'Black school trip': Ethiopian students record Israeli teacher texting on racist WhatsApp group
Denouncing the teachers, Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch said, "The incident will be dealt with severely with all the tools at our disposal. I'm sorry for the distress that was caused for the students. There will be zero tolerance for these sorts of incidents on my watch."
Israel’s education minister Yoav Kisch has apologised to Ethiopian Israeli schoolgirls after a video of their teacher texting on a racist Whatsapp group during a school trip went viral.
The girls spotted the teachers messaging each other in a chat group they created called ‘Black School Trip’, reported the BBC.
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The teachers involved were suspended after some girls recorded the WhatsApp chat over their shoulders. The incident happened when teachers and students from a religious high school in Netivot, southern Israel, set off on a three-day trip on last Monday.
The matter came to light when girls sitting beside one of the teachers saw her messaging in the group chat containing insulting comments towards the Ethiopian Israeli students.
"Good morning to all the 'educators' of this school," wrote a school student while sharing the video on social media. "It saddens me as a member of the [Ethiopian] community to see the level you sank to today. Instead of being our teachers and setting an example and making us feel like we're in our safest place, you did the exact opposite.
"Opening a group called 'Black School Trip' without even realising that there were students behind you and mocking your students? I see the photos, and I just don't believe that they come from our teachers.”
"You are a disgrace, I'm ashamed that you're our teachers and that you're teaching the future generation."
Denouncing the teachers, Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch said, "The incident will be dealt with severely with all the tools at our disposal. I'm sorry for the distress that was caused for the students. There will be zero tolerance for these sorts of incidents on my watch."