IMPACT-SE

Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education. Promoting @UNESCO-derived #peace standards in #education around the world since 1998.

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The Daily Sun @dailysunbd recently reported on Bangladesh’s National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) decision to revise school textbooks to better reflect what it calls the country’s “true history.” The changes may include new material on the 2024 student-led uprising and revised interpretations of major historical events.

The analysis raises broader questions about how curriculum reforms can change students' perceptions of identity, historical memory, coexistence, and international relations. Questions surrounding the representation of history will always be contested, yet they remain undeniably important in shaping how future generations understand the world around them.

Read the full analysis here: https://t.co/lz1QzbXmZM

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IMPACT-SE’s new report on Jordan’s textbooks finds that while the curriculum includes themes of peace, tolerance, and coexistence, these values are not consistently reflected throughout the material.

The study highlights positive examples, which encourage religious moderation and present Christians as an integral part of Jordanian society. At the same time though, some texts condemn “infidels”, describing their punishment in hell.

The report also finds that antisemitic tropes remain highly prominent, while homophobic content portrays homosexuality as a threat to the continuation of mankind. Concerningly, violent interpretations of jihad and martyrdom are praised and glorified, including in newly introduced material for the current school year.

Overall, although Jordan’s curriculum includes content which encourages moderation and coexistence, these messages are inconsistent and at times material appears to foster intolerance and violence, falling short of UNESCO standards for peace and tolerance.

Read the full report: https://t.co/vZq2k7Y56C

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A recent analysis by @UNICEF reveals that more than one million Afghan girls have been denied the right to secondary education since 2021.

The findings highlight grave consequences that extend far beyond schools; restricting girls’ access to education affects a country’s health system, economy, and long-term development.

The analysis is an important reminder that gender equality in both school attendance and educational content is not a marginal social issue, but a central factor in the future and stability of societies as a whole.

Read the full UNICEF analysis here: https://t.co/IbEPgYg5OA

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IMPACT-se’s latest research on the Iranian school curriculum was featured in the @nypost, highlighting textbook content that includes classroom exercises calculating missile strike times, the vilification of the West, and imagery depicting violent attacks on civilians.

These findings are particularly relevant amid ongoing regional conflict and global tensions. The research provides insight into how attitudes are shaped in Iranian schools, pointing to a concerning pattern in which educational materials normalize and promote war, violent jihad, and nuclear domination.

Read the full article here:
https://t.co/g4KDBAK9uX

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EU Reporter has published an op-ed by IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff highlighting a troubling reality: textbooks in some European countries fail to adequately address, and in some cases still perpetuate, antisemitic blood libels in their educational content.

Despite European commitments to combat antisemitism, this article underscores the importance of education free from hateful tropes and the need to critically examine national curricula.

Read the full article here: https://t.co/zYQBzA9lB3

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@eureporter has published an op-ed by IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff highlighting a troubling reality: textbooks in some European countries fail to adequately address, and in some cases still perpetuate, antisemitic blood libels in their educational content.

Despite European commitments to combat antisemitism, this article underscores the importance of education free from hateful tropes and the need to critically examine national curricula.

Read the full article here: https://t.co/yCuMhTF4hC

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Against the backdrop of the ongoing US–Israel–Iran war, IMPACT-se examines how Iran’s national curriculum and school textbooks provide a lens into the threat the regime poses not only to the US, Israel, and the West, but also to regional actors across the Middle East and to its own civilian population.

The analysis shows how Iran’s education system advances the regime’s Khomeinist ideology, presenting nuclear dominance and the glorification of jihadist leaders as central to its national and religious identity.

By analyzing curriculum content and educational messaging, the article raises urgent questions about how state education furthers the regime’s intentions and what this may mean for the long-term stability of the Middle East.

Read the full paper here: https://t.co/2QypsO23vY

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In a new article published by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (@ISGAP), IMPACT-se’s Madeleine Ferris examines how centuries-old antisemitic blood libels continue to surface in modern education systems, even in countries formally committed to combating antisemitism.

As the ten-year anniversary of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism approaches in 2026, the analysis raises timely questions about how signatory states translate formal commitments into classroom practice, and whether education systems are truly aligned with them.

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Our new study finds that Tunisia’s curriculum places a strong emphasis on peaceful coexistence, intercultural dialogue, and global cooperation. Textbooks broadly reject extremism and promote diversity, with gender equality taught as a national ideal. This approach positions Tunisia as a comparatively progressive case within the regional context.

However, the study identifies notable inconsistencies in the curriculum’s treatment of Jewish identity and the Arab–Israeli conflict. Jews are portrayed through antisemitic stereotypes, and Zionism is often framed as a colonial project. The Arab–Israeli conflict is often presented through a one-sided lens, with peace agreements criticized and violence against Israelis at times legitimized.

Overall, Tunisia’s textbooks offer a strong foundation for education in tolerance and global engagement, but would benefit from greater balance and historical completeness in their treatment of Jewish history and complex international conflicts.

Click here to view the report: https://t.co/wJoDTSTivv

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In a new paper, IMPACT-se’s Matan Perchikov illustrates how the UAE curriculum mobilizes both Arab cultural and local national heritage, as well as Islamic religious tradition, to reinforce messages of peace and tolerance.
It is a message reinforced in an introduction by @k_m_almazroui Dr Karima Matar Al Mazroui of the @MBZUH Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities.

In particular, the paper highlights the importance of the UAE’s introduction of Moral Education as a distinct subject and the pedagogic approach of Islamic Education textbooks.

By drawing simultaneously on religious textual authority and national cultural identity, the curriculum presents tolerance not as imported or an externally imposed standard, but as an organic and deeply rooted value in Emirati society.

Read the paper here: https://t.co/JS6yY5N9KG

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IMPACT-se’s new report on Hungary’s textbooks, part of the European Textbook Review Series, finds that state-approved textbooks provide students with a strong foundation in Jewish historical awareness and a contextualised understanding of Judaism, antisemitism, and Israel.

The curriculum includes extensive coverage of Jewish history and religious traditions, recognises Jewish contributions to Hungary’s development, and presents Jewish communities as an integral part of the national fabric.

Holocaust education is treated in depth and often personalised through individual stories, with many textbooks using the Hebrew term Shoah.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is generally presented accurately and objectively, with some materials also addressing the expulsion of Jews from Arab states, a rare inclusion in European curricula.

Read the full report: https://t.co/WazOmdgiA9

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During a recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, we were warmly welcomed at the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities @MBZUH by H.E. Dr. Khalifa Mubarak Al Dhaheri, the University Chancellor, and the senior leadership team.

Our meeting explored promising opportunities for academic collaboration, with a shared focus on developing educational and research initiatives that promote critical thinking, support peaceful and inclusive learning environments, and strengthen the foundations of constructive dialogue. The Chancellor emphasized the strong alignment between MBZUH’s mission and our commitment to advancing innovative, forward-looking educational practices.

We look forward to building impactful academic partnerships and joint projects that contribute positively to learners and communities.

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IMPACT-se’s latest report on Greece, part of our EU Textbook Series, finds that Greek school textbooks provide an accurate and respectful representation of Judaism and the Holocaust. The curriculum offers informed, positive, detailed coverage of Jewish beliefs, traditions, and festivals—teaching about Shabbat, the Torah, and major holidays with care and nuance.

A Grade 12 History textbook stands out: it devotes a full chapter to the Holocaust, includes survivor testimonies, and presents the genocide as a unique historical event. Importantly, the Greek authorities have removed an antisemitic passage relating to Israel from a textbook, demonstrating Greece’s commitment to international standards.

The report also identifies opportunities to further strengthen the curriculum, including the addition of content on antisemitism and Greek Jewish history. Such modest improvements would help further position Greece’s curriculum as a powerful tool for fostering intercultural respect and historical understanding.

Read the full report: https://t.co/dQ6Y2QfCgR

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From glorifying “martyrs” to erasing Israel from maps and promoting violence, the PA curriculum for 2025–26 remains unreformed. Science and math are politicized and used to cultivate hostility, turning learning opportunities into indoctrination. Textbooks deny Israel’s legitimacy and internationally recognized borders—perpetuating division. Despite repeated assurances to the EU and others that changes were underway, textbooks remain unchanged. The curriculum remains an active instrument of indoctrination—entrenching hate instead of building peace. Education should be a tool for tolerance, not hatred.

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IMPACT-se’s report on the 2025–26 Palestinian Authority curriculum reveals a disturbing reality: Palestinian children are still being indoctrinated with the glorification of violence, antisemitism, promotion of martyrdom and the rejection of peace—embedded even in math and science lessons. This comes despite repeated PA assurances to the EU and beyond that reforms were underway, promises that remain unfulfilled.
Full report here: https://t.co/usG8QpV2jB

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A Grade 6 Social Studies textbook defines Palestine as spanning from Lebanon to Egypt and from the Mediterranean to Jordan—claiming all of Israel’s internationally recognized territory as Palestine. A map titled “Map of Palestine” omits Israel entirely, excluding major Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, and Rishon LeZion—erasing not only borders but the very existence of Israel and its people.