Holocaust Memorial Day

ViceVersa

The Holocaust Education Trust does a lot of work with schools, including talks with some of the dwindling concentration camp survivors, and even takes school parties on visits to Auschwitz, but obviously they can't be everywhere. I accompanied one school group on one of their trips and it was an extremely moving experience, which took in more than just Auschwitz/Birkenau.

Yes, I mentioned this in my post yesterday at 11.39.
A visit to their website is worthwhile.

The Holocaust Education Trust does a lot of work with schools, including talks with some of the dwindling concentration camp survivors, and even takes school parties on visits to Auschwitz, but obviously they can't be everywhere. I accompanied one school group on one of their trips and it was an extremely moving experience, which took in more than just Auschwitz/Birkenau.

So what was happening to all the children the Guardian speaks of? Why didn’t they know?

I didn't want to say this yesterday, out of respect for what this thread was actually about - remembering those in the Holocaust.

But it puzzles me too.
One reason could be, that for a child, learning about WW2 events of 50+ years back, it is just boring "History", and some, sadly, might not pay any attention to the teaching. I guess it could be the manner in which the subject is delivered and whether cross curricular links are made, for example, making it part of PSHE. As I think growstuff said earlier, using the Holocaust to learn about prejudices and discrimination. In the bigger picture, its relevance could also form part of the school's guidance on preventing and tackling bullying.

As an aside, DGD learnt a bit about the Holocaust last year at (an all girls school) Year 6. They read from Anne Frank's diary, and what happened to Anne and others, was explained sensitively by the teacher. I even bought age appropriate children's books about the Holocaust in the Anne Frank bookshop in Amsterdam last year which DGD took into school. Alongside that book, she also read several others like:
When Hitler stole pink rabbit
The Silver Sword
Anna at War
So, in my opinion, the subject can have a much wider significance in education, and should not just be relegated to History.

I don’t actually expect anyone to be able to answer that question. I’m just wondering about it.

Oh thank you for the information growstuff and foxie. Since the Holocaust is taught in KS3, as you say, all children should cover it, although the article LizzieDrip links to, from the Guardian, shows us that despite this, many young adults seem to not know anything about the Holocaust. To not be able to name even one Nazi concentration camp is ignorance indeed.

For the record, my three went to (rather minor) independent schools from age eleven. They were all supposed to have been taught the National Curriculum. My husband taught in one of the schools and so I know that they followed the National Curriculum. Maybe my son was asleep the day they covered the Holocaust. I don’t know, but I do know that he knows it happened and he could certainly name at least one concentration camp.

So what was happening to all the children the Guardian speaks of? Why didn’t they know?

The Holocaust is a compulsory topic in KS3 so all children in state schools will have covered it and many will have had assemblies based on it today. However, in lots of schools there are not daily assemblies for every child to attend.

I lit my candle at 8pm.

maddyone

Thank you for providing that link LizzieDrip. I saw this earlier (but I’m rubbish at links.)
I’m appalled with this. If the Holocaust is supposedly covered by the National Curriculum, why is it not being taught?

Independent schools and academies don't have to follow the national curriculum.

maddyone

That’s better news Indigo. At least some of our schools are doing the right thing.
Incidentally, two of my three children covered the Holocaust in their History GCSEs, but our other child didn’t do History GCSE, and didn’t learn about it.

It's a compulsory element of the KS3 history national curriculum, so pupils shouldn't need to be studying GCSE.

It was a very moving programme. I have a candle in the window too.

I too have lit my candle.

It has been a very poignant day. I have watched the memorial programme on BBC1 just now, and I think Reeta Chakrabarti was wonderful in this presenting role. A wonderful programme.

It is very sad that schools do not have an assembly for this day?

We must never forget. We should speak of it to others, and remember always.

Just lit my candle.

Redhead56

That the human race is its own worst enemy.

It's also the enemy of every other species on the planet.

That’s better news Indigo. At least some of our schools are doing the right thing.
Incidentally, two of my three children covered the Holocaust in their History GCSEs, but our other child didn’t do History GCSE, and didn’t learn about it.

Thank you for providing that link LizzieDrip. I saw this earlier (but I’m rubbish at links.)
I’m appalled with this. If the Holocaust is supposedly covered by the National Curriculum, why is it not being taught?

Bridie22

I asked my granddaughter if they had been involved in anyway with this memorial day at school, no she said, it wasn't mentioned.
We are forgetting .

Just for the record, it was mentioned at all three of the (state) schools my GCs attend.

My two eldest GCs are both studying WWII and the Holocaust.
One is in year 7 and one is in year 11.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/26/uk-young-adults-unable-to-name-auschwitz-holocaust-education-disinformation

This article makes stark reading

Bridie22

I asked my granddaughter if they had been involved in anyway with this memorial day at school, no she said, it wasn't mentioned.
We are forgetting .

And yet it is the young who must remember.
We are the older generation; we need the young to remember after us. Shame on that school; they are failing to educate their pupils in what must be remembered. If I was a parent of a child who was there, I would be asking the school why was this not even mentioned?

This quote has been attributed to many from Edmund Burke to John F Kennedy, today I think it belongs to Simon Wiesenthal

"For evil to flourish it only takes good men to do nothing"

Last thought lest we forget.

"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me"

—Martin Niemöller

I asked my granddaughter if they had been involved in anyway with this memorial day at school, no she said, it wasn't mentioned.
We are forgetting .

This thread was for tributes to the victims of the Holocaust ?

Anniebach

Please leave politics out of this thread , we are remembering
victims of the Holocaust

Annie it was 'politics' that caused the Holocaust. How on earth can we talk about this and lessons to be learned, without acknowledging and understanding the politics that led to it.

It began with deportation from Germany ( as Trump has organised in USA, it ended with the gas chambers of the death camps......

Lest we forget, we need to know in order to stop it happening again.

You are so right Oreo

Yes I absolutely see what you mean Oreo and I agree.

The antisemitism that was around in the 1930’s is still around today.
We mustn’t think it couldn’t happen again and that way hopefully it won’t happen again, iyswim