Education Minister: Hebron school trips should have started a long time ago
Likud's Gideon Sa'ar rebuffs protest letter by 260 teachers who refuse to participate in trips to the West Bank town, saying missive is part of anti-government campaign aided by Haaretz.
By Talila Nesher and Haaretz
Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar rebuffed a teachers' protest concerning planned school trips to Hebron, telling Israel Radio on Monday that the only issue with such excursions is that they haven't been taking place in the last forty years.
Sa'ar comments came after, on Sunday, and for the first time in Israel's history, more than 200 teachers signed a letter declaring that they would refuse to participate in an Education Ministry program to take pupils on "heritage tours" in Hebron.
"In February 2011, you announced a new tour program called Ascending to Hebron," some 260 teachers wrote yesterday to Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar.
"Introducing the program to schools is a manipulative use of pupils and teachers, who will be forced to become political pawns. Since we're dedicated to education, our conscience prevents us from becoming agents of such a policy," the letter said.
in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/education-minister-hebron-school-trips-should-have-started-a-long-time-ago-1.411331