Holocaust a vital part of curriculum in New South Wales...apparently

Antipodean Andy · Jul 14, 2008

Holocaust a vital part of curriculum: NSW minister - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Around six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust but in New South Wales, you might never learn about that part of history in school.

The head of the New South Wales Education Department, Michael Coutts-Trotter, says he discovered only recently that you could get through the entire compulsory school curriculum in the state and never know there was a mass killing of Jews during World War II.

His call for the Holocaust to be a mandatory component of history teaching has the backing of Jewish groups and secondary principals.

The New South Wales Board of Studies says even though it is not specifically mentioned, many students do learn about the Holocaust.

"The Holocaust can be and is taught in New South Wales schools," the Board said in a statement.

"While it is not a mandatory topic, it can be covered in several ways as part of either the mandatory or elective years seven to 10 history courses."

There is already a lot to cover in year seven to 10 history and the board is mindful not to overcrowd the curriculum.

Andrew Blair, the president of the Australian Secondary Principals Association, also says it's unlikely that large number of students leave school without ever learning of the Holocaust.

"You're not going to get in some states and territories a statement which says students must study the Holocaust," he said.

"What you will get is a statement like students being exposed to issues of treatment of humans throughout the second World War. And so therefore clearly there will be schools that will talk about the Holocaust."

Mr Blair agrees that Holocaust studies should be a key component of history lessons.

"I think that it's really important that students are exposed to the major events of civilisation and arguably the Holocaust is right up there as one of the darkest moments in human civilisation, along with the First World War, the Second World War, the Iraq War," he said.

"Whatever wars have taken place should be, young people should be exposed to, no question."

Museum 'not enough'

In the Sydney Jewish Museum visitors can look at photographs of the Holocaust, they can read about the Holocaust and they can watch and hear accounts from survivors of the Holocaust.

Thousands of school students pass through this museum every year.

Vic Alhadeff, the chief executive of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies says it may not be enough that a lot of students visit the facility.

"It's fantastic that 13,000 school students are coming through the Sydney Jewish Museum every year," he said.

"Our concern is, is that students can complete 13 years of high school education in New South Wales without ever studying the Holocaust.

"The reason that that is a concern is that the Holocaust is a seminal example of where racial hatred can lead."

But the New South Wales Board of Studies says there are opportunities and possibilities for students to study the Holocaust and teachers can exploit those.

"There certainly are opportunities but they are few and far between," Mr Alhadeff said.

Any students now curious to find out about the Holocaust will have to be quick if they want to do so at the Sydney Jewish Museum. It's closing for five weeks from Monday July 14 for refurbishment.
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Kyt · Jul 14, 2008

Tie it in with the history of the period by all means, but in needs to be taught in context. Rarifying the subject doesn't normally work in education at that level

Antipodean Andy · Jul 14, 2008

Perhaps that's why it is avoided because it is one part of a much, much larger story?

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