With the Covid-19 pandemic's grip on the world loosening, Russian president Vladimir Putin has seen fit to precipitate another global crisis through his ill-advised invasion of Ukraine, branded a “military operation for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine”.
The humanitarian crisis unleashed by the invasion is almost impossible to square with the purported reasons. The plausible explanation, however, is that it is an effort by Russia to curb the expansion of the Nato alliance were former Soviet Union allies to join, which would further weaken the prestige of Russia as a global imperial force.
The “denazification” pretext does not reconcile with the fact the Ukranian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is Jewish.
The invasion has been widely condemned with the UN General Assembly adopting a resolution demanding a full withdrawal. Subsequently, the International Court of Justice has ordered Russia to suspend military operations.
The invasion of Ukraine should be seen as an act of aggression against a neighbouring country and a violation of the UN Charter and the Roman Statute, which prohibits “the invasion or attack, or any annexation by the use of force of the territory of another state or part thereof”.
SA chose to abstain from the UN vote that condemned the invasion, which on its own can be seen as siding with Russia owing to apartheid-era historical ties and common membership of the Brics alliance.
The invasion has had a devastating impact on the Ukrainian people, forcing them to flee their homes. Families were separated, with children being exposed to images of devastation.
Another area which has been severely affected by the invasion is in the reported attacks on schools in Ukraine, which have endangered the lives and futures of the country’s 7.5m children with reports of more than 10 children killed in the fighting and schools being bombed across the country.
According to Save the Children, schools must be “inviolable safe spaces for children and teachers, which are granted protection even in times of conflict”.
Unicef, through the Safe Schools Declaration, also stipulates that “education facilities should remain safe spaces where children can be protected from threats and crises and a haven where they can learn, play and grow their full potential”.
On the other hand, the Russian Union of Rectors, which represents more than 700 higher education executives, has endorsed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a letter with nearly 180 signatures, they said: “This is Russia’s decision to finally end an eight-year confrontation between Ukraine and Donbas, achieve a demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine, and thereby protect itself from growing military threats.
"It is very important these days to support our country, our army, which defends our security, to support our president, who perhaps made the most difficult, hard-won but necessary decision in his life.”
Against this background of tension and uncertainty, the classroom can provide safe spaces for pupils to express their fears and concerns about the conflict. The role of the teacher can be that of inspiring pupils to feel hopeful and to promote a sense of agency through thoughtful, honest and developmentally appropriate activities.
Pupils can be encouraged to become global citizens and to think beyond their regional confines and start thinking about making changes to the world and contributing to peace, stability and community building.
It is imperative for teachers to display empathy by monitoring pupils who may be directly affected through having relatives caught up in the conflict zone. Another concern should be for those pupils who might have lived through war, which might trigger unpleasant memories and thus worsen these experiences.
The importance of familiarity with global affairs should be highlighted. This is because research shows that discussion of global affairs increases empathy and helps pupils develop an understanding for people around them who may have different backgrounds and experiences. Stories with a human touch such as the Polish citizens opening of their homes to fleeing Ukrainians, should be highlighted.
The conflict can also offer an opportunity to explain historical terms such as the Soviet Union, Nato and Cold War. This will provide context and increase understanding and curiosity, thus creating a desired atmosphere for learning.
The teacher’s aim should not be to impart knowledge or to indoctrinate, but to guide pupils as they learn more about the conflict. The UN resolution condemning the invasion can be used as a source. The competing narratives should be given equal exposure for pupils to get the bigger picture and draw their own conclusions.
In the end, pupils should be patiently guided towards an acknowledgment of the futility and undesirability of war as a means towards the resolution of conflict.
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