In Teaching About Mideast, Boston Area Schools Get Poor Mark

By Steven Stotsky/JNS.org

Controversy continues to simmer in the upscale Boston suburb of\nNewton over the use of biased and substandard instructional materials to teach\nstudents about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Recently, the town spared no\nexpense renovating one of its high schools at a cost of $200 million. But Newton’ s commitment its schools has not translated into ensuring that factually accurate material is used to teach students about the Middle East.< p data-type="item">As the 2013 school year came to a close, controversy continued to simmer in the upscale Boston suburb of Newton over the use of biased and substandard instructional materials to teach students about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In recent years, the town spared no expense renovating one of its high schools at a cost of $200 million. But Newton’s commitment to its schools has not translated into ensuring that factually accurate material is used to teach students about the Middle East.

Click photo to download. The anti-Israel \”Arab World Studies Notebook,\” pictured, has been used to educate Massachusetts students in the Newton schools. Credit: Amazon.

The controversy began two years ago when a parent, looking over his daughter’s reading assignment, discovered a handout that accused Israeli soldiers of abusing and murdering imprisoned Palestinian women. The selection came from a textbook called The Arab World Studies Notebook. This textbook had already been exposed for its advocacy of Islam and for making ludicrous claims—for example, that Muslim explorers discovered America and that Iroquois Indians had Muslim names. The outcry that followed prompted the school administration to remove it.

Click photo to download. The anti-Israel \”Arab World Studies Notebook,\” pictured, has been used to educate Massachusetts students in the Newton schools. Credit: Amazon.

The controversy began two years ago when a parent, looking over his daughter’s reading assignment, discovered a handout that accused Israeli soldiers of abusing and murdering imprisoned Palestinian women. The selection came from a textbook called The Arab World Studies Notebook. This textbook had already been exposed for its advocacy of Islam and for making ludicrous claims—for example, that Muslim explorers discovered America and that Iroquois Indians had Muslim names. The outcry that followed prompted the school administration to remove it.

Click photo to download. The anti-Israel \”Arab World Studies Notebook,\” pictured, has been used to educate Massachusetts students in the Newton schools. Credit: Amazon.

The controversy began two years ago when a parent, looking over his daughter’s reading assignment, discovered a handout that accused Israeli soldiers of abusing and murdering imprisoned Palestinian women. The selection came from a textbook called The Arab World Studies Notebook. This textbook had already been exposed for its advocacy of Islam and for making ludicrous claims—for example, that Muslim explorers discovered America and that Iroquois Indians had Muslim names. The outcry that followed prompted the school administration to remove it.