,193 children worldwide between 2019 and 2022 (sources: United Nations and Ministry of Health in Gaza).
Nakba Day takes place on Wednesday 15th May and I would like you to take this opportunity to hold a school assembly about it. Using Nakba Day can also provide students with the opportunity to talk about what is happening in Palestine. Some may be personally affected, if they have lost family members there. Others may be concerned by what they have seen on social media, or may even be facing anti-Semitism or Islamophobia. There may also be children who are suffering from secondary trauma and/or may need additional support for their own mental health and well-being.
I would also like to suggest that you hold a fundraiser at the school, so that students and staff may have the opportunity to support and help the people of Gaza. A suggested charity would be Medical Aid for Palestinians (www.map.org.uk). It would also be helpful if the link could be added to a school newsletter, should there be parents who would like to support it directly.
By taking this initiative, the situation in Gaza will be publicly acknowledged to the whole school. This will allow students to have open and free discussions about what is taking place. They will be able to approach staff to talk about Gaza and to access pastoral support where it may be impacting their performance at school and/or their mental health or well-being.
Best Wishes,
[ADD NAME]
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