The Holocaust is today part of every child’s formal education in England. The principal way in which children will learn about the Holocaust is through the National Curriculum for History.
In England, by law children are to be taught about the Holocaust as part of the Key Stage 3 History curriculum. This usually occurs in Year 9 (age 13-14). While academy schools do not have to follow this syllabus, it is assumed that they will deliver Holocaust education as part of a “balanced and broadly based” curriculum. Similarly, although independent schools are not obliged to deliver the National Curriculum, many in fact do.
Although there is no formal requirement for Holocaust education in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, participation in the Trust’s Outreach programme and Lessons from Auschwitz project as well as programmes sponsored by other organisations suggests that the Holocaust is widely taught nonetheless.
Most children learn about the Holocaust in a variety of subjects as well as history. These include:
In England history becomes an optional subject after the age of 14. For those who choose to take history at GCSE and A-level, the Holocaust can be found in a number of exam specifications. The same is true of Wales and Northern Ireland. The Holocaust is not referred to in the Scottish equivalents to GCSE (Standard Grades) or A-Level (Higher/Advanced Higher).
Within higher education there is a rich a vibrant research culture around Holocaust studies. There are a number of highly respected scholars working in UK universities, and students can further their learning about the Holocaust through various courses. For postgraduates there are degrees directly focused on the Holocaust, while a growing number of research students are studying the subject in centres at Royal Holloway University, University of Manchester and University of Leicester.
Effective teaching about the Holocaust requires great skill. A number of opportunities exist for teachers wanting to increase their abilities. The Holocaust Education Development Programme (HEDP) – jointly funded by the Pears Foundation and the Department for Education – provides a course of Continuing Professional Development for teachers. As well as supporting the HEDP the Holocaust Educational Trust also has a range of teacher training programmes.
Outside of schools children encounter and learn about the Holocaust in various ways. One instance is through the outreach work of non-governmental organisations. These include:
Holocaust education also takes place in museums and research institutes. Some of these are:
The most public form of Holocaust education is the annual commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD). The day is marked on the 27th January each year – the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz – and was first held in 2001. Britain was one of the first countries in the world to hold such an event.
As technology changes, new educational opportunities arise. A good example of this is the Trust’s Recollections resource which provides teachers with eyewitness testimony. In 2010 the Trust collaborated with the award-winning TV producer Laurence Rees on educational materials for his new multimedia website ww2history.com.
Holocaust education takes a variety of forms in British society. This is to be welcomed, for Holocaust education is purposeful when approached from different angles. However, this should not breed complacency. Curriculums can change while historical events can appear irrelevant to new generations. Meeting these challenges is at the core of the Trust’s work.
For more extensive information about the history and development of Holocaust education in the UK, click here.
