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Rochelle Wilner |
Frank Dimant |
Prof. Stephen Scheinberg |
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Rochelle Wilner |
Frank Dimant |
Prof. Stephen Scheinberg |
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This section of the report presents a province by province account of Holocaust education programs, activities and resources as gleaned from our survey. Each of the provinces responded to our request for curriculum documents related to Holocaust education and in addition, personal and telephone interviews resulted in further information.
Most provinces submitted copies of their Social Studies curriculum, grades 9-12. The materials were evaluated for the inclusion of the word Holocaust and related terminology, "final solution", "genocide", "Nazi", "antisemitism", "concentration camps", "survivors", "Nuremberg", "Jewish persecution". The following list of curriculum documents is an overview of the documents that were submitted and reviewed for this study.
As will be seen in the provincial reports that follow below, the topic of the Holocaust is given rather brief treatment in most curriculum documents.
Opportunities for Holocaust education exist within the curriculum, but it is clear that Holocaust education is treated as an optional topic that teachers may choose to include or not. In addition, the majority of classroom teachers do not have access to appropriate resource materials.
The current state of Holocaust education in each of the provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan) and territory (Yukon) as reported here is drawn from the curriculum documents as listed above, responses to the questionnaires, a review of university calendars that were forwarded to the project co-ordinator, and personal interviews, and is based on an analyses of the materials that were received.
Each provincial section includes:
Information on specific resources in each province (the names of educators who are available to assist in Holocaust education, courses on the Holocaust in Universities/Faculties of Education, contact information for community centres/organizations that offer Holocaust education programs, teacher guides including contact information) is presented in Results: Part III
¤ CURRICULUM
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The Holocaust is taught in Alberta schools as an important reminder of the atrocities that human beings have committed against other humans. Maria David-Evans, Deputy Minister |
A review of Alberta’s curriculum documents Ministry of Education Social Studies 10-20-30 (1990) and Social Studies 13-23-33 (1990) includes the mention of the Holocaust explicitly. The Holocaust is also identified in several learning resources approved for Social Studies 10, 30 and 33. In Alberta Social Studies each topic is described according to three headings: 1) Generalizations (Themes) and Key Understandings 2) Concepts 3) Related Facts and Content. The Holocaust is discussed in "Related Facts and Content."
Within the "Related Facts and Content" category, the Holocaust is presented under the theme of Rights and Responsibilities. The Holocaust is named “as an example of situations where human rights were not protected.” The Holocaust is also identified in the theme “Global Interactions: Interwar Period and World War II.” The Holocaust is part of an examination of the impact of the Second World War and the changing nature of warfare.
¤ ALBERTA SCHOOL BOARDS
Ten school boards in Alberta (10/54 or 18%) responded to the survey. Nine out of the ten school boards wrote that the Holocaust is presently included in the curriculum. All of the respondents reported that the Holocaust is included in relevant units of study, specifically Social Studies 30 and 33. It is one component of the Social Studies curriculum but it is not a separate unit of study. The Holocaust is sometimes also covered in novel studies. Respondents described their goals in teaching Holocaust awareness as part of their focus on minority groups, anti-racism or Human rights. One respondent noted that they will be including a novel study of Night for the current year but the Holocaust is most often presented as part of human rights or within units discussing genocide. Another respondent wrote that teaching the Holocaust is an opportunity to “develop an attitude of tolerance and understanding.” One goal of the Holocaust education program as described by one of the boards that replied to the questionnaire is to “apply the lessons of the Holocaust to current events involving denial of Human Rights.”
In Alberta, resources for teaching the subject seem to be sparse. Most respondents said that they relied on public libraries for their information. One school board responded that it was able to make use of resources at the University of Alberta including lectures and meetings with survivors.
Most of the school boards that responded to the survey said that they had been including the Holocaust in their curriculum over the last ten years.
The Holocaust is taught in order to increase awareness of the events that lead to the denial of human rights and to help develop an attitude of tolerance and understanding.
Social Studies Department Head, Alberta
¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION
There are some limited opportunities for Holocaust Education in the universities. In the History Departments, in particular, there are courses that include this topic. The University of Calgary, which is the largest university in the province, describes two courses in Historical Studies that include the topic of the Holocaust, The Age of Totalitarianism, and German History. The University of Alberta has History courses that cover the twentieth century and modern Germany that provide opportunities for interested staff to include the Holocaust. One senior level course on the History of Modern Germany covers the social and cultural history of Nazi Germany including genocide. There are opportunities at the Faculties of Education for including the Holocaust, for example, in Instruction courses on teaching Language Arts or Social Studies or Religious Studies but there was not enough information in the calendar to determine what is actually covered in these courses.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
Community resources are centred in the two largest urban areas, Edmonton and Calgary, each of which provides programs in Holocaust Education. The Jewish Community Centre and the Jewish Community Council in Calgary, in co-operation with Mount Royal College, provide an annual Holocaust Education Symposium during the first week of May. The program is repeated over the course of three days with an attendance of approximately 1800 students and their teachers. In addition to their Holocaust Memorial Day program, the Centre does outreach to schools by providing speakers who include survivors and alumni from the March of the Living (a program which takes College students on a two week trip to Poland and Israel to learn about the Holocaust).
The Jewish Federation of Edmonton holds an annual Holocaust Symposium for senior High School students in May at the University of Alberta. In 1998 a symposium was held in Grand Prairie and included at least ten different area schools and the participation of approximately eight-five senior high school students. Outreach programs to the schools include survivors who volunteer to speak to classes or school assemblies. In addition to the symposia the Federation holds annual Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations.
In the public schools there are a few social studies teachers involved in Holocaust education who were identified as resource people. Past participants of the "Holocaust and Hope" Educators Tour are also available to assist in Holocaust education activities or programs.
¤ CURRICULUM
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The Ministry of Education has just completed the production of two resources dealing with the Holocaust and global citizenship… The resources have recently been distributed to all schools in British Columbia. In addition, to these resources, the British Columbia curriculum supports the study of human rights issues and global citizenship at all grade levels. Penny Priddy, Minister of Education, |
In British Columbia the study of the Holocaust is mandatory for students who take History 12. As outlined in Social Studies Program — Learning Outcomes History 12 includes the topic in the unit Turmoil and Tragedy 1933-1945. One of the key concepts is “to evaluate the historical significance of the Holocaust.” This is the only province in Canada to include a course where the study of the Holocaust is mandatory. However, History 12 is an optional course for students in British Columbia.
The Ministry of Education in British Columbia has recently distributed two resources to assist teachers in Holocaust education: The Holocaust — Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship a resource guide for Social Studies 6 teachers and Canada and the Holocaust — Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship, a resource guide for Social Studies 11 teachers. These guides were distributed to all schools in BC. The Minister of Education, commenting on the new Social Studies resources on the Holocaust, said, “By examining the tragedy of the Holocaust these resources will help promote tolerance and understanding in our schools, communities and the world beyond.” (www.bced.gov.bc.ca).
¤ BRITISH COLUMBIA SCHOOL BOARDS
The seven school boards in British Columbia (7/60 or 11%) that responded to the survey said that the Holocaust was included in the high school curriculum. The Holocaust may be studied in Humanities 8, Social Studies, 11 and History 12. Holocaust education resources are available specifically for the grade 11-history course, which is a required course of study for every B.C. student. It is a mandatory aspect of History 12. However, History 12 is an elective and there is no way to determine how many or if students will be taking this course. There are opportunities to include the Holocaust in novel studies at each level of teaching from elementary to senior.
School boards make use of available resources including guest speakers of which some are survivors, visits to the Vancouver Holocaust Centre and participation in Holocaust symposiums but there was concern that for some schools there was no money for field trips. One respondent also noted that “in some of the history texts still in use the Holocaust was not even mentioned.” Another teacher wrote: “Teachers believe in the importance of understanding the Holocaust and are committed to teaching it. Some do it more in depth than others do.” As in Alberta, most school boards in British Columbia responded that they had been including the Holocaust in their curriculum over the last ten years.
The Holocaust is taught in order make students aware of the lessons of the past and to educate them about the effects of discrimination.
Social Studies Department Head, British Columbia
¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION
Opportunities for the inclusion of studies on or related to the Holocaust exist in History, Religion, Near Eastern or Germanic Studies. Courses on Twentieth Century History, Racism, Minority Group Relations provide opportunities for looking at some of the issues. Different departments also allow for individual study projects. Research Seminars or Selected Topics give students the opportunity to pursue this area of interest if there is an appropriate faculty supervisor.
The calendar for the University of British Columbia in Vancouver does include courses that specifically name or include the topic of the Holocaust such History of the Holocaust, Jewish Responses to Catastrophe and Seminar in International Relations.
As the case with other universities, U.B.C. also offers special guest lecturers that may include this topic. U.B.C. recently received an endowment so that at least one course on the Holocaust can be offered each year. The university’s location in Vancouver allows for easy access to the Holocaust Education Centre as well.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre provides a number of education programs as well as a resource collection which is available for teachers and students. In addition, it holds an annual symposium for senior high school students each year as well as educators’ conference every second year. The Centre was involved with the B.C. Ministry of Education in the preparation of a resource guide for including Holocaust Education for Social Studies teachers in grades 6 and 11.
There are a few individuals in the public schools, as well as past participants of the "Holocaust and Hope" Educators tour, who are available as resource people for Holocaust Education.
¤ CURRICULUM
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… existing curricula in Manitoba have a number of opportunities to address Holocaust issues… It is also important to note that although Manitoba does not currently have a policy specifically related to Holocaust education, anti-racist/anti-bias education has been defined as one of several elements that must be incorporated into all new curricula. Patricia A. MacDonald, |
According to the Ministry of Education in Manitoba, opportunities exist for the integration of Holocaust issues in Canada Today grade 9 and Canada: A Social and Political History grade 11. Manitoba is developing new Social Studies curricula and the Ministry did not have their documents available. Specific learning outcomes related to Holocaust issues are being considered in the new program, particularly within the context of a commitment to anti-racist/anti-bias education. In the middle years (grades 6, 7, 8), many students are exposed to novels such as The Diary of Anne Frank as part of units on the Holocaust in the Language Arts Curriculum. The Holocaust is an optional topic of study for the grade 12 World Issues course.
¤ MANITOBA SCHOOL BOARDS
The seven Manitoba school boards (7/54 or 12%) that responded to the survey said that Holocaust education was not included in the present high school curriculum. Responses were received from a total of 13 schools. (See Table: Holocaust Education in Canada, National Survey 2000 in Appendix). One of the school boards sent responses from four different schools within the board. Three of the respondents said that the Holocaust was not included in the curriculum; one of the respondents wrote that Holocaust education was included in the curriculum. The difference in responses seems to reflect the different understanding of the curriculum. Some schools have integrated Holocaust studies into relevant units such as anti-racism, or multiculturalism and so are presently including the Holocaust as part of an integrated curriculum. Though most respondents said that the Holocaust was not in the curriculum, all of the respondents described opportunities for including the Holocaust in the curriculum. These included using materials on the Holocaust in the discussion of issues related to prejudice, discrimination, ethnic groups, immigration, anti-racism, multiculturalism etc. One respondent said that although Holocaust education was not in the curriculum, it was in fact covered in Language Arts and Social Studies: “The new English Language Arts curriculum in Manitoba deals with celebrating and building community. The Holocaust is an excellent vehicle in order to address this critical outcome.”
Manitoba school boards responded that they had been integrating discussion about the Holocaust in the schools for the last five to ten years. The Holocaust is taught in order to make students aware of discrimination, to combat racism and to promote awareness and tolerance.
Resources included having survivors come to speak to individual classes or school assemblies. The public library was the primary resource for most schools.
The Holocaust is an opportunity to make students aware of the human capacity for evil and to analyze the early warning signs of racism etc. that if left unchecked lead to unimaginable horror.
English Department Head, Manitoba School Board
¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION
There are courses offered on the topic of the Holocaust in at least two universities. The University of Winnipeg includes courses on Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, and Modern Jewish History, which states that it covers the topic of the Holocaust. There are a number of opportunities in related areas, such as History courses, that cover the period of World War II, Studies in German Culture, Modern German Literature or The Politics of Racism. The University of Manitoba lists a number of courses in History, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies or Religion that include the Holocaust. Unfortunately only one of the courses was offered in the current year, The History of Antisemitism and the Holocaust. The other courses will remain in the calendar should staff or funding change. Additional opportunities exist in senior level classes such as Special Studies in European History. (At Brandon University, a course entitled Sociology of Genocide is an obvious entrée for the inclusion of the Holocaust; however the information given in the calendar did not specifically mention the Holocaust or refer to World War Two.)
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
Located in Winnipeg are the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, the Freeman Family Foundation Holocaust Education Centre and the Jewish Federation. The Jewish Federation publishes the newsletter, The Holocaust Remembered, in the spring and fall. It includes information about educational programs, international news, as well as book and video reviews. The Federation also sponsors commemorative programs in the fall and spring. The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada provides outreach programs to the community but also welcomes schools to the centre for presentations on racism and human rights. The Asper Foundation Holocaust and Human Rights Study Program was recently launched to involve grade eight and nine students in a Holocaust awareness program that includes study, volunteering and a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. The Freeman Family Foundation Holocaust Education Centre founded in 1999 does presentations at the Centre and outreach across Manitoba to schools, universities and community groups.
There were a few individuals who identified themselves as resource people for Holocaust education in the public schools. These include Language Arts teachers and individuals with experience in teaching about Racism or Human Rights. Past participants of the "Holocaust and Hope" program are also available to assist in teacher education initiatives.
¤ CURRICULUM
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New Brunswick Curriculum documents [include] The Holocaust: A Topic of Study in History 11-112-113. …we are planning a series of regional workshops for teachers on Holocaust education for the 2000-2001 school year. Robin Roe, Acting Deputy Minister, |
New Brunswick sent two curriculum documents related to teaching the Holocaust: The Holocaust: A topic of Study in History 111-112-113 (1988); and The West in the Modern World. The History curriculum in New Brunswick mentions the "Holocaust" in its introduction (1992) as a new unit superimposed upon an older unit on the "Nazi Revolution". World War II and the Holocaust is discussed in the unit, "Totalitarianism and Total War". The examination of the Holocaust is complementary to the study of modern history as prescribed in the curriculum. The Department of Education provided each senior high school in the province with a kit on Holocaust Education as well. The kit includes an instructor’s manual, student textbook and videotape. A two day teacher education symposium on "The Holocaust and Human Rights" was sponsored by the Department of Education in April 2001 to review the curriculum and provide resources for classroom teachers. It was co-sponsored by B’nai Brith Canada, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and the Atlantic Jewish Council.
¤ NEW BRUNSWICK SCHOOL BOARDS
The three New Brunswick school boards (3/8 or 37%) that responded to the survey unanimously reported that Holocaust education is part of the curriculum at the high school level. Individual teachers are including Holocaust education also at the elementary level through novels and stories. The school boards responded that they had been including the Holocaust in their curriculum for the last ten years.
The main resource for the boards is the education material provided by the Ministry of Education. Each senior high school received a kit on Holocaust Education called Life Unworthy of Life. The kit contains an instructor’s manual, student textbook and videotape. The material in the kit forms the basic support material for the New Brunswick curriculum. The teacher’s guide, The Holocaust, A topic of Study in History 111-112-113 was designed to assist teachers with suggestions for selected lessons. Schools also make use of public library facilities.
The Holocaust is taught in order to sensitize students to the human capacity for cruelty and destruction when human rights are violated.
Director of Education, New Brunswick School Board
¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION
At the university level, there are opportunities for the study of the Holocaust in History or German Studies. The University of New Brunswick lists three History courses and one course in German Studies that deal with the topic of the Holocaust, but none are currently being offered. The person who used to teach these courses has retired. The courses may be offered in the future.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
The St. John Jewish Historical Museum and Archives attracts about 200 community members to the annual Holocaust Memorial Day program and sponsors an essay contest on a topic related to the Holocaust. In addition, there are a few individuals in the public schools who identified themselves as resource people for Holocaust Education. Several past participants of the "Holocaust and Hope" program are also available to assist in teacher education initiatives in New Brunswick and are actively involved in assisting the Department of Education in planning teacher education symposia.
¤ CURRICULUM
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The resources used for Global issues 3205 and World History 3201 specifically cover these topics [Human Rights and Holocaust Education]. Florence Delaney, Deputy Minister |
Newfoundland and Labrador describe the resources used for Global Issues and World History as specifically covering the topics of Human Rights and Holocaust Education. Newfoundland and Labrador explicitly mention the Nazi persecution of the Jews in the introductory comments to the Curriculum guide for Social Studies, World History. Related terminology (Nazism, Antisemitism, Final Solution) also appears in the guide. The word "Holocaust" appears in the list of web sites for 20th Century History.
¤ NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR SCHOOL BOARDS
Three school boards in Newfoundland and Labrador responded to the survey (3/10 or 30%) with a total of fifteen responses from schools within the boards. Most of the respondents said that Holocaust education was included in the curriculum, but there were differences between individual schools within the same board. Some schools described Holocaust education as part of the curriculum and other schools within the same board wrote that it was not in the curriculum. One respondent wrote that “while no structured programs exclusively focused on the Holocaust exists, most of our graduates have been exposed to the event through studies in various courses.” Opportunities for including the Holocaust exist in a number of areas in the curriculum but particularly as part of Religious Education or Social Studies. Most respondents wrote that they had been including the Holocaust in their schools for the last five years. The public library was identified as the primary resource. One respondent identified the local synagogue as a resource.
The Holocaust is taught to make students aware of what happened, to respect the memory of the victims and to apply the moral lessons necessary to make society more humane in the future.
High School English Teacher, Newfoundland School Board
¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION
At Memorial University in St. John's there is a 4th year seminar in History that looks at the topic in some detail: The Holocaust in Historical Perspective. There are opportunities to include the topic in German Studies, as well as other History courses that deal with the Twentieth Century or Human Rights. In 1995 Memorial University accepted a "Holocaust and Hope" participant’s nomination and conferred an honourary degree on a survivor for his outstanding contribution to society.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
There are a few individuals who identified themselves as resource people for Holocaust Education. Past participants of the "Holocaust and Hope" program are also available to assist in teacher education initiatives. The Atlantic Jewish Council (see Halifax, Nova Scotia) co-ordinates Yom Hashoah Memorial Day programs for the Atlantic region and such programs include St. John’s.
¤ CURRICULUM
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In 1997, the Nova Scotia Department of Education in co-operation with the Atlantic Jewish Council developed the Holocaust Education Resource Kit to support and enhance the teaching of human rights education through the study of the Holocaust. These kits were distributed to all Nova Scotia school boards. Dennis Cochrane, Deputy Minister |
According to the letter from the Deputy Minister, Nova Scotia Department of Education, opportunities exist to include the study of the Holocaust in human rights education. The only curriculum document that was forwarded by the Nova Scotia Department of Education was the Teacher Guide for the Holocaust Education Resource Kit (1997) which was developed “to support and enhance the teaching of human rights education through the study of the Holocaust.” The Resource Kit contains books, periodicals and videos and includes Life Unworthy of Life (Bolkosky et al. 1987) and the text Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior (1994). The kit was distributed to all Nova Scotia Boards.
¤ NOVA SCOTIA SCHOOL BOARDS
The two Nova Scotia school boards that responded to the survey (2/7 or 28%) did not agree the Holocaust was included in the curriculum. Although there are support materials provided by the Ministry, as described above, whether they are actually used or not remains at the discretion of individual teachers. One respondent commenting on the amount of time that is spent on Holocaust education wrote that it is difficult to say how much time teachers spend on the topic because teachers integrate the materials in different ways. Holocaust education may be included in the curriculum at the high school level through a variety of areas including novel studies, relevant units in History or Religious Studies, or through workshops or special projects including Human Rights Day Events or Cultural Studies Symposiums. The Southwest Regional School Board stated that their 65 schools are encouraged to observe Holocaust Memorial Day. The school boards that responded to the survey stated that they had been including the Holocaust in their schools for the last five years. According to the Nova Scotia respondents, Holocaust education is part of a commitment to anti-racist education and the development of a tolerant society.
The boards identified the resources provided by the Department of Education as their primary resource.
The goals of the Holocaust Education Programs are to provide students with an understanding of the prevalence of Nazi-driven anti-Semitism during the World War II period, develop (within students) an appreciation of Jewish culture, and to foster students’ commitment to anti-racist education and the development of a tolerant and diverse society.
Coordinator of Race Relations, Nova Scotia School Board
¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION
There are a number of opportunities to include the Holocaust in History, English, or Sociology courses. St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, lists two courses that deal with Nazi Germany, but only one of which specifically mentions the Holocaust. However, the course Nazi Germany was not offered in this past year. It is expected to be offered in 2001/2002 school year. There is also opportunities in the Seminar course which covers Modern European History. At Dalhousie University in Halifax, three courses are listed that specifically mention the Holocaust but only two of the courses were actually offered this past year: Judaism, offered every second year, and Germany in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Twentieth Century Europe in Literature, Art and Film which is listed in the calendar was not offered this year since the faculty person has retired.
The University of King’s College lists two courses in the Contemporary Studies program that include the Holocaust: Holocaust: Representations of the Holocaust I: Bearing Witness and Representations of the Holocaust II: Remembrance.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
The Atlantic Jewish Council, located in Halifax, is responsible for programs across the Atlantic provinces. Holocaust Memorial Day programs occur in Halifax, Sydney, Moncton, St. John New Brunswick, Fredericton, Charlottetown, and St. John’s Newfoundland. The Holocaust Education Committee of the AJC does outreach to schools and was involved in the publication of the Teacher Guide for the Holocaust Education Resource Kit that was produced by the Department of Education and Culture.
There are a few individuals in the public schools who identified themselves as resource people for Holocaust Education. Past participants of B’nai Brith’s "Holocaust and Hope" program are also available to assist in teacher education initiatives.
Ontario was the first province in Canada to pass the Holocaust Memorial Day Act.
¤ CURRICULUM
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… we have included expectations which relate to Holocaust Education in the new curriculum in areas of The Arts, Canadian and World Studies, English, Social Science and Humanities. Suzanne Herbert, Deputy Minister, |
Ontario described Holocaust Education as part of "expectations" in their new curriculum. The curriculum expectations include examples that are described as a “guide for teachers rather than as an exhaustive or mandatory list.” The word Holocaust appears in the Canadian and World Studies Curriculum for grades 11 and 12 (2000) as an example of genocides of the twentieth century in the section “Twentieth Century History: Global and Regional Perspectives” grade 11. It is also used as one of a number of examples in other courses for instance in grade 12 “World History: The West and World.” Content information on the Holocaust is more focused in the Canadian and World Studies Curriculum for grades 9 and 10 (1999). The Holocaust is mentioned as part of “Specific Expectations in Canadian History in the Twentieth Century” (grade 10): “produce a timeline that charts and identifies significant historical events related to the Holocaust”; “demonstrate an understanding of how the experience and memory of the Holocaust helped shape Canada’s role as a world leader in human rights;” “analyze Canada’s response to the Holocaust and the subsequent policy development dealing with hate crimes and Nazi war criminals in Canada.” In addition the word Holocaust appears in "Explanatory Notes" in the Canadian and World Studies Curriculum for grades 9 and 10.
¤ ONTARIO SCHOOL BOARDS
The majority of school boards in Ontario that responded to the survey (19/72 or 26%) said that Holocaust education was included in the curriculum. Just two boards said that the Holocaust was not included in the curriculum. One of the boards that wrote that the Holocaust was not presently included in the curriculum explained that the Holocaust “is included on a school by school basis as the school deems necessary.” Opportunities exist in Religious Studies, History programs or Language Arts as part of moral issues, or anti-racism education. At some schools students at the senior level (11 and 12) may study genocide in the twentieth century. In the Catholic school board it is a topic in Biblical Studies, or as part of social justice or world issues. At the elementary level there are opportunities in Language Arts in particular. One respondent wrote: “My Holocaust Education program is created and implemented by myself. I do not have access to a Jewish Museum or to guest speakers. I use my own resources and try the best I can to educate the students about the Holocaust and its impact.” While it is often up to the individual Social Science/History Department Head in each secondary school to provide the necessary curriculum support (especially in boards that do not have access to community resource centres), there are boards that have made a commitment to increasing Holocaust awareness. In 1999 the York District Board of Education formally announced that they would hold Holocaust Education Week with a view to integrating Holocaust and genocide studies into the current curriculum.
Schools do take advantage of the many available resources in Ontario including for example, the Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre of Toronto/UJA which offers an annual senior student seminar day on the Holocaust which attracts hundreds of students each year. Hamilton’s Jewish Community Centre offers a similar program which includes a one day Holocaust symposium at McMaster University that is attended by local high students. In addition to programs that are offered by community groups (see Ontario Resources), school boards cited the public library as one of their primary resources. There are few teacher guides specifically designed for Ontario schools. Two recent teacher guides include: York Region District School Board These Shoes Could be Yours for grade six (currently being revised to meet the new Ontario curriculum expectations) and the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada Yom ha-Shoah Holocaust Memorial Day Teacher’s Guide which will be available to all Ontario school boards in the fall 2001. Most school boards responded that they had been including the Holocaust in their curriculum for more than ten years.
Our goals in our Holocaust education program include identifying the effects and horrors of racism and prejudice including antisemitism, identifying the need to stand up against such attacks, noting that silence means acceptance; promoting human dignity, and social justice…
Superintendent Ontario School Board
¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION
There are at least eight universities in Ontario, which list courses specifically on the Holocaust. (see Ontario Resources page 91) The courses appear in the following departments: History, Jewish Studies, Religion, or German. Courses on such topics as Racism, Nazism, Women’s Experience in World War II, and Special topics in Jewish Studies or History may cover the topic as well. In addition to the traditional courses, such as History or Jewish Studies that provide opportunities to learn about the Holocaust, York University, in Toronto, offers a course Plays in Performance: Theatre of the Holocaust in the Faculty of Fine Arts.
The Centre for Jewish Studies and The Canadian Centre for German and Europeans Studies at York University in Toronto have plans for a new course Learning from the Past, Teaching for the Future: A Holocaust and Anti-Racism Education Project for Young Educators to start in the summer, 2001. The new program will bridge the teaching of the Holocaust across the continents, including two periods of intensive collaboration with study in Germany and Poland.
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto has offered courses that include multicultural/anti-racist education, some of which have focused on the Holocaust for example, Anti-racist Education in the Twentieth Century: A Case Study. For the first time in Canada, a Diploma Program in Holocaust and Genocide Education is expected to be offered this Fall (2001). “The program is specifically designed to meet the needs of teachers who elect to teach units in the current Ontario curriculum concerning the Holocaust and the importance of creating a civil society that honours human rights. The program welcomes other professionals and individuals who wish to pursue a concerted course of study in the relatively new and increasingly important field of Holocaust and genocide educational studies.”
Recently a collection of 1000 books of Holocaust literature was donated to Centennial College in Toronto which has now opened the John and Molly Pollock Holocaust Collection and plans to use the collection to form the basis for elective courses on hatred and genocide.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
Educational opportunities in Ontario exist in most urban centres. In particular, Toronto has a number of educational resources including the Holocaust Education and Memorial Centre of Toronto/UJA Federation, and the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada, both of which have been involved in outreach for the past fifteen years. Additionally, London and Windsor both sponsor programs through the local Jewish Federations which include a week of Holocaust awareness programs and teacher education workshops, as well as Yom Hashoah Memorial Day programs. The Jewish Community Centre of Hamilton-Wentworth and Area run a half-day workshop at McMaster University for senior high school students. Ottawa’s Jewish Community Council is planning to increase its activities in Holocaust Education and launch a Holocaust Awareness Week as of November 2001.
There are a number of individuals who identified themselves as resource people for Holocaust Education. Past participants of the "Holocaust and Hope" program continue to assist in Holocaust education committees and assist in teacher education initiatives throughout Ontario.
¤ CURRICULUM
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… all of our new curriculum guides and related documents do contain sections on Diversity Education and on the valuing of social and cultural diversity. The topic of the Holocaust is studied in the Grade XI Modern World History course and used as an optional case study in our Grade XII Global Issues course. Willard Moase, Director of English Programs, |
Opportunities for including the Holocaust exist in the History curriculum, however we did not receive any curriculum documents from PEI and therefore this review is based solely on the letter received from the Department of Education. The Director of English Programs reported that the department did not have curriculum documents or specific policies solely centred on Holocaust education.
¤ PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND SCHOOL BOARDS
None of the three boards in the province responded to the questionnaire.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
The Atlantic Jewish Council provides Yom Hashoah programming for the Atlantic region. A Yom Hashoah Memorial Day program is held in Charlottetown. Past participants of the "Holocaust and Hope" program are available to assist in teacher education initiatives and serve as resource persons in Prince Edward Island.
¤ CURRICULUM
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L’on comprendra qu’il n’est pas possible de traiter des répercussions d’un tel événement en classe si l’on n’a pas préalablement abordé le conflit qui a donné lieu à l’Holocauste. Un programme intitulé le 20e siècle: histoire et civilisations est offert en 5e année du secondaire sur une base optionnelle. Ce programme prescrit des apprentissages sur la Deuxième Guerre mondiale. Margaret Rioux-Dolan |
The Ministry of Education of the province of Quebec sent curriculum documents for the grade 8 program, Histoire générale, grade 10 program Histoire du Québec et du Canada and grade 11 program Le 20e siècle, Histoire et Civilisations. None of the documents used the word "Holocaust". The area included in the history program that was most relevant was The Twentieth Century, History and Civilizations (Le 20e siecle: Histoire et Civilisations) which is a grade 11 optional course that includes discussion on human rights. There are opportunities to include the Holocaust particularly because the province mandates that Moral and Religious Education is part of the school curriculum. The Holocaust could be discussed within units on Discrimination and Prejudice or within units on Stereotyping. The curriculum is currently being revised with an emphasis on Outcomes Based Objectives and Competencies. The content will be left up to individual teachers.
¤ QUEBEC SCHOOL BOARDS
As expected (the Holocaust did not appear in any of the curriculum documents that were reviewed for this report) the majority of school boards in Quebec that responded to the survey wrote that the Holocaust was not in the curriculum. Of the 11 Boards that completed the questionnaire (11/73 or 15%) four school boards said that the Holocaust was included in the curriculum. As in other provinces in Canada, there are opportunities to include discussion about the Holocaust in such areas as Religious Studies or Language Arts. Religious and Moral Education studies that take place in all Quebec schools provide additional room for discussion of the Holocaust. Respondents who said that they include the topic in their classrooms say that it is important to inform and sensitize students so they will understand the horrors of racism.
Some schools in Quebec include the topic in novel studies such as Anne Frank. Other schools include the Holocaust in Social Studies courses that cover World War II. The inclusion of the topic is dependent on the individual teacher. Teachers said that they would most likely integrate the topic into relevant units such as anti-racism or citizenship or multiculturalism. Boards tended to use the public library as a primary resource, although at least one board said that they had made use of Montreal’s Holocaust Memorial Centre. Where possible, boards also made use of survivors as guest presenters.
L’Holocauste deviendrait plutôt un outil pour atteindre certaines compètences comme le discernement moral par exemple!
Enseignant Moral Relgieux (Moral and Religious Education Teacher)
Quebec School Board
¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION
McGill University in Montreal lists two courses (The Holocaust, Holocaust Literature) in the Jewish Studies Department specifically on the Holocaust but only one of the courses, The Holocaust was offered in the current year (2000/2001). There are a number of opportunities for including Holocaust studies in Jewish History and Modern Jewish Studies but only the two courses referred to above included the word Holocaust in the calendar descriptions. Opportunities to study the Holocaust may occur in senior level courses or Seminars in History or Language Studies.
Concordia University, also in Montreal, lists a number of courses on or including the Holocaust such as An Introduction to the History of the Holocaust, The History and Sociology of Genocide, Holocaust: Historical Circumstances. The courses are offered through the History or Religion Departments. As well, Concordia University is the home of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) which was founded in 1986. (see Quebec Resources)
Moral and Religious Education, a requirement in Quebec elementary and secondary schools, provides an opportunity for introducing the Holocaust to teachers-in-training. For the past eight years Montreal’s McGill University/Faculty of Education has included a course on Teaching the Holocaust. Francis Levy, who has taught the course since its inception, notes that the teachers who are specifically training to be Moral and Religious Educators must bring a multidisciplinary approach to the subject. In the course description for Teaching the Holocaust it states: “To meet the needs of Holocaust studies requires careful planning and preparation. An understanding of the universal messages that underlie Holocaust education is needed as well as an awareness of the available teaching materials.” Levy reported that the course started with Jewish students only, but that currently the majority of students come from all different backgrounds.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
There are a number of resources available particularly to the Montreal area community. Montreal’s Holocaust Memorial Centre offers an annual symposium for college students and conducts outreach programs with educators and survivors. The Memorial Centre is also revising a teacher's guide to the Museum in both French and English, which is expected to be available later this year (2001). The federal government recently pledged $500,000 to the expansion of the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre (MHMC) from the Millennium Fund. The funds will contribute to the development of the museum to teach and commemorate events concerning the Holocaust. Additional resources in Montreal include Holocaust collections and archival materials such as the Canadian Jewish Congress National Archives.
A few individuals in the public school system identified themselves as resource people for Holocaust Education. Past participants of the "Holocaust and Hope" program indicated they are also available to assist in teacher education initiatives.
¤ CURRICULUM
|
… [Social Studies and History] curricula provide many opportunities for the study of the Holocaust at the Elementary, Middle and Secondary Levels… In Secondary Social Studies and History … the Holocaust is identified as a concept to be explored. Craig Dotson, Deputy Minster, |
Saskatchewan’s newly revised Social Studies and History curricula explicitly identify the Holocaust as a topic of study. According to the curriculum documents, Social Studies 20 World Issues, students are encouraged “to explore and think critically about ways that historical events and issues, including the Holocaust, have contributed to the development of contemporary society.” The Holocaust and related terminology are clearly identified a number of times in the content of the unit on Human Rights. “Know that the events of the Holocaust so outraged the moral vision that world public opinion changed.” “Anti-Semitism, despite the terrible events of the Holocaust, remains a source of discriminatory practices in many countries.” References to Antisemitism, to genocide of which “The Jews are only the most famous example” and the Final Solution are expressly mentioned as topics to be covered in the curriculum.
¤ SASKATCHEWAN SCHOOL BOARDS
The 10 Saskatchewan school boards that responded to the survey (10/79 or 12%) said the topic of the Holocaust is included in the High School curriculum. The Holocaust is included in Language Arts or World Studies. Opportunities exist within such topics as human rights, ethnicity, equality, discrimination or totalitarianism. The curriculum allows for specific opportunities to teach the Holocaust as described above (see curriculum). Most of the school boards responded that they had been including the Holocaust in their curriculum for the last ten years. Teachers most often cited the public library as their main resource for information on teaching about the Holocaust. Where possible, survivors are invited to help in presentations on the subject.
Holocaust Education provides an opportunity for students to learn where racism can ultimately lead, and the potential dangers of conformity. It is also an opportunity to learn about the importance of upholding individual rights and freedom, and the rule of law.
History Teacher Saskatchewan School Board
¤ UNIVERSITIES/FACULTIES OF EDUCATION
The topic of the Holocaust is covered in History or Religion courses at two Saskatchewan universities. The University of Regina includes Origins of Modern Antisemitism and the Holocaust in the Department of Religious Studies. At the University of Saskatchewan there were two History courses that deal with the Nazi period, The Nazi State, and The Nazi Catastrophe and Its Postwar Legacies. The course "From Prejudice to Annihilation: A History of Antisemitism and the Holocaust" is also offered. As courses depend on faculty and funding availability a commitment to keeping the latter course necessitates that it is offered only in the evening in order to attract a larger attendance.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
The Saskatchewan Jewish Council in Regina is involved in education and outreach to high school teachers, and will do programs on how to teach the Holocaust on a request basis. Part of their programming includes Holocaust Education Week and Holocaust Remembrance Day programs. There are a few individuals who identified themselves as resource people for Holocaust Education. Past participants of the "Holocaust and Hope" program are also available to assist in teacher education initiatives.
¤ CURRICULUM
|
Although the Yukon Department of Education has not prepared specific curriculum documents and/or policies relevant to Holocaust Education there are a number of opportunities for teachers to include lessons on the Holocaust, particularly within secondary level courses. Wayne Jones, Superintendent of Programs, |
As described in the letter from Yukon Education, the Yukon does not have specific curriculum documents relevant to Holocaust Education. However, most of the courses within the Yukon secondary system follow the B.C. curriculum. Thus, opportunities for the inclusion of the Holocaust fall within the study of Canada’s role in WWII, and in Law 12 which includes an inquiry into whether ֻhate crimes limit freedom of expression,” and in the History 12 IRP which as described by the B.C. Ministry of Education includes a unit called Turmoil and Tragedy, 1933-1945. (see B.C.).
¤ YUKON SCHOOL BOARDS
There were no respondents from Yukon school boards. In his letter to Dr. Karen Mock (August 28, 2000) the Superintendent of Programs wrote that teachers of Social Studies 8 have included Holocaust Education in their World Religions unit and have utilized the Holocaust Centre in Vancouver to invite a Holocaust survivor to visit Yukon classrooms.
¤ COMMUNITY-BASED CENTRES AND PROGRAMS
The nearest Education Centre is Vancouver. In the letter from Yukon Education the Superintendent of Programs notes that “several teachers from the Yukon have taken part in the "Holocaust and Hope" [Educators] Tour which has inspired the integration of very powerful in-depth lessons on the Holocaust.” Past "Holocaust and Hope" participants are also available to assist in teacher education initiatives.
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