Two Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History textbooks covering the Middle East which were withdrawn last year have been re-issued following a review process undertaken between education company and awarding body, Pearson, The Board of Deputies of British Jews and UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).
In late 2019, the textbooks entitled The Middle East: Conflict, Crisis and Change, 1917-2012 and Conflict in the Middle East, c1945-1995 were withdrawn following concerns being raised over issues of bias against Israel.
After initial constructive conversations with Pearson, the Board of Deputies worked together with UKLFI to produce thorough comments on both textbooks, which Pearson have received and acted upon. After a detailed and lengthy process over a number of months, the books have now been published for students to use in the 2020-1 academic year.
Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl said: “We applaud Pearson for their openness to constructive feedback and willingness to revise these textbooks. We are pleased with the final material which gives a balanced and accurate portrayal of the Middle East conflict. I would like to pay specific tribute and thanks to UKLFI for their hard work on this project and their collaborative efforts with us to get these textbooks to where they needed to be.”
Senior Vice President of Pearson UK Schools, Sharon Hague, said: “Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do at Pearson and we believe it is vital to work with the communities we serve to ensure our products are held to the highest standards. We are delighted to be releasing a new edition of these textbooks today at the beginning of the new academic year. We thank the Board of Deputies of British Jews and UK Lawyers for Israel for their excellent collaboration throughout and for helping us to adapt and improve materials on this important topic.”