Teaching about the Holocaust: a consideration of some ethical and pedagogic issues

Summary

The Holocaust is now part of the history curriculum for all 11‐14 year‐olds in maintained schools in England and Wales. This paper directs attention to some of the ethical and pedagogic issues involved in teaching the subject. In particular, concern is expressed at the dangers of teaching it in ways likely to promote anti‐Semitism. Other ethical issues raised include the extent to which freedom of speech should be permitted in the classroom; the merits or otherwise of drawing children's attention to Holocaust denial; the lengths to which teachers should go in introducing children to inherently painful subject matter and the rights of parents to withdraw their children from this part of the curriculum. The question of whether to accord teachers a similar right of withdrawal is also addressed. The chief pedagogic concern of the paper is the failure of existing Holocaust curricula to take cognisance of the way children conceptualise Jewish culture and identity. Findings from some small‐scale research in this area are reported and their implications discussed.