The leader of the UK’s biggest education union has called for philosophy to be embedded in England’s school curriculum, allowing more time for pupils to discuss difficult world topics such as conflict in the Middle East.

As schools sought the best way to mark the first anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel and the war in Gaza, Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said there was not enough space in the curriculum for classroom discussion of the issue.

While some schools are holding open discussions in tutor time and assemblies on the subject, elsewhere teachers are nervous of talking about the conflict.

Concern is also growing about the number of pupils and teachers in England with family members who are directly affected. “I know lots of students hear about and feel worried about the news of the escalation,” Kebede told the Guardian. “They’re seeing it, they’re hearing it on the news, and they’re hearing other adults discuss what’s happening.

“I know teachers who have family who were affected by 7 October and what happened in Israel and I know of teachers who have students who are in other surrounding Middle East countries affected at the moment. So it is a very difficult time for all people who have relations abroad in the Middle East.

“I’ve come across schools dealing with things well – they’re not ignoring the situation and are acknowledging children’s anxieties through tutor time, or there have been assemblies. I’ve certainly met teachers who perhaps feel a bit more nervous about talking about the conflict.”

Kebede said teachers were well aware of the requirement for them to be politically neutral. “But it is valid and sensible to talk about the conflict and it obviously does relate to many parts of the curriculum.”

He added: “If I’m being honest, the number one driver preventing schools from being able to allow space for children to discuss the difficult topics in the world around them is that they have so much to do in the curriculum elsewhere to meet performance targets.”

The government recently launched a curriculum and assessment review led by the education expert Prof Becky Francis that is due to publish recommendations next year.

Kebede said: “I think we should embed philosophy for children across the curriculum and reduce curriculum content. I used to teach philosophy for children. It’s a dialogic approach that allows children to form their own opinions and come to a clearer understanding themselves of the world around then. But it’s not always easy to find the time to do that in today’s education system.”

The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors incidents of antisemitism, and Tell Mama, which tracks complaints of anti-Muslim hate, have reported an increase in incidents in schools.

The CST said that in the 12 months since 7 October 2023 there had been 141 antisemitic incidents affecting Jewish schoolchildren on their journeys to and from school, 102 targeting Jewish schools and 180 affecting Jewish children and staff at non-Jewish schools. On Monday, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, confirmed £7m of funding to fight antisemitism in education.

Over a similar period, Tell Mama recorded 141 hate incidents in schools linked to the war in the Middle East, with students from Middle Eastern and/or Muslim backgrounds being called “terrorists” and “Hezbollah”.

Iman Atta, the director of Tell Mama, said: “Schools need to facilitate dialogue that encourages those of many identities to talk about who they are, what they believe and what commonalities we all share and build towards collective understanding and empathy.”

Glenn Bezalel, a deputy head at the City of London school and author of a book called Teaching Classroom Controversies, said many schools were avoiding teaching or talking about the conflict altogether. “Schools are afraid of getting it wrong and potentially ending up in the eye of a media storm,” said Bezalel, adding: “It’s too complex to understand for many teachers who don’t have sufficient training. Pupils with direct links to the conflict have said how school is and should be a safe haven where they can enjoy time with their friends and focus on their studies – the last thing they want is an emotionally driven discussion that could get out of hand so easily.

“Keeping children safe is our overriding responsibility. It is too raw and emotionally fraught right now to expect pupils to have a cerebral and disinterested debate when they may well have family members who have fallen victim to the conflict.”

Other schools are being supported by expert organisations, including the education charity Solutions Not Sides (SNS), which aims to create safe spaces for respectful disagreement, critical thinking and empathy. Over the past school year, 11,000 students in the UK completed SNS’s youth education programme while a further 2,000 teachers and community leaders were trained in navigating “Israel-Palestine polarisation and hatred”.

The charity’s director and founder, Sharon Booth, writing on the SNS website, said: “The pain of this year for our communities has been devastating. The progress we make from here will be paramount. It’s time to de-escalate, educate, and give the next generation the chance to define a future of peace, justice, equality, and a rejection of hate.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said schools should promote respect and tolerance between people of different beliefs in a safe and controlled environment. “We know navigating these issues can be challenging, which is why we provide extensive advice and resources such as approved lesson plans through our Educate Against Hate service,” they said.

Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Teachers and leaders will be doing all they can to provide appropriate support in places where this is required.”