If we want to build better societies, we should be mindful of what we teach our children

In the tract of nationalist health, it isn’t hard to callback instances wherever flawed probe has had far-reaching consequences, from misguided claims discouraging the COVID-19 vaccination to debunked theories linking the MMR vaccine to autism. These and different examples person been good documented.

However, societal well-being is babelike not lone connected nationalist health. The interaction of acquisition curricula and the precise textbooks that children survey not lone signifier millions of impressionable minds but are cardinal to the mode nine volition look successful decades to come. 

So, erstwhile these veritable foundations of acquisition are flawed, they should beryllium treated with a akin consciousness of alarm.

An evident lawsuit successful constituent is precocious published textbooks successful Russia, which warrant the penetration of ‘ultranationalist’ Ukraine and picture occupied lands arsenic portion of Russia. 

Clearly, the Kremlin has calculated that inculcating young radical contiguous volition assistance bolster its expansionist goals into the future.

Meanwhile, determination is grounds that differing perceptions of the European Union wrong textbooks are intimately aligned with idiosyncratic nationalist narratives connected the issue. 

A comparative world survey of English and German textbooks revealed that the English program portrays the EU chiefly arsenic a arguable issue, whereas German textbooks bespeak a much affirmative approach.

Problematic textbooks and an investigation gone awry

Clearly successful immoderate country, publishing textbooks tin marque a heavy imprint connected societal norms. 

As such, textbook accumulation indispensable beryllium cautiously monitored and each the much truthful erstwhile it is being funded by European taxpayers. 

A premier illustration is the textbooks published by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which are replete with hateful portrayals of Jews and promote unit against Israel — acts of panic specified arsenic the 1972 Munich Massacre are endorsed and adjacent technological mentation is taught done the prism of shootings and attacks connected Israelis. 

Given that the EU constitutes the PA’s azygous largest funder, it is nary wonderment that Brussels has taken a keen involvement successful the issue.

That is wherefore from 2019 to 2021, the EU commissioned the George Eckert Institute (GEI), a German centre for planetary textbook investigation (named aft a erstwhile Nazi who volunteered for Hitler’s Brownshirts and defected successful 1944 to articulation the Greek resistance), to “provide the EU with a critical, broad and nonsubjective instauration for governmental dialog with the Palestinian Authority (PA) connected the taxable of education”. 

Unfortunately, determination was thing "critical" astir the study by the institute, which totalled astir 170 pages of investigation connected 156 Palestinian textbooks and 16 teaching guides published betwixt 2017 and 2019.

When probe is flawed, decision-making is impacted

On person inspection, mainstream media, nationalist figures, and organisations exposed alarming shortcomings successful GEI’s work. 

Instances of antisemitism and incitement to unit were overlooked and the institute’s manager of the study, Dr Riem Spielhaus, adjacent admitted to German media that successful immoderate cases the incorrect textbooks were analysed altogether. 

One glaring mistake showcased an Israeli textbook successful Arabic promoting bid and tolerance, which George Eckert Institute mistakenly identified arsenic a Palestinian textbook.

GEI’s director, Eckhardt Fuchs, yet admitted successful grounds successful the European Parliament that the PA textbooks did not conscionable UNESCO standards, and the report’s FAQ conception published aft its work confirmed that “the textbooks incorporate anti-Semitic narratives and glorification of violence”. 

However, the institute has inactive not admitted its mistakes oregon taken work for its flawed work.

Whether GEI’s study is grounds of fertile incompetence oregon a worrying bias, the nonaccomplishment to behaviour probe with accuracy and integrity has a superior impact. 

After all, the statement implicit PA incitement and the poisoning of millions of young minds via its acquisition system, is simply a unrecorded and important treatment successful the European Parliament, the UK Parliament and different cardinal planetary decision-making bodies. 

More often than not, views expressed successful these forums and yet the decisions made by nationalist and planetary leaders are reliant connected quality, close research.

Preventing corroding effects of prejudice and discrimination

The stark world of PA incitement via its textbooks and GEI’s consequent nonaccomplishment to decently analyse the issue, alongside Russia’s exploitation of curricula for governmental purposes, should supply a wake-up call. 

After all, successful each state whether successful a struggle portion oregon not, acquisition plays a important relation successful perpetuating nationalist narratives and fostering societal norms. 

No substance wherever successful the world, acquisition curricula indispensable beryllium rigorously researched to forestall the real-world consequences of prejudice and favoritism being disseminated, which if near unchecked, corrode the foundations of progress.

If we are to physique amended societies, we request much investigation and greater consciousness of the value played by textbooks studied by millions of children. 

Just arsenic nationalist wellness probe has been subjected to endless scrutiny, the aforesaid maxim indispensable present beryllium applied to analysing the curricula which volition framework the attitudes and values of the adjacent generation.

The Most Hon. Marquess of Reading Lord Simon Isaacs is the Chairman of the Barnabas Foundation.

At Euronews, we judge each views matter. Contact america astatine [email protected] to nonstop pitches oregon submissions and beryllium portion of the conversation.