Hundreds of high school students are expected to walk out of classrooms across Melbourne today to rally in support of Palestine.
Students from a number of inner-city schools will participate in the strike, which will begin on the steps of Flinders Street Station.
The protest has been inspired by mass school walk-outs in the US and UK.
Organiser Ivy said the “city-wide walk-out” was a powerful way to cause disruption.
“We are walking out because there’s genocide happening right now and we have to take action,” she said.
“Schools talk about politics all the time but on this issue we are silenced.”
Real Schools chief executive Adam Voigt told Today the unfolding situation in the Middle East was a “sensitive” topic for schools to navigate.
“It is a tricky issue for them to handle and to handle sensitively and with respect to the way that families are feeling,” he said.
“The good part is from an operational point of view schools are well equipped.
“These are the people who switched to remote learning and did it really successfully.
“They are trying to manage the people part of it and trying also to encourage their young people to be safe and I can understand that.
“Tensions are high and schools are really trying to lean into their moral obligation at the moment.”
Premier Jacinta Allan urged students not to skip school.
“School attendance is a matter for individual schools, and individual schools working with their families,” she said.
An education department spokesperson previously told 9news.com.au that schools were communicating with parents and carers about escalating conflict in Melbourne.
“Schools also ensure students understand that any form of racism is not tolerated, and nor is any language likely to incite any form of racism, antisemitism or violence,” the spokesperson said.
Similar events are believed to be planned in Adelaide today, while students across Sydney will strike tomorrow.
