Tel Aviv principal defends banning IDF program from his school
Principal says he received death threats due to decision, cites pedagogical reasons for ban of army program.
By Or Kashti Tags: Gabi Ashkenazi Israel news IDFThe principal of Tel Aviv's prestigious Gymnasia Herzliya High School attempted to explain on Sunday his decision not to take part in a joint army-Education Ministry program; which angered Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenzi.
"The idea that the army will educate teachers casts major doubt on the work the teachers do, all day all the time. It damages one of the most basic foundations of our profession. I am not against the army, I am against the blurring of boundaries, when officer come to teach teachers how to educate,' the principal, Dr. Zeev Dagani, said.
Dagani said he has received death threats and condemnation ever since he announced that the school would not be taking part in the program, which began last month in some 270 high schools throughout the country. The program brings officers with the rank of lieutenant colonel and colonel to the schools to instruct teachers how to encourage young people to join the army and sign up for combat roles.
Increasing draft rates is one of the goals of the Education Ministry; Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar is overseeing the program.
The Education Ministry said the goal of the program is "educational and values-related dialogue between educators and commanders to raise dilemmas and questions of values and morals with which educators and commanders deal."
Dagani cited pedagogical reasons in his decision not to take part.
Participation in the program is at the discretion of each principal.
On Sunday, the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Ashkenazi, an alumnus of Gymnasia Herzliya, said "I am ashamed of the school where I studied."
According to Gymnasia Herzliya figures, 96.2 percent of its male graduates go into the army. It has a Gadna paramilitary course and a specialized Gadna course with increased Arabic studies. Soldiers in uniform conduct a draft-preparation course in the school and senior reserve officers are invited on a regular basis for lectures on various subjects.
Dagani said the responses he has received on his decision show extreme intolerance.
"It would have been much easier for me to have agreed to the program. But the little that is left to us educators is the right to work according to out conscience and our pedagogic understanding. The responses are depressing and very frightening," he said.
Last week, officers from the Paratroops Brigade visited the Gymnasia Realit school in Rishon Lezion. The principal, Shosh Vinter, said the experience was very positive.
"The meeting was an opportunity for the faculty to learn about educational activities in the army and learn how the military complements our educational work," she said.
Numerous Herzliya Gymnasia students signed a letter to Ashkenazi, which stated: "We do not believe that obedience to the military should be required of various systems, particularly the education system, which promotes individualistic thinking."
"We have the right not to follow what everyone else does like a herd," one student, Dana Sandal said.
However, another student, Meron Manzin, said: "They should let the officers come, so the teachers can get us psyched up about going into the army. It's the teachers' job to train us for military life."
The Education Ministry said: "The quota for participation in the program has been filled and no school was obligated to participate. Schools were very willing and satisfied with the program."
The ministry also said Dagani's remarks were "unfortunate" but also noted the school's programs to encourage service in the IDF.
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"They should let the officers come, so the teachers can get us psyched up about going into the army. It's the teachers' job to train us for military life." :-(
Most people have nations in which they live; not all (or even most) are homelands. Much of the problem many of us have with Israel is the fact that it claims to be a homeland for a religion.
"Lay up all day. Read Mein Kampf. A wonderful book, with good ideas on education, health, propaganda, organization etc.?and ideals which Hitler does not practise himself."- Lord Baden-powell. He wasn't organizing the youth to fight the Germans.. The military really love dictatorships ruled by the military....
Zahalnazahalinazi, boom di boom di boom di boom di ....
and still hold on to his job, 'military youth programs' fundamentalist soldiers and Army rabbis, Army radio and other invasions of the military into civilian institutions, next they will be dictating the school curiculum and all will be lost to the military state....
As a teacher, I couldn't agree with Mr Dagani and Lauren more. Promoting the army in school ! I have only heard of such practice from the son of the Iranian ambasador to Switzerland, years ago when the war in Iraq was at its height. He was so happy to be in public school here after the pressure he had been through. Mr Dagani's decision is wise, courageous and far-sighted.
Pal in Diaspora, I read somewhere where Lord Baden Powell organized the Boy Scouts as a paramilitary group to prepare the Young Men of England for the war effort. That was in the early decades of the twentieth century. Helping little old ladies cross the street was the last of the movement's concern. For the record Kadhaffi in Lybia, and other Arab nations pull the same shtick, and, their oppositon to the State of Israel is integral to that movement's philosophy. To believe in the right of the Jewish People in the Land of Israel, at its best, does not deny the right of Arabs to their homelands, but Arab nationalism doesn't accept any Jewish sovereignty at all, in any part of the world. That the principal insists on holding to "his principles", forgetting the difference between the two movements is the problem.
Army wants to teach a teachers how to teach. And many schools are interested in this project. Hmmmmm, all right... Than, why you are talking about "Israeli civilians" everytime? How many civilians has Israel actually, if all "men" and "women" from 17th year of life are ACTIVE soldiers????? CHILDREN SOLDIERS - horrible... And why are you criticizing Iran, Syria and other neighbours due to weapons, african countries due to children soldiers, when you self are military regime and you have children soldiers? It is massive hypocrisy, isn't it? If you have REALLY CIVIL education, there MUST be every army activity on the CIVIL schools strictly prohibited (in the Europe it is so and we have special army high schools and gymnasia and, of course, universities). If not, you have no civilians!!! It is very important in every case of every Hamas or Hizballah or other attack. Where are no civilians, no civil education, hospitals, radio etc., there are no war crimes, no "attacks on civilians"..
Methinks I see a little bit of hafukh al hafukh. Once there was this celebrity, he wrote poems, song lyrics, and had a weekly column in Ma'ariv. He liked to lambast Haredim who didn't usually serve in the Army until . . . his son became rock star that told young people not to go into Zahal. Eventually the celebrity and his son, who found a way of getting out of military service became good friends. You usually read how Haredim trash the military, but lately, we hear the opposite. There are even some commanders who consider Haredi soldiers combatant and noncombatant far superior to the Non-Halachically Observant soldiers. They see Haredim as a throwback to the days when young people from the Kibbutz served in Zahal in '50s and '60s who came to serve the nation. I look forward to the day when we have a Haredi Ramatkal!
Neither the IOF (Isareli OCCUPATION Forces) nor any other army (including hamas') have any right going into schools and brainwashing students into enlisting to do their dirty, brutal business.
Schools should never be used subject our youth to any form of indoctrination! Voluntary programs fine, but students in classrooms are a captive audience. I've opposed this program since I first heard of it, largely because of an instant analogy that flashed across my mind. This is not a good thing.
According to Army Radio, which isn't usually very sympathetic to the religious: ?after the Golani Brigade and Bahad-1 Officer Training Base, the religious-Zionist camp has now become an absolute majority in the Israel Air Force?s elite Shaldag unit.? Most of the new cadets in Shaldag also happen to live in Judea and Samaria, the report notes. In fact, among the first religious officers in Shaldag was none other than a son of the head of the National Union party, MK Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh). http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135831 and Golani Brigade Goes Religious http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135401 and Half of IDF's New Combat Officers are Religious http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/123492
Not like they will have a choice anyway. They will be forced into army whether they want to or not. But brainwashing does help to reduce active resistance. I wish Israel would abolish shameful policy of compulsory army service, which is nothing else but a form of slavery under different name.
I am in agreement with the principal; this is, in my opinion, a clear crossing of lines. The classroom is not the appropriate venue for this discussion. As a teacher, I will not be "lectured" by the army on what and how to present army service to my pupils.