Responding to the Christchurch terrorist attack

[Boyd Roberts]

Responding to the Christchurch terrorist attack

 

How do we respond in schools to events like the anti-Islamic terrorist attack on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, or the terrorist attack today in Utrecht? We are seeing a rise in both Islamic terrorism and right-wing supremacist anti-Moslem terrorism.

 

One way is to ignore them. We can convince ourselves that we are simply too busy covering the important regular curriculum to find time or space to consider events such as these.

 

This is particularly difficult to justify if we are working with Moslem students who may well feel saddened and threatened by the anti-Moslem events in Christchurch, and appalled that they are considered in some way linked with acts of Islamic terrorism.

 

Professional advice from those concerned with supporting children in their response to traumatic events is that parents and teachers should be proactive not reactive – responsible adults should raise issues with children rather than waiting for the children to raise the issues themselves.

 

It seems important in any school to make time available to discuss with students the importance of such events. This is one of those situations where the well-known quotation applies:

 

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

 

(attributed to Edmund Burke, but said in its earliest form by John Stuart Mill).

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/12/04/good-men-do/

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-top-10-misattributed-quota...

 

By NOT offering opportunities for students to discuss such matters are we unknowingly permitting evil to flourish?

 

So what can we do in schools?

How can we relate this to the IGCA?

 

1. Provide help and support to those upset by events in Christchurch.

 

Some guidance and links to resources from the New Zealand government

https://www.education.govt.nz/news/tips-for-parents-and-educators-s...

 

Additional guidance and links are available:

• in article from the UK Daily Telegraph

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/mancester-arena-attack...

 

• on a useful page from KELSI – a website for education professionals in Kent, UK.

https://www.kelsi.org.uk/news-and-events/news/primary/advice-and-su...

 

2. Provide time in school for students to discuss their feelings and thoughts about such actions.

 

Resources as in 1. Above.

Discussion provides opportunities to exercise and develop skills and practice in Reflection - a component of the IGCA.

 

3. We can find out more about Islam – become better informed about the religion and its practices. While we can do this by internet research or reading, first hand personal contact with practising Moslems is likely to have greater impact.

            We can visit a local mosque, or invite a respected local Moslem to speak about their faith.

 

Such activities form part of Understanding other cultures and outlooks within the IGCA.

 

4. We can promote greater critical understanding and evaluation of what we read and hear – we can work with students to become more media-savvy.

As we know, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow posting of materials from harmful materials. It is possible for students to access such posts either deliberately or unknowingly.

 

For a simple guide to working with students to become more media savvy, visit:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/how-to-spot-fake-news-and-tea...

 

The Canadian website MediaSmarts has lots of resources:

http://mediasmarts.ca/

 

To consider: Is there ever a case for working with students to evaluate some of the extreme right-wing material available online?

 

This would need to be handled with great care, and within any school policies or guidelines.

 

 

Please share any thoughts/responses/ideas for how to handle such issues/your own experience here.