Rochelle Wilner President	Frank Dimant Chief Executive Officer	Prof. Stephen Scheinberg National Chair

Holocaust Education in Canada

A Review and Analysis of Curriculum, Policies,
Programs and Teacher Training

RESULTS: PART I — An Overview Of Holocaust Education In Canada

¤ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY ACTS — PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS

Ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan) have declared the Holocaust an official Memorial Day. The Holocaust Memorial Day Act was first passed in Ontario in 1998. It was presented as a private member's bill by Mr. Ted Chudleigh who argued that the bill would help focus “on all events where people have been systematically destroyed due to race, ethnic background, religion or physical or mental disabilities.” The bill was drafted in consultation with the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario Region, and with the Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre / UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

Following Ontario’s lead, the other nine provinces passed a Holocaust Memorial Day Act between December 1999 and April 2001. The wording of each Act was almost identical with a few minor variations from province to province. Prince Edward Island, which was the second province in Canada to pass the Act, added a cautionary note that “ … such a day will provide an opportunity … to recognize the necessity for perpetual vigilance to avoid such atrocities in the future.” Manitoba which passed the Holocaust Memorial Day Act (May 2000), connected the lessons of the Holocaust to the importance of combatting racism and hatred: “Whereas the Legislative Assembly is committed to using legislation, education and example to protect Manitobans from violence, racism and hatred and to stopping those who foster or commit crimes of violence, racism and hatred[.]” In Alberta, the Act is known as the Holocaust Remembrance Day and Genocide Remembrance Act (November, 2000).

The emphasis on education was central to each of the Acts. In “educating about the enduring lessons of the Holocaust” the Acts recognized the importance of teaching about the effects of racial hatred, and persecution of minority groups. Similarly, each Act pledged the province to promoting and ensuring a continued commitment to human rights, and multiculturalism.

¤ CURRICULUM DOCUMENTS — MINISTRY/DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

There is no federal education ministry and therefore no national curriculum in Canada. Each province sets its own guidelines for programs from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Although each province follows different curricular conceptions, the Holocaust is most often taught in the high school History program (Social Studies, or World Issues).

Courses in the History curriculum are described by themes. With some slight variations among each of the provinces, the goals are defined as “concepts, knowledge, and skills” or “abilities and values” or “curriculum outcomes or expectations.” Teacher activity guides developed by the various Ministries provide detail in achieving the education outcomes of the different courses through activities that focus on specific concepts and provide instructional guidance for the teacher. For example, Saskatchewan’s Teacher’s Activity Guide for World Issues includes worksheets designed to assist students in problem solving, dialectical thinking and independent learning. Guides are developed by each provincial Ministry/Department in order to meet the specific curriculum outcomes as described by the individual ministries. Most often these guides include student information sheets, background information on specific areas of the course, knowledge objectives, skills development and values issues. They may also include time lines, charts, maps, a glossary and other resource information. All school boards in the specific province receive the curriculum guidelines as they are developed.

Teaching about the Holocaust falls under various themes such as Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship, World Issues, Human Rights, or Diversity Education. Of the ten provinces and one territory that responded to the survey and sent the appropriate curriculum documents dealing with the Holocaust, three provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia) sent copies of their Holocaust teacher's guides/resource kit which have been distributed to each of their respective school boards. Five provinces (Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan) sent copies of their History curriculum guides. In Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan the word "Holocaust" is specifically mentioned in the curriculum for Social Studies/World Issues. In the History curriculum for Newfoundland and Labrador there were references to the “Nazi persecution of the Jews” but the word Holocaust appeared only in the reference section under “World Wide Web Sites for 20^th Century History.” The word "Holocaust" did not appear in the curriculum documents that were received from the province of Quebec.

Two provinces and one territory (Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, and the Yukon) stated that they do not have curriculum documents or specific polices related to Holocaust education. However, Manitoba is currently involved in the development of new Social Studies curricula. As described in their letter in response to our survey Manitoba writes that they do not currently have a policy specifically related to Holocaust education, but that “anti-racist/anti-bias education has been defined as one of several elements that must be incorporated into all new curricula.” (Manitoba, Education and Training, letter to Dr. Karen Mock, June 27, 2000). In Prince Edward Island the Ministry wrote “all of the new curriculum guides and related documents do contain sections on Diversity Education and on valuing of social and cultural diversity.” (Department of Education, Prince Edward Island, letter to Dr. Karen Mock, July 4, 2000). In the Yukon most of the courses within the secondary system follow the B.C. curriculum.

Like Manitoba, Quebec is reviewing the curriculum at the senior level. Currently there is an optional course on the Second World War for grade 11 students in which the question of human rights is one of the topics. All of the current programs in Quebec are under review and will replaced by the new curriculum.

In each of the Ministry documents, where the Holocaust was specifically identified, it was an optional topic within the history curriculum. In some of the documents it was one of a number of examples that could be discussed in relation to such topics as human rights abuses, or awareness of citizenship responsibilities. In Ontario, for example, the Holocaust was cited as one example of conflict and cooperation (Ontario Canadian and World Studies , grades 11 and 12). In Alberta, the Holocaust is included in “Related Facts and Content” of World War Two (Alberta, Social Studies 10-20-30). In Saskatchewan the Holocaust was part of "Content" in the discussion on "Human Rights" (Saskatchewan, Social Studies 20, World Issues). However, the inclusion of the Holocaust as a topic of study in the history curriculum is not mandatory.

¤ TEACHING THE HOLOCAUST — SCHOOLS BOARDS

Respondents to the survey in school boards in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and British Columbia all agreed that the Holocaust is included in the high school curriculum (grades 9, 10,11,12). However, in other provinces there seemed some uncertainty as to whether the Holocaust is included or not. There were disparate answers to the question “Is the Holocaust presently included in the curriculum?” Even in provinces where provincial curriculum documents expressly identify the Holocaust as an example of a situation where human rights were not protected (Social Studies/World Issues curriculum) some respondents wrote the Holocaust was not in the curriculum. One respondent explained that the Holocaust “as not a separate unit of study.” Others commented “we follow the curriculum.” Another respondent wrote “There is no specific goal for the district or the Ministry. Teachers believe in the importance of understanding the Holocaust and are committed to teach it. Some do it in more depth than others.” In a few cases, schools within the same school board responded differently to the question. (See Table: Holocaust Education in Canada, National Survey, 2000 in the Appendix). It is clear that the curriculum is used as a guide and not a mandatory list.

In response to the question “What is the goal of your Holocaust education program?” respondents wrote that they include the Holocaust in their programs in order to inform and sensitize students so that they will understand the horrors of racism and apply these lessons to current events such as the denial of human rights.

From Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia, teachers who included the Holocaust in their programs felt that awareness of the cataclysmic events of the Holocaust presented many important lessons. These were described as follows:

Students need to be critically aware of:

• the effects and horrors of racism, prejudice and antisemitism, and the human capacity for evil;
• the early warning signs of racism in order to avoid making the mistakes of the past;
• the moral lessons necessary to make our society more humane;
• the commitment to anti-racism education;
• the development of an attitude of tolerance and understanding.

In the responses received from the questionnaire Holocaust education is seen as an important opportunity for teachers to emphasize the meaningfulness of human rights. A history teacher in an Ontario school board wrote that his goal in teaching the Holocaust is to “develop empathy so that future genocides are not acceptable and to make students aware of the multiple genocides in the twentieth century alone.” Another history teacher in Saskatchewan wrote: “The goal of our Holocaust education program is to learn where racism can ultimately lead, to learn the potential dangers of conformity and to learn about the importance of upholding individual rights and freedoms and the rule of law.” In Nova Scotia, one respondent wrote:

The goals of Holocaust Education Programs are to provide students with an understanding of the prevalence of Nazi-driven anti-Semitism during the WWII period, develop within students, an appreciation of Jewish culture and to foster students’ commitment to anti-racism education and the development of a tolerant and diverse society.

Race Relations Co-ordinator, Nova Scotia School Board

The inclusion of the Holocaust most often occurred as part of thematic units on human rights, minorities, World War II or Religious Studies. Whether the Holocaust is actually integrated into these units depends on the individual teacher. Some History courses at the senior level (grades 12) may include the topic as either as separate unit or even as a course (See British Columbia) but courses at this level are optional and so students will not necessarily have the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust.

The amount of time that was spent on the Holocaust varied from school to school and from teacher to teacher. This reflects the fact that the Holocaust is neither mandatory nor even a separate unit within the existing provincial curricula. As one teacher put it: “The Holocaust has been included in my course for all of the fifteen years that I have taught history”. Once again, the individual teacher plays a significant role in whether and how the Holocaust is included in actual classroom instruction. In the questionnaires that were received, the average amount of time that was spent on teaching the Holocaust was just two to five hours.

The majority of boards relied on their own school libraries or public libraries for materials to assist in teaching the Holocaust. Where possible, a number of boards made use of guest speakers, particularly survivors, to enhance their lessons. Schools located near resources such as Jewish Community Centres, Holocaust Museums and Universities, did take advantage of the opportunities to be involved in programs and make use of the resources that these facilities offer.

¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION

There are several individuals who are involved in teaching the Holocaust in Canadian universities. Such courses usually fall in one of four areas: History, German Studies, Judaic Studies, or Religious Studies. There are many courses in other areas that include opportunities for the inclusion of the Holocaust (Political Science, English, Sociology). Courses covering topics such as Genocide, Race Relations, Anti-racism, Fascism, or Literature may include the Holocaust as part of the content that is covered. One or two universities include the topic in Theatre, or Film studies. One university offers the topic in the French Department because of the individual faculty member who is committed to teaching in this area. Within the University calendar, courses designated as Special Topics, Seminars, Directed Readings, or Independent Study provide another opportunity where the subject might be included. Courses that are listed in the calendar, however, are not necessarily offered every year. It depends on student enrollment, faculty numbers and availability as to whether the course is offered.

In this report, the discussion on Holocaust education refers only to University courses where the word "Holocaust" is used in the title of the course, or in the course description as presented in the calendar or in on-line information. In a few cases where the word Holocaust does not appear but related terminology such as Nazi, final solution, destruction of European Jewry makes it obvious that the subject is likely to be covered, such courses are also included in the data.

There are a limited number of programs available to students at Faculties of Education in in-service training where knowledge and questions about teaching the Holocaust are discussed. While there is the possibility that the Holocaust could be included in such areas as Selected Topics in Education, or Social Studies Methods, or Curriculum and Instruction in Social Studies or Language Arts such information was not indicated in the course calendars. Up until now teacher education in Holocaust studies has taken place largely through the initiatives of Holocaust Museums and/or Jewish Centres (especially in larger urban centres) which are able to provide seminars or education workshops, often in co-operation with universities and/or school boards.

Toronto and Montreal, the two largest centres of Canada’s Jewish population, offer teacher education programs. At York University’s Faculty of Education in Toronto, the Holocaust has been included in a course called Teachables in History. The faculty member responsible for the course has a long-standing commitment in the area of race relations and was a past participant of the Holocaust and Hope Educators Tour. The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto has offered a course in its summer program called Anti-racist Education in the Twentieth Century: A Case Study specifically focused on the Holocaust. Such courses depend on the availability and interests of the individuals willing to teach in this area, as well as student participation.

Both York University and OISE/U of T are planning innovative programs for 2001. York University is planning to launch Learning from the Past, Planning for the Future: A Holocaust and Anti-Racism Education Project for Young Educators, a teacher-in-training program that will include visits to Poland and Germany for the summer of 2001. The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto is planning to launch a Diploma Program in Holocaust and Genocide Education in the fall of 2001.

In addition, the University of Toronto has just appointed a Chair of Holocaust Studies. This newly created position will focus on the history, causes and consequences of the Holocaust. The Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Chair in Holocaust Studies was named in honour of the former chancellor of the university. It will provide the university with a distinguished senior scholar devoted to teaching, research and providing dynamic leadership in Holocaust studies.

At McGill University’s Faculty of Education in Montreal, they have offered a course called Teaching the Holocaust once every second year for the past eight years. The course focuses on the history of the period and pedagogical considerations. For the past decade, McGill University was the only Faculty of Education to offer a course specifically on teaching the Holocaust. A few universities across Canada hold workshops or one-day seminars to which public school students and/or teachers are invited to attend. These are usually held in conjunction with the local community-based Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre.

¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS

Since the 1970s, the multicultural initiatives of the federal government have encouraged the teaching of diversity and programs to counter intolerance. In addition, the anti-racism program of the Department of Canadian Heritage , "Racism, Stop It", has provided opportunities for the inclusion of Holocaust awareness into many school and community initiatives. While there has been notable support for Holocaust education projects, both on the federal and some provincial levels, Holocaust education is most often spurred by interest from individual survivors, remembrance groups or Holocaust Museums/Education Centres.

Innovative Holocaust education projects continue to originate from larger urban centres such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal which have more staff and resources. Some smaller communities (such as Winnipeg, London, Halifax) have also initiated Holocaust Education or Remembrance committees that include teacher education programs in addition to Yom ha-Shoah Memorial Day activities.

In 1976 the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre was opened. Since its inception, the Centre has been involved in outreach to schools, and education including symposiums for college students held in English and French, and conferences for educators. It also offers lectures and guided tours of the Museum that welcomes more than 10,000 visitors each year. Recently the Centre received a grant from the federal government to expand it facilities. The funds will contribute to the development of the museum to teach about and commemorate the Holocaust.

In the late 1970s the Education Committee of the Toronto Jewish Congress worked with the (then) Toronto Board of Education on a number of projects, including the creation of a Toronto Board of Education Committee on Holocaust Education that existed for over twenty years until the recent amalgamation of the Boards of Education in the city of Toronto. The annual Teacher Seminar on Holocaust Education began in Toronto in 1980. In 1981 a similar program aimed at high school students was initiated. Over the twenty year period of this program, approximately 120,000 to 150,000 students have participated. The Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre of Toronto was created under the auspices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto in 1985. Following the opening of the centre, Holocaust Education Week was established in the first week of November to coincide with "Kristallnacht." Programs run by the Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre/UJA Federation have included a six week course on Holocaust Education: Historical Context and Pedagogical Challenges, as well as workshops on Critical Pedagogy, Anti-Racism and a teacher seminar offered each year at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto or at York University or at the Centre itself.

The "Holocaust and Hope" Education Program sponsored by the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada began in 1985. Designed to increase teachers’ knowledge, awareness and confidence, the "Holocaust and Hope" Educators Study Tour takes Canadian teachers of all backgrounds to Germany, Poland and Israel for an intensive three-week program of study and reflection. The program is designed with a view to developing curriculum and increasing educators’ commitment towards Holocaust education in the context of anti-racist education in Canada upon their return. In the fifteen years that the program has run biannually, it has included participants from British Columbia and the Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador. To date, approximately 100 educators from across the country have benefited from the "Holocaust and Hope" program and have gone on to influence Holocaust education in their communities.

The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre was founded in 1994 by Holocaust survivors in British Columbia who wanted to leave a legacy to the province. The survivors are responsible for fundraising for the centre, and they maintain an endowment fund for the day to day operations. This past spring, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre sponsored an Educator’s conference called The Holocaust, Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship which included a day of lectures and workshops. It also was a partner with the Ministry of Education in the recently completed teacher’s guides, Canada and the Holocaust: Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship for Social Studies 11 and The Holocaust: Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship for Social Studies 6.

In Winnipeg, the Freeman Family Holocaust Education Centre was opened in 1999. The Centre is involved in community and province-wide Holocaust Education Outreach programs. These include presentations to schools and adult education groups. About 3,000 students have taken advantage of the Centre’s programs. This year marks the launch of the Asper Foundation Holocaust and Human Rights Study Program, also in Winnipeg but reaching out to students in other parts of the country as well. The program is geared to grade eight and grade nine students, involving them in education, community service and a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

A number of smaller Jewish Centres such as those in Calgary, Edmonton, or Ottawa also mount programs involving Yom Hashoah commemorative activities. Teacher-awareness programs are held in the evenings whenever possible to accommodate teachers’ schedules. Programs may be in conjunction with other organizations, such as school boards or universities. Community sponsored events often focus specifically on such events as Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day). There has been an increase in the number of events in communities across Canada, including plans to add Holocaust Education Week to the ongoing programs that are sponsored by community organizations. This both reflects and impacts on a growing consciousness about the Holocaust.

¤ TEACHER GUIDES

Ministries, Boards of Education, Memorial Centres and individuals have been active in the publication of teacher’s guides for use in Canadian schools since the 1980s. For example, the Board of Education for the City of North York, Ontario (now part of the Toronto District School Board) developed a 272 page guide for teachers entitled The Holocaust. It was tested in 1984. The information in the guide includes lesson objectives, suggested classroom activities, historical references and background information. The annotated bibliography is broken into different groupings including history of the Holocaust, Anti-Semitism, European Jewry before the Holocaust, Resistance, Eyewitness Accounts, World Response and Interpretive Works and Reflections. In 1987 the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre prepared a 27 page Teachers’ Guide to the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre: An Inter-disciplinary Approach. It was specifically designed to complement an exhibit at the Centre called "Children of the Holocaust." The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre is planning a revised teacher’s guide in both English and French for late spring 2001.

There are numerous other examples of individual teacher guides that were created to assist in efforts to incorporate the Holocaust as a topic in History or Language Arts courses. Frank Bialystok and Sharon Weintraub of Toronto created Voices of Survival: Education Guide (1990) for secondary schools to be used in conjunction with the video Voices of Survival. The guide included topics mentioned in the video, educational objectives, historical overview, glossary, questions and activities. Voices of Survival (video and Teacher’s Guide) has been included in the Resource Kit provided by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Culture. In 1996 when a production of Brundibar, a children’s opera, was performed in Toronto, a Teacher’s Guide for the performance was also prepared by the Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre of Toronto. The thirty-page guide included historical background, pre- and follow-up activities, a chronology of events, glossary, suggested readings, and resources. The Centre has now published two guides: Holocaust Education: Topics for Independent Study Projects in History, and Topics for Independent Study Projects in English Literature. These materials intended for secondary school students doing independent research projects, are designed to provide resource materials and topics that include an inter-disciplinary approach.

New Brunswick’s Department of Education published a Teacher Guide in 1988 called The Holocaust: A Topic of Study in History 111-112-113. Included were lesson suggestions, vocabulary, and an annotated bibliography. The guide complemented their Holocaust Education Resource Kit that was designed for used in high schools and has been revised for 2001.

Nova Scotia’s Department of Education and Culture published its Teacher Guide for the Holocaust Education Resource Kit, (1997) which was similar in design to New Brunswick’s. And in 2000 British Columbia Ministry of Education published two guides: Canada and the Holocaust: Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship for Social Studies 11 teachers, and The Holocaust: Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship for Social Studies 6 teachers.

In the spring of 2000 the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada piloted the Yom ha-Shoah-Holocaust Memorial Day-Teacher’s Guide. The 150-page guide includes commemorative programs, learning activities for primary, junior and senior divisions, historical background information and annotated bibliography. The guide is designed to help educators understand the significance of Holocaust Memorial Day, and to provide resources to assist in designing commemorative programs for schools and/or individual classrooms. It is expected to be published and distributed widely in the fall of 2001.

Many of the resources, such as teacher guides, are the result of the collaborative work of education committees of Jewish Centres in conjunction with Boards of Education. It is especially helpful for teachers when Ministries/Departments of Education are involved in teacher guides because changes to curriculum require that teacher guides reflect the learning outcomes or curriculum expectations designed by the different Ministries/Departments of Education.

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