Supporting Teachers in Conflict | David Edwards | FreshEd

Описание: David Edwards, General Secretary of Education International representing 33 million teachers worldwide, shares his harrowing experience attempting to enter the West Bank on International Day of Education. Edwards and his delegation were detained for seven hours at Israeli checkpoints, interrogated about their connections to Palestinian teachers, and ultimately denied entry despite having official invitations to attend a teacher training graduation ceremony.

This episode exposes the deeply political nature of education in conflict zones and challenges the notion that educational work can remain neutral or apolitical. Edwards argues that teaching inevitably becomes political when it involves questions of identity, history, and critical thinking - making teachers both powerful agents of change and targets of suppression by authoritarian regimes worldwide.

📚 KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED:
• Edwards' detention and interrogation at Israeli checkpoints while trying to reach the West Bank
• The political targeting of education workers and accusations of supporting "terrorism"
• UNRWA's role in Palestinian education and why it's viewed with suspicion
• The reality faced by Palestinian teachers: violence, payment delays, and mobility restrictions
• Contested narratives around Palestinian curriculum and claims of "incitement"
• The inherently political nature of education and historical examples of teacher resistance
• EU funding freezes based on curriculum content concerns
• Hope and resilience among Palestinian educators despite systemic obstacles

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
01:14 Attempting to cross into the West Bank on International Day of Education
05:23 Seven hours of detention and interrogation at checkpoints
07:08 UNRWA's role and why Israeli officials are suspicious
11:01 Interrogation tactics and searching through contacts
12:30 Final denial of entry and forced return to Jordan
16:12 The contradiction between education as solution and threat
18:28 EU funding freezes over Palestinian curriculum concerns
21:03 How Education International supports teachers despite barriers
23:01 Virtual graduation ceremony and doubling down on commitment

👤 ABOUT THE GUEST:
David Edwards serves as General Secretary of Education International, the global federation of teacher unions representing more than 33 million educators worldwide. In this role, Edwards advocates for teachers facing persecution and difficult working conditions across conflict-affected regions including Palestine, Myanmar, Sudan, Yemen, and Ukraine. He describes his evolution from "policy wonk" to "human rights defender" through direct engagement with teachers living under authoritarian regimes. Edwards regularly travels to support teacher unions globally and has made multiple previous visits to Palestinian territories to support professional development programs focused on distance education, social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed pedagogy. He also serves as a board member of FreshEd.

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💡 ABOUT FRESHED:
FreshEd is a weekly podcast exploring critical questions in education research, policy, and practice. With 400+ episodes featuring leading scholars from around the world, FreshEd examines comparative education, higher education policy, international development, critical pedagogy, and educational futures. Hosted by Will Brehm.

#Education #EdPodcast #Palestine #TeacherRights #ConflictEducation #HumanRights #EducationPolicy

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