– I don’t want to show cartoons in the classroom – NRK Norway – News summary from different parts of the country

– I have to take into account my group of students, the dynamics in the classroom, the work environment and the age group. I don’t want to show the cartoons from today so soon after the incident to my 13-15 year old children, Håvardsen tells NRK.

Jørpeland’s high school teacher in Rogaland disagrees with French teacher Anne Nyeggen, who in a statement to NRK early Thursday wrote that the beheading of Samuel Paty in France is a freedom of speech joke, and that the cartoons of Muhammad should be displayed in classrooms.

Almost a week has passed since the grotesque crime in a Paris suburb where teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded for displaying cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a classroom.

This will also be the topic of today’s Debate at 9:20 p.m.

Many people think it is blasphemy.

In a school lesson on freedom of expression, Paty had shown controversial cartoons of Muhammad that had been printed by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Freedom of expression has become part of the calendar after the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo in 2015.

Several of the students’ parents responded and many believe it is blasphemous to display a description of the Prophet.

Now Anne Nyeggen says that this situation has become absurd.

– The blackest day and the biggest trauma in the recent history of France, January 7, 2015, should not be counted in French classrooms for fear that the teacher will be killed. Or maybe they can talk about the massacre, but can’t show examples of the drawings that contributed to the brutal murder of 12 newspaper artists and cartoonists for the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo almost six years ago. This is absurd, says Nyeggen.

Teachers and others have taken to social media and have thought that Norwegian teachers should show solidarity with Paty by displaying the cartoons in their classrooms.

– Students will be hanging out

Hilde Synnøve Håvardsen disagrees with that and believes that freedom of expression can be taught without reference to drawings.

– Show them that now, so close to the event, is to hang out with students who have nothing to do with this, he says.

Think that teachers know their students well. What is correct for one teacher or one grade level may be completely wrong for other age groups and class compositions.

– It would also not show images of Utøya shortly after July 22. He could never have done it if he had known that he had students who are affected in some way, Håvardsen says.

She believes that safety in the classroom is the most important thing and says that for many years she has taught students who have not been in the country for a long time.

– I work every day so that they feel safe. Many of my students have not been here long enough and do not have the same cultural knowledge as us. These drawings are an insult to them, says Håvardsen.

Cold “cowardly”

Anne Nyeggen writes in her statement that she and the students have wept together for the crime against Paty and the great loss for French society and for the world indeed.

– Since then, freedom of expression has been severely restricted. He suffered a major setback with the Jyllandsposten drawings in 2005 and got on his knees with Charlie Hebdo, says Nyeggen.

Håvardsen says she has spoken to several other teachers who feel the same way as her. On social media, other colleagues have called them “cowards” and accused them of having anxiety when touching them.

– We do not have anxiety about contact with these issues, but showing the cartoons to young people between 13 and 15 years old can contribute to conflicts between students. My responsibility as a teacher is not to violate human dignity and to provide safety and care for each student in the classroom, she says and adds:

– Discuss the various conflicts that we do all the time, in Krle, Norwegian and society. We let students argue for and against, just to teach them respect and understanding that others mean something different to themselves. Be it the Israel-Palestine conflict, terrorist incidents and the like.

– Scary

Education Minister Guri Melby spoke to Dagsnytt18 two days ago about the case.

– Norwegian teachers can show Muhammad cartoons in teaching if they think it is relevant.

This is what the Minister of Education and Integration Guri Melby (V) says.

Melby believes that it is terrifying that a teacher can be killed for showing a cartoon in teaching.