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Over recent months there have been a number of rumours circulating via email regarding Holocaust Education here in the UK. The emails, which have gone all over the world,  suggest that the UK Government are removing Holocaust education from the National Curriculum and that in general British schools steer away from teaching what they might consider a 'controversial' subject.  Such rumours are completely without foundation; Holocaust Education remains compulsory, as it has been in England and Wales since 1991. The Government, together with all teaching agencies and curriculum authorities in the United Kingdom have been very clear about this.

These rumours arose from erroneous newspaper reports following publication of a report commissioned by the then Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Children, Schools and Families - DCSF) and undertaken by the Historical Association. The report, 'Challenges and Opportunities for Teaching Emotive and Controversial History 13-19 (TEACH)', addresses both the challenges teachers face, as well as the good practise that is occurring when teaching all emotive and controversial historical issues such as slavery, the Crusades and the Holocaust. 
In particular, the press highlighted one comment in the lengthy TEACH report from the Historical Association which states: '… a history department in a northern city recently avoided selecting the Holocaust as a topic for GCSE coursework for fear of confronting anti-Semitic (sic) sentiment and Holocaust denial among some Muslim pupils'. (p15)

It is statutory for all students in England and Wales to learn about the Holocaust in History lessons at Key Stage 3 usually in Year 9 History (aged 13-14).  In addition, there are many other opportunities on the curriculum for this topic to be explored in further depth.  Also in 2007, the Government demonstrated its continued commitment to Holocaust Education by providing a grant of three quarters of a million pounds to the Holocaust Educational Trust to enable them to continue taking Sixth Form pupils to Auschwitz and both prepare for and follow up on these lessons.
© CCJ

Holocaust Educational Trust - Letter (.pdf file)
BBC - UK government acts on hoax e-mail

Offending articles:
Daily Mail - Teachers drop the Holocaust to avoid offending Muslims
Daily Telegraph - No lessons on the Holocaust
Guardian - Schools drop Holocaust lessons

19 Feb 2008