THE Scottish Secretary has been blasted over his response – revealed via FOI – to an alleged pro-Israel “smear campaign” of a group of Scottish educators.
We previously told of how Educators for Peace (EFP), a voluntary group of teachers and lecturers advocating for peace in Palestine, were forced to seek legal advice after UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) sent a 50-page dossier about the group to numerous Scottish public authorities.
Now, correspondence obtained through a Freedom of Information request has revealed how Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander responded after UKLFI raised its concerns directly with him.
In a letter dated July 2, Alexander began by addressing recent attacks against British Jews, saying they represented “a crisis for us all” and stressing the UK Government’s commitment to tackling antisemitism.
While saying he could not comment on individual organisations, Alexander went on to tell UKLFI that where there was evidence of “purposeful actions” potentially radicalising people towards terrorism or violence, “proportionate disruptive action” would be considered.
He added: “If you have concerns that the individuals you refer to in your letter are on a pathway to terrorism or at risk of being radicalised, then you can refer them to Prevent.”
He then directed UKLFI’s concerns about the use of EFP materials in Scottish schools to the Scottish Government because education is devolved.
Responding to the letter, EFP said it was “disappointed” that Alexander appeared to have “uncritically accepted UKLFI’s framing” of its work.
“At best, Mr Alexander's response was irresponsible, as he failed to take appropriate steps to verify the claims being made; at worst, it makes him complicit in a campaign of intimidation against us,” the group said. “Either way, we will not be silenced.”
The response has also been condemned by the Scottish Greens, with the party’s education spokesperson Laura Moodie describing it as “absolutely horrific” and accusing Alexander of issuing a “cut and paste” response.
“Douglas Alexander should have read the documents that were sent to him or even conducted some basic research,” Moodie said.
“If he did, he would have seen that Educators for Peace uses evidence-led and peer-reviewed resources developed over a long time by experienced educators.”
She added: “This kind of approach has serious implications for free speech and for any educators who wish to openly oppose the genocide in Gaza. Any resources looking at the ongoing situation in the Middle East would need to touch on Palestine and Israel; that much is obvious.
“Rather than take a sensible, fact-based approach to this issue, it appears the Scottish Secretary would rather stick his head in the sand and avoid it at all costs.”
UKLFI had said on its website in May that it contacted Alexander, then-education secretary Jenny Gilruth, Education Scotland and the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) to “raise serious concerns” about EFP’s “worrying activities”.
The organisation's intervention formed part of what EFP has characterised as a “smear campaign” against it.
UKLFI, meanwhile, has accused EFP of spreading “hate and misinformation” and alleged that the group was bringing “highly partisan anti-Israel activism into Scottish schools”.
EFP has “categorically and wholly” rejected the allegations.
It has particularly disputed UKLFI’s “core allegation” that it rejects “the need to hold impartiality in the classroom”.
“This is a distortion and misrepresentation of our position,” EFP said.
“In the last year, we have held professional learning sessions exploring the concepts of neutrality and impartiality vis-a-vis educators’ responsibilities to uphold social justice in the classroom.”
In the statement sent to the Sunday National regarding Alexander’s response, EFP added: “Educators for Peace empowers Scottish educators to enact the professional values at the heart of being a teacher in Scotland, namely a commitment to social justice and the rights of the child.
“The quality of our work speaks for itself. Our subscriber base continues to grow, and we continue to receive outstanding feedback from fellow educators. We invite anyone to visit our website and read our testimonials and annual report to understand exactly what we do and why.”
A spokesperson for UK Lawyers for Israel said: “UKLFI provided an extremely detailed report examining EFP’s personnel, teaching resources and activities, based substantially on EFP’s own publications and those of people associated with it.
“We are concerned about EFP attempting to introduce highly contentious political positions into education, particularly to young children, and EFP’s explicit rejection of educational neutrality and impartiality. EFP has stated that ‘education is inherently political’, that neutrality can amount to complicity, and advocates pedagogies which ‘reject neutrality and impartiality’.”
They added: “Douglas Alexander confirmed that teachers in Scottish schools are expected to exercise professional judgement and ensure appropriate balance. Children in Scottish schools should not be exposed to one-sided political advocacy presented as education and are entitled to an education that does not turn the classroom into a vehicle for political campaigning.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: "In his response, the Scottish Secretary noted the correspondence, made no comment on individual organisations and made clear education is a devolved responsibility so rests with the Scottish Government.”
