A Daily Mail investigation has revealed several instances of teachers in the UK sharing pro-Palestine materials and participating in political activism related to the Israel-Palestine conflict within the educational environment. Among these is the case of Nazia Abassi, a primary school teacher based in Hampshire, who has publicly shared conspiracy theories on social media, including a claim that Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad was responsible for the September 11 attacks in New York. Ms Abassi has also shown pupils videos accusing Israel of apartheid as part of efforts to “educate” them about the situation in Palestine.
Ms Abassi, who reportedly has over 20 years of teaching experience, has also reposted controversial images, including one depicting Jewish bankers in what many consider to be an anti-Semitic mural. Although she is not a member of the National Education Union (NEU), Britain’s largest teaching union, she has been an example cited in discussions about the involvement of teachers in promoting political viewpoints. She declined to comment on the matter when approached.
The investigation highlights that this phenomenon is not isolated to one individual. Several other educators have expressed strong pro-Palestine sentiments, both inside and outside of schools. This has included participation in protests, social media posts justifying recent Hamas attacks, and involvement in campaigns alleging Israeli apartheid.
Mat Milovanovic, a maths teacher at Northolt High School in west London who is standing for election to the NEU’s governing body, claimed in an NEU election leaflet that he has organised “solidarity actions” in schools around Ealing and has spoken at demonstrations supporting Palestine. Although Mr Milovanovic did not provide specific details about the actions conducted within schools, the NEU stated that his activities primarily involve solidarity efforts among other teachers rather than pupils.
In Norwich, Andrea Abeyesinghe, a science teacher at Northgate High School and chair of Norfolk’s far-Left Palestine Solidarity Campaign branch, organised a protest against Israeli participants at a World Indoor Bowls Championships event near Great Yarmouth. Ms Abeyesinghe has stated she refrains from pushing political views in her classroom, insisting that it is not part of a teacher’s role.
Another prominent figure is Sajia Iqbal, the former NEU president in Redbridge and a teacher at Beale High School, who was recorded by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign clearing Israeli products from supermarket shelves as part of the group’s “Don’t Buy Apartheid” campaign. She also declined to comment on the record.
These developments have emerged shortly after the NEU passed a motion last week condemning Israel’s actions by accusing the country of apartheid and committing to produce educational resources designed to raise awareness of the Palestinian situation. Members of the union also held a conference in east London last year entitled “How To Talk About Palestine In Our Schools,” indicating an organised effort to influence school discussions on this topic.
Reactions from political figures have been critical. Shadow education spokesman Laura Trott called for action by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and union leaders to “root out those behaving in this utterly reprehensible way.” Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel described the revelations as “shocking,” asserting, “Parents should be able to send their children to school without fear that their teachers will be indoctrinating them in Leftist ideologies.”
Legal representatives for Israel have pointed to government policies prohibiting political indoctrination in schools and criticised the NEU for allegedly encouraging teachers to breach these rules by adopting partisan political positions. Alex Hearn, representing Labour Against Anti-Semitism, accused the NEU of adopting an “extremist anti-Israeli ideology” and claimed that the union appears to be encouraging illegal conduct among its members.
In response, the NEU emphasised teachers’ responsibility to provide “calm, balanced and informed” information to students. The Department for Education meanwhile stated that “children deserve to feel safe in school,” without further elaboration.
Overall, the Daily Mail’s investigation details a growing trend of educators engaging openly with political activism related to the Israel-Palestine conflict within school contexts, sparking debate about the line between education and political advocacy in British schools.
Source: Noah Wire Services