Ресурсы

The Holocaust has been regarded as the defining moment of modern history and perhaps of all time. For most people it still evokes the ultimate in barbarism and inhumanity. The focus of this paper is to examine the impact that Holocaust education has on citizenship values in the primary and secondary stages of schooling. Previous research on teaching the Holocaust, primarily case studies in either the primary or the secondary sectors, suggests that the contribution of Holocaust education to citizenship includes developing pupils' understanding of the notion of justice, tolerance and the many forms of racism and discrimination, and provides opportunities for developing the positive values of empathy, awareness of antiracism, and an understanding that the individual can make a difference. Further, it can make a significant contribution to citizenship in developing pupils' awareness of human rights issues and genocides, the concepts of stereotyping and scapegoating and the exercise of power in local, national and global contexts. Our ongoing longitudinal research (sponsored by the Scottish Executive Education Department and running from November 2003 until summer 2005) aims to examine the value of Holocaust education in achieving aspects of citizenship. It is concerned with the immediate and longer term effects of Holocaust education on pupils' values and attitudes. Initially focused on primary pupils aged 11-12 years, it will follow them into secondary and compare their values and attitudes with pupils in their year who did not study the Holocaust in their primary schools. The proposed paper, which will report on the first stages of this ongoing research, will concentrate on: the relevance of Holocaust education to citizenship; the research methodology; the first results of the understanding of pupils and the impact of Holocaust teaching; tentative conclusions. (By the author)