Book “Tales of a City by the Sea” causes debate in Victoria, Australia

“Tales of a City by the Sea” a book by the Australian-Palestinian activist Samah Sabawi has been included in VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) drama curriculum. Its story takes place in the Gaza strip and is heavily criticized by jewish groups and members of parliament: “…want to know why you've got clearly an anti-Israel play being taught to our children.” Furthermore the play is a one-sided depiction of the conflict. Education minister James Merlina made clear that it is not up to the politicians to set the curriculum or to ban books from schools – so the inquiry was addressed wrongly.

Merlino trusts the schools to explain the political context and to focus on the dramatic elements. The state Victoria in Australia has the VCAA (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority) which is in charge of approving and rejecting educational content.

Editorial Staff (sz)

Sources

Photo credit: Israel and Palestine Peace by Makaristos / CC BY-SA 3.0
Information source: abc.net