More students lined the footpath outside the school,while adults wearing “Teachers for Palestine” shirts stood outside the gates. Footage of the protest was published on the Teachers for Palestine Instagram account. Teachers instructed the protesting students to go to class.

NSW Education Minister Prue Car said:“Schools are places of learning,not places of protest. The best place for students in school is in class learning. That was not the case here and that is not acceptable.

“I am advised that there will be a full school assembly tomorrow morning where those expectations will be reinforced to the entire student body. Any student who does not comply with these expectations will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action from the school.

“It is my expectation that anyone who works in a NSW public school performs their duties impartially,apolitically and professionally as set out in the department’s code of conduct.”

The Muslim Vote,backed by Charkawi,haspreviously labelled several cabinet ministers as “weak on Palestine”,and has threatened to run candidates against Labor at the election.

In response to the protest,NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said there was an antisemitism problem in some schools.

“We have to stamp down on that and we have to keep politics out of schools,” he told 2GB’s Clinton Maynard.

“People are entitled to their own views on what is happening in the Middle East,but that can’t infect school playgrounds or schools,let alone hospitals. This protest should not have happened,certainly not on school grounds.”

Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said it was “outrageous,scandalous and sad that children at a taxpayer-funded school were exploited as props at a divisive political rally”.

“Serious questions need to be asked about how this was allowed to proceed.

“For how much longer are we going to tolerate teachers employed by the public service misusing their positions under the banner of ‘Teachers for Palestine’? We need to confront the reality that we are facing a campaign designed to disrupt and destabilise all aspects of Australian life – including our schools.”

A NSW Department of Education spokesman said all of their employees have been reminded of their duty to uphold the reputation of the department as apolitical and impartial.

“Any student who did not follow directions from staff will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action,” the spokesman said.

NSW Education Department secretary Murat Dizdar last week emailed all public school staff saying their role as public sector education employees must be balanced “with our right to participate in political and community activities in a personal capacity”.

In a joint letter to public service employees last week,NSW Premier’s Department secretary Simon Draper and NSW Public Service Commissioner Kathrina Lo said public sector staff have “a duty to uphold the reputation of your department and the government sector as apolitical,impartial and professional”.

“This includes also in a private capacity in public forums,on social media,or when engaging in political or social issues. You have a right to express your views and support causes,but always with a mind to how it might impact on your role as a public servant and trust in our institutions by all members of the community,” the letter said.

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