It does sound like the student is witnessing calls for the elimination of Israel, which is (in my opinion) way too close to calls for genocide to be tolerated in a school. I’m not sure an art teacher can be faulted for not understanding the geography and history of the conflict well enough to recognize that the map is showing a Palestine displacing Israel, and the students that made the map probably don’t understand that depicting Palestine displacing Israel is (I believe) reasonably understood as a call to genocide.
Being an art teacher isn’t an excuse. Everyone should have a basic grasp of the issues and I would argue that being a teacher in any subject elevates that from “should” to “must.”
I would hope that art is in our schools not merely to promote a leisure activity but to examine different ways of viewing the world. Doing that requires more than just drawing counterfactual maps.
Everyone should have a basic grasp of the issues and I would argue that being a teacher in any subject elevates that from “should” to “must.”
But a basic understanding of the Israel/ Palestine conflict doesn’t include being able to recognize the borders of Israel/Palestine from a child’s art project.
But a basic understanding of the Israel/ Palestine conflict doesn’t include being able to recognize the borders of Israel/Palestine from a child’s art project.
Why not? I have only a high school education and some trade school, all before 1980, and have what it takes to not screw up like this. Surely a university educated person charged with the responsibility to guide our children through complex issues should be held to at least that standard.
No doubt, but this isn’t about the general population, but someone who is supposed to be trained in the ways of making sure that they’re not leading kids too far astray.
It does sound like the student is witnessing calls for the elimination of Israel, which is (in my opinion) way too close to calls for genocide to be tolerated in a school. I’m not sure an art teacher can be faulted for not understanding the geography and history of the conflict well enough to recognize that the map is showing a Palestine displacing Israel, and the students that made the map probably don’t understand that depicting Palestine displacing Israel is (I believe) reasonably understood as a call to genocide.
I’m not sure what the school can reasonably do.
Being an art teacher isn’t an excuse. Everyone should have a basic grasp of the issues and I would argue that being a teacher in any subject elevates that from “should” to “must.”
I would hope that art is in our schools not merely to promote a leisure activity but to examine different ways of viewing the world. Doing that requires more than just drawing counterfactual maps.
But a basic understanding of the Israel/ Palestine conflict doesn’t include being able to recognize the borders of Israel/Palestine from a child’s art project.
Why not? I have only a high school education and some trade school, all before 1980, and have what it takes to not screw up like this. Surely a university educated person charged with the responsibility to guide our children through complex issues should be held to at least that standard.
I think you’re seriously overestimating the population’s geographical competency.
No doubt, but this isn’t about the general population, but someone who is supposed to be trained in the ways of making sure that they’re not leading kids too far astray.