A SCOTTISH council has come under fire after one of its schools handed out homework to primary pupils describing Palestinians as "terrorists".

 

Parents from New Stevenston Primary School in Motherwell made the complaint after children in P7 received a homework assignment on terrorism and terror.

One of the case studies pupils were asked questions on stated: "Palestinians feel they have the right to use terrorism against Israelis" and asks pupils to give two reasons for this. The homework also asks pupils to "describe two examples of Palestinian terrorist activities".

In the accompanying information pupils are told that: "Palestinians have turned to terrorist methods for over 30 years."

It adds: "Recently terrorists have carried out suicide bombings on buses and public places. They are respected by their own community as martyrs. A solution to this extremism is hard to find."

Sid Khan, whose friends have children at the school, said they were horrified when their children brought it home.

He said: "There was concern that the homework issued by the school was presenting an unacceptable blanket approach to the views of Palestinians.

"That would imply that if you were Palestinian you would consider terrorism be a permissible and acceptable approach.

"Given the current climate around radicalisation we should be illuminating these issues rather than this approach and there is also a concern that children in primary school are being asked to describe terrorist activities."

Issam Hijawi, chair of the Association of Palestinians Communities in Scotland (APCS) said he was "shocked" by the assignment.

He said: "We are calling for this to be withdrawn immediately and we want to have a meeting with the education department at North Lanarkshire Council to discuss how this situation arose.

"It is unbelievable that they are giving 11-year-old pupils information asserting that our struggle for freedom is pure terrorism. The questions are not only biased but they are contradicting the legal framework of the Palestinian cause."

The issue came to light after the sister of a P7 pupil at New Stevenston primary posted about it on Facebook.

Aliyah Shafiq posted a copy of the homework and wrote: "How is my little sister being made to answer questions like this for her homework? This is completely unacceptable and has to be complained about to North Lanarkshire Council."

The original image has been shared hundreds of times and the council has been inundated with complaints.

A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council's Learning and Leisure Services said: "The homework material used was taken from a teaching pack which is now obsolete. We are contacting all schools to ensure this particular material is no longer used.

"The description of Palestinian people is entirely inappropriate and apologise unreservedly for the offence caused.

"The topic is explored by pupils as part of the social studies programme: "People, past events and societies" and this includes conflict situations around the world. This topic aims to gives pupils a greater understanding of the nature of different conflicts and their regional, global and historical significance and does not pass any judgement on the subject."