Starting in 2025, British Columbia will make Holocaust education mandatory for all Grade 10 students.
Premier David Eby said the decision comes in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which has created a “frightening time” for the Jewish community evoking “the history of persecution of Jews.”
Eby believes a comprehensive education on the Holocaust would help reduce further acts of antisemitism.
“For our friends and neighbours in the Jewish community, this has been an incredibly frightening time. We have seen a rise in antisemitism in B.C. following the terrorist attacks in Israel, which evokes the history of persecution of Jews,” said Premier Eby.
“Combatting this kind of hate begins with learning from the darkest parts of our history, so the same horrors are never repeated. That’s why we are working with the Jewish community to make sure learning about the Holocaust becomes a requirement for all high school students.”
Executive director of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, Nina Krieger, said Eby’s announcement has come during a time when antisemitism is on the rise internationally and the remaining Holocaust survivors are passing away.
“Teaching and learning about the Holocaust contributes to a more cohesive and inclusive society, where dignity and rights of all people are valued,” Krieger told CBC in an interview.
The changes will take effect in the 2025-26 school year, according to Eby, but first the province will consult with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and several other groups.
“While many students learn about the Holocaust, there is more work to do to ensure all students graduate with an understanding about this topic,” reads a press release from the Government of British Columbia.
“According to a study commissioned by the Canadian charity Liberation75 last year, a third of North American students surveyed believe the Holocaust was either exaggerated or fabricated. Incidents of antisemitism have been on the rise across B.C. in recent years, including a surge in violent incidents.”
The decision to make Holocaust education mandatory learning in the curriculum comes after a synagogue was recently vandalized in Surrey, B.C. Vancouver police are also investigating an incident that took place at a Jewish restaurant in the West End where hateful comments were made.
